Morning Glory (1933)

When a naively innocent, aspiring actress arrives on the Broadway scene, she is taken under the wing of several theater veterans who mentor her to ultimate success.

Director:

Lowell Sherman

Writers:

Howard J. Green (screen play), Zoe Akins (from the play by)

Stars:

Katharine Hepburn, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Adolphe Menjou

Won 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Katharine Hepburn	...	Eva Lovelace
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.	...	Joseph Sheridan
Adolphe Menjou	...	Louis Easton
Mary Duncan	...	Rita Vernon
C. Aubrey Smith	...	Hedges
Don Alvarado	...	Pepi
Fred Santley	...	Seymour (as Fredric Santly)
Richard Carle	...	Henry Lawrence
Tyler Brooke	...	Charles Van Duesen
Geneva Mitchell	...	Miss Hall
Helen Ware	...	Miss Navarre

Storyline

Eva Lovelace, would-be actress trying to crash the New York stage, is a wildly optimistic chatterbox full of theatrical mannerisms. Her looks, more than her talent, attract the interest of a paternal actor, a philandering producer, and an earnest playwright. Is she destined for stardom or the "casting couch"? Will she fade after the brief blooming of a "morning glory"?

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Plot Keywords:

playwright | theater | mentor | aspiring actress | reference to ferenc molnar | 

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Taglines:

She'll give you the heart thrill of your life !

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 August 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gloria de un día

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

74 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Katharine Hepburn is the only movie star to win four Academy Awards (2009) for her leading roles in Morning Glory, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Lion in Winter, and On Golden Pond.

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Goofs

Mic shadow on wall as Sheridan drags Eva out of dressing room after star quits play on opening night.

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Quotes

Robert Harley Hedges: Every year, in every theater, some young person makes a hit. Sometimes it's a big hit, sometimes a little one. It's a distinct success, but how many of them keep their heads? How many of them work? Youth comes to the fore. Youth has its hour of glory. But too often it's only a morning glory - a flower that fades before the sun is very high.

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Connections

Referenced in Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004)

User Reviews

VERY dated

Story about Eva Lovelace (Katharine Hepburn) a stagestruck girl who comes to NY determined to be a great actress. She learns quickly that it isn't that easy and falls in love with producer Louis Easton (Adolphe Menjou) who doesn't love her. And writer Joseph Sheridan (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) DOES love her but she doesn't have a clue.

The story is VERY old and the movie itself is incredibly stagy (it's based on a stage play--and it shows) but it is worth watching. It's well-directed and cast and Hepburn is just incredible. She won her first Academy Award for this and it's easy to see why. She never strikes a false note (even during a drunk scene at a party which could have been done very badly) and she's young and beautiful. Also Menjou is very good (as usual) and Fairbanks is just so-so but he WAS an incredibly handsome young man.

See it for Hepburn. And it is short (about 72 minutes).