IMDb > Alice Adams (1935)
Alice Adams
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Alice Adams (1935) More at IMDbPro »


IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   1,235 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Booth Tarkington (novel)
Dorothy Yost (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Alice Adams on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
30 January 1936 (Denmark) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Twenty-two and wonderful ... as Booth Tarkington's loveliest heroine!
Plot:
The misadventures of two social-climbing women in small town America. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. more
NewsDesk:
User Comments:
I was blindsided and enamored more (26 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Booth Tarkington's Alice Adams (USA) (complete title)
more
Runtime:
99 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Victor System)
Certification:
USA:Approved (PCA #1101) | Argentina:Atp | Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Katharine Hepburn wanted William Wyler to direct the movie (at the suggestion of George Cukor), but producer Pandro S. Berman favored George Stevens. Rumor has it that it was decided by the toss of a coin. In fact, Berman remembers that Wyler actually won the coin toss, but Stevens had completely won Hepburn over by that time, so when she saw that Wyler won the toss she had a look of disappointment on her face. The coin was tossed again, and this time Stevens won and he directed the picture. more
Quotes:
Arthur Russell: A penny for your thoughts. A poor little dead rose for your thoughts, Alice Adams. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Aviator (2004) more
Soundtrack:
YOU'RE AN ANGEL more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
12 out of 15 people found the following comment useful.
I was blindsided and enamored, 7 January 2005
8/10
Author: FilmOtaku (ssampon@hotmail.com) from Milwaukee, WI

Have you ever picked up what you thought was a glass of water, but when you took a long sip you ended up with a mouthful of Sprite? A surprising feeling, but then you have to figure out if it's pleasant or not. I felt similarly about my experience watching "Alice Adams", George Stevens' 1935 film starring Katherine Hepburn as the title character. Expecting a wily romantic comedy, possibly a precursor to Hepburn's screwball comedies, I instead witnessed a beautiful, touching and sad film about rejection and romance in small-town America.

Alice is the daughter of a bookkeeper who is sick, and therefore temporarily out of work. Even before his unemployment, his job did not provide as much money for his family as many of Alice's contemporaries. This causes Alice to not be accepted in society, and makes it harder to find a boyfriend, though she tries to keep cheerful in front of her family. Unfortunately Mrs. Adams doesn't make things easier, by constantly harping on Mr. Adams to quit his job and be more ambitious. When the Palmers have their annual dance, Alice asks her brother Walter to take her, and there she first sees Arthur Russell MacMurray) a wealthy young man who is practically engaged to Mildred Palmer, probably the richest and most socially prominent young woman in the town. He notices Alice, and after a dance together, finds her a couple of days later and they begin a romance, but it becomes obvious that Alice is not going to be able to put up a façade of wealth and social acceptance for long, as their relationship becomes more serious.

There were so many times that I found myself just aching for Alice during this film. Booth Tarkington is so good at capturing the darker side of small town life without being obvious, that it is understandable that this film could be mistaken for a light romantic comedy, though in reality it was anything but. Alice's low self-esteem, mainly due to society's views on her more than her family's lack of money makes her such a fragile character that she becomes immediately sympathetic, and this is mainly due to Hepburn's performance. This was early in her career, and after seeing many of her later films it is easy to forget just how radiant and luminous she once was. She has always been one of my favorite actresses, but it was generally because of the strength she gave the characters she played throughout the years, not her fragility. "Alice Adams" was an extremely pleasant surprise, and I ended up absolutely loving it. A very solid 8/10.

--Shelly

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (26 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Alice Adams (1935)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
What made you laugh the hardest? caaro1947
Alice's Dad is Super! Alix1929
a tragedy mheckman-1
No chemistry between Hepburn and MacMurray. thirsch-2
Living Room dperry1234
Why aren't more fans here? ladylavende
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Home from the Hill Giant Ruby Gentry Gone with the Wind The Best Years of Our Lives
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.