Adam's Rib (1949)

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

Ruth Gordon (screenplay) and
Garson Kanin (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 November 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

It Will Tickle Your Funny Bone !

Plot:

Domestic and professional tensions mount when a husband and wife work as opposing lawyers in a case involving a woman who shot her husband.

Plot Keywords:

Lawyer | Prosecutor | Marriage | New York City | Massage

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Spencer Tracy	...	Adam Bonner
Katharine Hepburn	...	Amanda Bonner
Judy Holliday	...	Doris Attinger
Tom Ewell	...	Warren Attinger
David Wayne	...	Kip Lurie
Jean Hagen	...	Beryl Caighn
Hope Emerson	...	Olympia La Pere
Eve March	...	Grace
Clarence Kolb	...	Judge Reiser
Emerson Treacy	...	Jules Frikke
Polly Moran	...	Mrs. McGrath
Will Wright	...	Judge Marcasson
Elizabeth Flournoy	...	Dr. Margaret Brodeigh
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Bastin	...	Young District Attorney (uncredited)
Joseph E. Bernard	...	Mr. Bonner, Adam's Father (uncredited)
Madge Blake	...	Mrs. Bonner, Adam's Mother (uncredited)
Harris Brown	...	Court Attendant (uncredited)
David Clarke	...	Roy (uncredited)
Harry Cody	...	Criminal Attorney (uncredited)
Dick Cogan	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Paul Cramer	...	Stenographer (uncredited)
Bert Davidson	...	Subway guard (uncredited)
Roger Davis	...	Paul Hurlock (uncredited)
Janna DeLoos	...	Mary, Maid (uncredited)
Sidney Dubin	...	Bobby, Amanda's Assistant (uncredited)
Rex Evans	...	Fat Man in Elevator (uncredited)
John Fell	...	Adam's Assistant (uncredited)
Norman Field	...	Courtroom Bailiff (uncredited)
Glen Gallagher	...	Criminal Attorney (uncredited)
Danny Harvey	...	Office Boy (uncredited)
Marvin Kaplan	...	Court Stenographer (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Man in Courtroom (uncredited)
Michael Kostrick	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Nancy Laurents	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Gracille LaVinder	...	Police Matron (uncredited)
DeForrest Lawrence	...	Adam's Assistant (uncredited)
Lester Luther	...	Judge Poynter (uncredited)
George Magrill	...	Subway Conductor (uncredited)
Dwight Martin	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Louis Mason	...	Lloyd, Elevator Operator (uncredited)
John Maxwell	...	Court Clerk (uncredited)
David McMahon	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Walter Merrill	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Juror (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Anna Q. Nilsson	...	Mrs. Poynter (uncredited)
James Nolan	...	Dave (uncredited)
Tommy Noonan	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Gil Patric	...	Criminal Attorney (uncredited)
'Snub' Pollard	...	Man in Courtroom (uncredited)
Dan Quigg	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Tom Quinn	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Paula Raymond	...	Emerald, Kip's Girlfriend (uncredited)
William Self	...	Benjamin Klausner, Jury Foreman (uncredited)
Will Stanton	...	Taxicab Driver (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Courtroom Extra (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan	...	Court Clerk (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Ray Walker	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Marjorie Wood	...	Mrs. Marcasson (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Reporter (uncredited)

Directed by
George Cukor

Writing credits
Ruth Gordon		(screenplay) and
Garson Kanin		(screenplay)

Produced by
Lawrence Weingarten	....	producer

Original Music by
Miklós Rózsa		(as Miklos Rozsa)

Cinematography by
George J. Folsey

Film Editing by
George Boemler

Art Direction by
William Ferrari
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Makeup Department
Jack Dawn	....	makeup creator
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair styles designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joel Freeman	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Jack Greenwood	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Henry Grace	....	associate set decorator (as Henry W. Grace)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording supervisor
Douglas Shearer	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Walter Plunkett	....	costume designer: Miss Hepburn

Music Department
Eugene Zador	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Loew's

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1949) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1950) (France) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1950) (France) (theatrical) (16 mm)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1964) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vidéo (2003) (France) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (DVD) (as MGM/UA Home Video)
• Moskwood Media (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Man and Wife (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:15 | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:Approved (certificate #14029) | UK:U | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G (alternate rating) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Bayard Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

When Tom Ewell is walking to his girlfriend's apartment at the beginning of the film, he is whistling "You Are My Lucky Star". This song is also featured in Singin' in the Rain (1952) which stars the same actress who plays Tom Ewell's girlfriend, Jean Hagen.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Kip is playing his song for Amanda in the Bonner's apartment, his foot is on a foot pedal that raises the dampers, but the sound we hear is quite different.

Quotes:

Beryl Caighn: And then I heard a noise.
Adam Bonner: What kind of noise?
Beryl Caighn: Like a sound.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "M*A*S*H: Adam's Ribs (#3.11)" (1974)

Soundtrack:

Farewell, Amanda

Adam's Rib (1949) ****

Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn make fireworks in this cute film about a well-to-do married couple who both happen to be lawyers. Hepburn is a die-hard Woman's Rights supporter, so when a ditzy lady is charged with shooting her husband after catching him being unfaithful, Kate decides to take her case and defend her. The trouble is, old-fashioned husband Tracy is already penciled in as the prosecuting attorney. Let the Battle of the Sexes begin!

The script sets up a great opportunity to have Tracy and Hepburn sparring with one another during every phase of the trial, as well as at home every night after they've spent each day trying to outwit each other. As a comedy, there aren't any huge belly-laughs, but it's a charming enough little take on the differences between men and women which also manages to make the point that, in many ways, the sexes aren't really all that different when all is said and done.