Holiday (1930) User Reviews

The 1938 version is better...but this one is still pretty good.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 17 March 2015]

Turner Classic Movies often shows the marvelous old film Holiday-- starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Doris Nolan. It's among the best films either of them made and it's certainly among my favorites. However, I recently learned that the movie is NOT the first version of the Philip Barry play. Back in 1930, the original movie was made which stars Ann Harding, Robert Ames and Mary Astor.

The plots of the two versions are pretty much the same. Julia brings her new fiancé, Johnny, home to meet her family. He's shocked to find out she's loaded...and I mean loaded! Her family has millions and is very prominent socially. This is a far cry from Johnny and his working class roots. However, they are in love and both plan on getting married quite soon regardless of their differences. Through the course of the film, it becomes obvious that Julia has plans to control and mold Johnny---plans which are very different from his plans. Johnny is a bit of a dreamer. He would like to make enough money so that he can then go on an extended break--to see the world, experience life and only then settle down into a routine. Julia, however, sees him working as a banker or financier--stable, dependable and dull. There is absolutely no way both can have their way. One, or both, must bend.

In this same wealthy family are Linda and Ned. Ned is a cynical sort who spends an inordinate amount of time drinking. He knows full well the sort of dreary life he has set before him and spends much of his time intoxicated in order to deal with it. As for Linda, she's much more of a dreamer--a free spirit living within a gilded cage. In so many ways, she seems more compatible with Johnny--though she's too decent a sort to try to come between him and her sister. So what's to happen? Will Johnny allow himself to be emasculated and lose all his dreams or will he and Julia end up living in some bohemian apartment while he 'finds himself'...or is there some other alternative?

As I mentioned above, the plots are virtually the same. What is NOT the same is the entire feel for the two films. The 1930 version is rather stagy and lacks the energy of the 1938 film. Much of it is because back in 1930, they were just learning how to make sound films and often they looked more like plays being recorded on film than a movie as we know of it today. Holiday (1930) definitely is much more stagy. The worst of it is probably with Linda. In the earlier film, Ann Harding (a very popular actress in her day but a mostly forgotten actress today) played EXACTLY like she was standing on a stage addressing the crowd. Her diction and delivery were anything but realistic. In contrast, Katharine Hepburn's Linda was vivacious and exciting. As for the rest, in the 1930 film the performances were generally better than Harding's but still lacked the freshness and quality of the later film. Overall, I'd clearly give the nod to the 1938 production. But, this is not to say the 1930 film is bad....it isn't at all. And, for film nuts like me (and I know there must be more of you out there), a chance to see both films is a real treat. If you are also a lover of old films, I have an exciting suggestion. See BOTH movies.

How can you see the original Holiday? There is a wonderful website called the Internet Archive (archive.org) where you can view or download public domain movies 100% legally and for free. When you go to the site, in the search bar, type HOLIDAY. It will then provide a link to the 1930 film and its download. It's available in a variety of formats and your computer probably will play at least one of them. As for me, I've long used Media Player Classic (not the program that comes with Windows--the free program from mpc- hc.org). I strongly recommend you download it if your video player on your computer doesn't allow you to play the films. Media Player Classic will play a wider variety of formats than the players that come with PCs and MACs. Then, you'll be able to watch just about anything from the Internet Archive--and there are many thousands of films as well as audio recordings and even old video games! All are free and some are amazingly good--too good to have just been abandoned to the public domain.

Quite like the '38, but...

[marcslope · 7/10 · 1 April 2014]

The 1938 remake benefits from a more assured production and, of course, Cukor's direction. And the two are surprisingly close: Whole swatches of dialog from 1930 are lifted more or less bodily (the 1930 version, most likely, did the same with the stage dialog). And it's a rather stagy early talkie, trying, but not very hard, to move the action around and make it more cinematic. What the early version does have is Ann Harding. She's so lovely, and her playing has, I don't know, a stillness, a contemplation to it; she seems to think very hard about what to say before she says it. It lends a certain gravitas to what is already a fairly serious comedy dealing with rather large issues--how to live one's life, and how one's choices affect those around one. Mary Astor is also miles beyond Doris Nolan, creating a multifaceted, complicated character out of what could come across as just a selfish sister. Robert Ames hasn't Cary Grant's polished comedy playing or looks, but he's credible, and Edward Everett Horton is delightful in the same part he played in 1938. It's a mellow, thoughtful movie, marred but hardly ruined by the primitive movie-making. And we're very lucky to have Ann Harding's Oscar-nominated Linda Seton preserved.

Mediocre ROMCOM of the Depression - Holiday

[arthur_tafero · 5/10 · 4 October 2022]

Contrary to popular belief, Depression audiences enjoyed romantic comedies depicting the rich. It gave them a chance to imagine themselves in another world, escaping the desperation they were in for a few happy hours. Romantic comedies generally featured men or women who were spoiled, rich, and bored with their wealth. This was supposed to make the masses feel lucky they had a purpose in their lives......to find their next meals and keep looking for a job. Despite this fact, escapism still triumphed over reality for most audiences. After all, didn't you imagine you might be rich and/or wildly successful someday?

Holiday review

[JoeytheBrit · 6/10 · 16 April 2020]

A young man finds that his free-spirited nature is at odds with the more serious attitudes of his fiancé and most of her wealthy family. An early version of the more famous 1938 adaptation of Philip Barry's stage play which featured box office heavyweights Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn in the roles taken here by lesser lights Ann Harding and Robert Ames. Harding is very good, but Ames is too bland for a role that calls for a big personality. It's all very dated, but quite engaging nevertheless. Rather bizarrely, three of the four lead males in this movie would be dead before the '38 version hit screens just eight years later

Holiday

[CinemaSerf · 6/10 · 15 February 2024]

A pretty wooden Ann Harding tops the bill here in this rather stagily delivered rom-com. She ("Linda") is the independently-minded daughter of a wealthy family whose sister "Julia" (Mary Astor) has a whirlwind romance and wants to get married. Thing is, her intended "Johnny" (Robert Ames) doesn't quite measure up to expectations of blue-blooded father Edward" (William Holden) but "Linda" takes quite a shine to his free-spirited attitude, especially when he declares that he wants little of her family's wealth, but to retire early and enjoy the simple things in life. "Julia" isn't so impressed with the prospect of having an "idler" for an husband and so a denouement with all concerned looks set to recalibrate the relationships and reveal the truth about these characters. It's watchable enough, this, but the presentation is very stilted. The actors seem to be too pre-occupied seeking their cue spots to deliver their very set-piece lines for much of this sitting-room drama naturally, and that is especially obvious with the little thinly-stretched humour Philip Barry's original play provided. It does take a gentle swipe at new versus old money and at double standards, and would probably work quite well in a theatre, but on screen it's all a bit static.

Another great performance by Mary Astor

[Lydcaro · 10/10 · 14 December 2003]

If you get the chance to see this version of "Holiday," take it! Ann Harding is fabulous in the part of Linda, a role later played by Katharine Hepburn in the better known 1938 version. But another pleasure of this version is Mary Astor's excellent portrayal of Julia. She takes a rather blah and unrewarding role and really makes something of it. Highly recommended!

Need a holiday after watching this

[AAdaSC · 4/10 · 4 January 2019]

Robert Ames (Johnny) and wealthy Mary Astor (Julia) fall in love and intend to announce their wedding plans to Astor's father William Holden. No, not that one! Astor brings Ames to her home where it becomes evident that the groom and the father of the bride do not see eye to eye. Ames wants to retire now and do nothing until he actually has to whilst daddy and daughter want him to toe the family line, play the game, accept a job and jolly well be satisfied with what is handed to him. Astor has a sister Ann Harding (Linda) who can't bear her family's reliance on position and general asshole-ability and is a natural kindred spirit for Ames. Guess what happens?

Yep, you can guess how this film will pan out and it takes ages to get there. I have to mention Ann Harding. Her acting performance here is dreadful. She is more pre-occupied with maintaining vocal intonation over any actual acting. This is especially noticeable at the end sections of the film when she 'sings' her dialogue in a very self-conscious manner. She's crap! Funnily, my wife said that she reminded her of Katherine Hepburn where the dialogue delivery is starved of any actual emotional intelligence but just used in a phoney way. Guess who starred in the remake of this film in the Ann Harding role ........... ha ha .......yep........Katherine Hepburn....! We had to laugh when we found that out. So, you've been warned. Boring nonsense.

The Radiant Beauty of Ann Harding

[kidboots · 9/10 · 6 August 2010]

Pathe acquired the screen rights to Philip Barry's sophisticated play "Holiday" for Ina Claire, who had a nine month contract with the studio, but the production of "The Awful Truth" took longer than anticipated and Ann Harding was handed the plum role of Linda Seton. "Holiday" was a huge hit and Ann received an Academy Award nomination (she lost to Marie Dressler). It also cemented her image as a shimmering, radiant beauty, always well bred but with distinctive views of life and love. Mary Astor recalled that Ann "was one of the first stars who disregarded her status on the set, she wore little or no make up and would not put up with special treatment, special chairs etc". She was a hard worker and not a phoney.

"Life walked into the house today" declares Linda Seton, when her sister, Julia (Mary Astor) introduces her fiancée Johnny Case (Robert Ames). The Setons are extremely wealthy (they have a lift that takes them to each floor in their mansion) and money is their God. Johnny is just a regular guy, who comes from humble beginnings and feels life is there to be lived. Linda agrees with his philosophy and wants Julia to grab her happiness. Their brother, Ned (Monroe Owsley) is a cynical alcoholic who has given up trying to assert his own personality and is now completely submerged by his father - almost. Even though on the surface, Julia is eager to fall in with Linda and Ned's plans, at heart she is like her father and secretly wants Johnny to buckle under and take a place at the family firm.

Linda wants to give Julia and Johnny a special party with just a few friends (Edward Everett Horton, Hedda Hopper), real people, not pretentious snobs, who will make it a fun evening. Next scene, a ball is in full swing and Linda is nowhere to be seen - she is defiantly throwing her small party in the nursery - the only room she has ever felt happy. By the movie's end Julia's grasping "small" nature is revealed - when Johnny rejects her father's offer of a job - Julia admits she doesn't love Johnny, his carefree attitude has turned her cold. It is up to Linda to rush to his side (he is sailing on the midnight boat) and give him the love and support he needs. She has a special message for Ned - "I'm going to return you to life" - and for the room in general - "If he (Johnny) wants to sell peanuts - oh how I'll believe in those peanuts"!!!

This is a wonderful, sparkling movie and Ann Harding is glorious in it. You forget how old the movie really is. Has Mary Astor ever given a bad performance - I think not and she is excellent as the unbending Julia. Monroe Owsley, whose forte was villains, the oilier the better gave a good performance as Ned. From the list of his movie credits big things were expected of Robert Ames, who played Johnny, but, unfortunately, he died of the D.Ts the following year.

Highly Recommended.

There's a Good Movie in There Somewhere

[view_and_review · 3/10 · 5 January 2023]

The first forty-five minutes or so of this movie was a sitcom devoid of the desperately needed laugh track. It portended to be funny by the upbeat fast talking and occasional laughter by the characters, but it was humor that missed me. In the back half we finally had some drama, however bland.

Johnny Case (Robert Ames) met Julia Seton (Mary Astor) while vacationing in Lake Placid and the two quickly fell in love. In ten days time they were engaged. All of that happened before we see the happy couple on screen for the first time. When we first see them Johnny was being given the grand tour of Julia's gargantuan home. Johnny didn't know Julia was rich and this was the first time he was apprised of that.

The biggest drama at that point was Julia and her sister, Linda (Ann Harding), trying to devise a way to break it to their father, Edward Seton (William Holden), that Julia was marrying a commoner. I say "drama" in the most general sense because it wasn't that big of a deal.

As the movie proceeded and got past its faux comedic stage we found that Linda (the younger sister) was angry at her father for being too possessive. It seemed almost as if she resented the money and life they had. Whereas that may have been true it came off as princess tears. I'm sure you're familiar with the princess who wants nothing more than to be a commoner because they "live life." Yeah, those movies always annoy me because it's a big middle finger to pretty much the rest of the known world whose struggles are largely due to a lack of wealth.

The drama ticked up a bit when Linda expressed that she loved Johnny (that would be Julia's man Johnny). She didn't express it to him, and she wasn't going to interfere with his and Julia's relationship, but it only made her more miserable. Not only was she captive in a soulless mansion, she loved her sister's man.

What did wear on Julia and Johnny's relationship was 1.) Johnny's decided lack of care for "too much money" and 2.) Edward Seton (the father) being an overbearing presence..

Johnny wanted to make about $20,000 and then ride it out as long as he could. He wanted to travel and have fun while he was young and then work when he was older. This is a bass ackwards retirement plan that seemed poorly thought out, but it was his plan that he wouldn't budge on. Naturally, that rubbed his future FIL raw, and irked Julia a bit as well. Money may not have been paramount to Julia, but she sure wasn't about to give it up.

Edward almost assured his daughter's relationship would be ruined by hovering and insisting on having a say on everything. He was one of those types who believe they have a controlling interest in anyone's life so long as he's paying. Julia went along with that arrangement fairly easily while her sister Linda fought it.

Eventually the strain would be too much for Johnny. He couldn't bear being under the thumb of Julia's father so he decided to make a clean break and sail for France. However hurt Julia was, she let him go without much of a fight.

Then comes our romance.

Linda, after making sure that Julia no longer loved Johnny, grabbed her things and chased after the commoner who wanted to live carefree. It was a scene that we'd see in "Sabrina" some years later with Humphrey Bogart chasing after Audrey Hepburn, except far less enchanting. Linda looked in her sister's eyes and saw that she didn't love Johnny anymore which gave her the pass she needed to pursue him. It was all so whimsical, flighty, and ham-fisted--the whole idea that people can fall in and out of love that quickly. The guy JUST left. All Linda did was look into Julia's eyes. I don't know what she saw, but it must've been a clear sign.

And Ann Harding's acting. Oh my goodness. Make it stop.

The whole movie Ann spoke as if she was going to break out into song. Every action was exaggerated and every word was spoken with gusto, zest, and a bit of a quiver in her voice like an opera singer. It was so unnatural it was annoying. But then, so was every character.

Every character was a soap opera character that was more unlikeable than likable. The father due to his controlling behavior, Johnny for being flippant, Julia for accepting her father's ways, and Linda for seeking pity for her rich life--not to mention the other characters that were equally bothersome.

As you can tell, I didn't like the movie. The characters lacked depth and the acting was laughable. There is merit to the movie and I think there is a good movie in there somewhere it just requires the right writers and director to flesh it out.

Free on YouTube.

Probably could not be made the year before or the year after...

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 3 January 2015]

... given its subject matter. This is not a precode at all. Rather it is the filmed version of a 1928 play that made perfect sense in the roaring 20's. This film could not be made before 1930 because sound films hadn't evolved to the point where dialogue and movement could be shown as they are here. It could not be made after 1930 for several years (It was filmed again in 1938) because depression era audiences would simply be befuddled at a young woman (Ann Harding as Linda) who is so unhappy and bored with her rich lifestyle while many in the audience would just want to know when they are going to eat again.

The story revolves around a rich young woman, Julia Seton (Mary Astor), who is returning home with her fiancé (Robert Ames as Johnny Case), whom she has known for only ten days. The Setons are terribly rich - I mean how many homes have elevators in 1930? - and they are divided into two groups. The stodgy business centric part of the family that runs things headed by patriarch Edward Seton (William Holden - no not THAT William Holden), and the unhappy Setons who seemed trapped on a merry go round from which they cannot get off. These are Julia's two siblings, Ned (Monroe Owsley) who drinks heavily to deal with the fact that he has no say in his own life, and Linda (Ann Harding), free in spirit but not in deed.

Johnny has a strange idea of how to live his life. He has been buying some stocks and as soon as he gets enough money together, he wants to go on "holiday". He wants the retirement part of his life to be when he is young, not just to have fun but to make sure that what he does for the rest of his life is what he really wants to do. Linda thinks this idea is grand, but fiancée Julia just thinks this is a goofy notion from which she can eventually distract him.

You'll notice that from the moment they arrive, Johnny seems to spend all of his time conversing with Linda and that Julia spends most of her time conversing with her "bucks on the brain" Dad. Complications ensue.

Ann Harding does have some dialogue and over the top moments that only someone as regal as she could pull off. Lots of actresses would have looked silly going on and on about how the playroom was the only place in the family mansion in which she was ever happy. Plus, she is making a BIG leap of faith in her final decision in the film. It is easy to see why Katharine Hepburn was cast to play Linda in the 1938 remake - they have very similar acting styles.

Let me also compliment Mary Astor's acting here. As both Johnny's fiancée and her father's daughter you are never quite sure where she is coming from up to the very end.

Edward Everett Hornton and Hedda Hopper have a small but crucial role as a couple who are friends of Linda and have a sense of humor that most of the stodgy Setons do not appreciate, but are needed to show that Linda does at least have some allies in her life. Highly recommended.

Exactly like the remake

[HotToastyRag · 5/10 · 11 March 2019]

Having seen the 1938 remake years before I rented the 1930 original Holiday, the original seemed like the remake! It's so incredibly similar, and Ann Harding's performance is so similar to Katharine Hepburn's, it felt like Ann was giving a Katharine Hepburn impression! I actually tried closing my eyes during a few scenes, and it sounded like I was listening to the remake.

Robert Ames is the love interest in this version, and he starts the film engaged to high-class Mary Astor. Then, when he comes home with her to meet her family, he realizes he has more in common with her sister Ann Harding, since they're both free-thinkers. Edward Everett Horton joins the party as one of Ann's kooky friends, and he was so well-liked in the part, he played it again in the 1938 remake!

All in all, this type of story isn't my cup of tea, but I did like the original better. The remake was far more of a screwball comedy than the original, which relied solely on the dialogue. If you want to see Cary Grant do backflips and pratfalls, rent the remake. If you want to see Ann Harding pretend to be Katharine Hepburn, rent the original.

In trying to be anti-classist, this society dame doesn't realize how classist she's being.

[mark.waltz · 9/10 · 11 December 2019]

Terrific performances by Ann Harding and Mary Astor guide this comedy based upon the Philip Barry play where socialite Astor becomes engaged to factory worker Robert Ames, planning to "better" him even though it's her who needs lessons in being "bettered". When Ames meets her sister, Harding, it is apparent that they have a lot more in common than Astor and Ames, and that Astor intends to manipulate the entire marriage. The whole family becomes involved in the undeclared war between sisters with Harding begging Astor to accept Ames for who he is, and the seemingly decent Astor proving how much of an elitist she is.

Best known for the remake starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, early talky version is quite good on its own and got Oscar nominations for the remake was completely overlooked. There are excellent supporting performances by Hallam Cooley, Edward Everett Horton (from the Broadway play as well as the remake) and I don't want gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. Cooley is Harding and Astor's stuffy businessman father, objecting to Harding's free thinking nature (accepting everybody for who they are regardless of their background), and more concerned with the family's public perception rather than what Harding feels.

Harding at times seems to sound like Katharine Hepburn who had not made her film debut but ironically appeared in the play on Broadway. she was exquisite, and proves herself to be adept at drawing-room comedy even though RKO would mainly cast as long-suffering sophisticated heroines. Astor gives a very grounded, diversified performance, easy going and sweet at one moment and hard-headed at others. It only suffers slightly from early sound technology, and while the camera may not move as fast as it would later in the remake, it is still quite good and innocent even better because it is not played for screwball comedy, but rather as a drawing-room comedy with moments of drama that have important social ramifications.

Ann Harding Succeeds Where Hepburn Failed

[rbisbee-64707 · 10/10 · 14 April 2024]

This first version of Holiday works much better than the 1938 version, because Harding plays Linda Seton, the lead character, as it was written by Phillip Barry.

Hepburn's performance in the remake fails to portray the insecurity, selflessness, and guilt of Linda.

Hepburn's natural brash self-confidence and surface smoothness are at odds with the personality and actions of Linda.

Hepburn also fails to portray the intense feeling of passionate love that Linda is supposed to be feeling for her sister's fiance.

Ann Harding, however, beautifully captures and portrays all of that, and as a result, this 1930 movie makes sense, because we understand Linda and her struggle.

In the 1938 remake, the plot and Linda's actions all have a disjointed illogical flow, because Hepburn hasn't captured the personality of Linda, and hasn't portrayed the motivations passion and guilt Linda is going through.

The Oscar nomination that Ann received, and the box office hit status that the first version achieved, confirm the superiority of Harding and the first version.

The 1938 remake flopped and received no Oscar nominations.

Some other reviews here claim that Harding imitated Hepburn, which is amusing since Harding version was filmed 8 years earlier, and also bc Hepburn is infamous for stealing from other actors, including Harding and ofc. Cary Grant.

Mary Astor also gives a fine performance playing Linda's sister.

Ann Harding's Best Actress Nomination Performance

[springfieldrental · 8/10 · 5 August 2022]

Repertory and community theatres are ofttimes training grounds for future film actors and actresses. Connecticut-born and raised Katherine Hepburn learned the stagecraft in her state's small theatres. Ann Harding, an Academy Awards Best Actress nominee, found her "home theater" at the Hedgerow Theater just outside of Philadelphia, and returned there and other small live venues in the Pittsburgh area repeatedly to retain her acting skills.

A number of threads tie Hepburn to Harding in more ways than to perform in front of live audiences. Harding, marking her movie debut in 1929's 'Paris Bound' with actor Fredric March, played Linda Seton in July 1930's "Holiday." She's the freewheeling sister, Linda, to Julie (Mary Astor), who's fiancee, Johnny Case (Robert Ames) is brought to the family's palatial mansion to introduce him to her father, Edward (William Holden-not the more famous younger actor). Linda is attracted to Johnny because he's not the materialistic opportunist that runs deep in her family. Wealthy in his own right by wheeling and dealing in the stock market (this was right before the Market Crash in late 1929), Johnny wants to experience the world before settling down to a permanent job.

If this plot sounds familiar, Hepburn played Linda in the more famous 1938 version of "Holiday," opposite Cary Grant. The movie was based on the 1928 Broadway play by Phillip Barry. The understudy for actress Hope Williams, who played Linda on the stage, was none other than Katherine Hepburn. Playwright Barry became good friends with Hepburn when she was part of the acting troupe. When the actress was labeled 'box office poison' in the late 1930s and was unable to secure good movie roles, Barry came to the rescue and composed "The Philadelphia Story," written specifically for Hepburn.

Harding's Academy Award nomination boasted her career in film. She was very busy until she met and married in 1937 musical composer Werner Janssen, a six-time Academy Award nominee. The actress claims Werner was a controlling husband who discouraged her from the Hollywood scene. Harding picked up her movie appearances in 1942, and later concentrated on television roles up until the mid-1960s with spot parts in 'Dr. Kildare' and 'Ben Casey.' Another Hepburn link to Harding and the movie "Holiday" was Robert Ames, who played Johnny. The Hartford, Connecticut, born and raised silent movie actor from the early 1920s, he seemed to be successful in making the transition to talkies. But he was under tremendous strain in his love relationships. A lawsuit by his nightclub entertainer mistress for $200,000 alleged the actor promised to marry her after his 1930 divorce to socialite Muriel Oakes. A heavy drinker, Ames was under a doctor's medication to help him alleviate his withdrawal from alcohol. While on a Thanksgiving break in New York City with his family, he died at the Hotel Delmonico. The cause of death at 42 years of age was an acute reaction of abstaining from alcohol. He's buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford, Connecticut, the same cemetery as Katherine Hepburn is buried with her family.