Keeper of the Flame (1942)
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- Passed
- 1h 40min
- Drama, Mystery
- Dec 1942 (USA)
- Movie
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Spencer Tracy | ... |
Steven O'Malley
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| Katharine Hepburn | ... |
Christine Forrest
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| Richard Whorf | ... |
Clive Kerndon
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| Margaret Wycherly | ... |
Mrs. Forrest
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| Forrest Tucker | ... |
Geoffrey Midford
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| Frank Craven | ... |
Dr. Fielding
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| Stephen McNally | ... |
Freddie Ridges
(as Horace McNally)
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| Percy Kilbride | ... |
Orion Peabody
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| Audrey Christie | ... |
Jane Harding
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| Darryl Hickman | ... |
Jeb Rickards
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| Donald Meek | ... |
Mr. Arbuthnot
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| Howard Da Silva | ... |
Jason Rickards
(as Howard da Silva)
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| William Newell | ... |
Piggot
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Walter Bacon | ... |
Mourner (uncredited)
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Barry Bernard | ... |
Forward American Boy (uncredited)
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| Clifford Brooke | ... |
William (uncredited)
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| Steve Carruthers | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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Ricardo Lord Cezon | ... |
Boy (uncredited)
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| Mabel Colcord | ... |
Store Proprietess (uncredited)
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Cliff Danielson | ... |
Reporter Robert Brindley (uncredited)
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| Diana Douglas | ... |
Forward American Girl (uncredited)
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| Rex Evans | ... |
John (uncredited)
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| Donald Gallaher | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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| Stuart Hall | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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| Sam Harris | ... |
Hotel Guest (uncredited)
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Art Howard | ... |
Hotel Guest (uncredited)
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| Colin Kenny | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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| Crauford Kent | ... |
Ambassador (uncredited)
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Manart Kippen | ... |
Reporter Martin Snow (uncredited)
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Irving Lee | ... |
Boy Reporter (uncredited)
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Charles Frederick Lindsley | ... |
Minister (uncredited) (voice)
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Mary Marlin | ... |
Woman (uncredited)
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| Mickey Martin | ... |
Messenger Boy (uncredited)
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| Louis Mason | ... |
Gardener (uncredited)
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| Claire McDowell | ... |
Mourner (uncredited)
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Mary McLeod | ... |
Janet Rickards (uncredited)
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| Harold Miller | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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| Dorothy Morris | ... |
Forward American Girl (uncredited)
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| Barry Norton | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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Margaret Perry | ... |
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
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| Robert Pittard | ... |
Tim (uncredited)
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Eleni Qirici | ... |
Little Girl (uncredited)
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| Rita Quigley | ... |
Susan (uncredited)
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| Dorothy Raye | ... |
Minor Role (uncredited)
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| John Roy | ... |
Police Officer at Funeral (uncredited)
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Gloria Tucker | ... |
Forward American Girl (uncredited)
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Jay Ward | ... |
Pete (uncredited)
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| Blanche Yurka | ... |
Mrs. Anna Taylor (uncredited)
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Directed by
| George Cukor | ||
Written by
| I.A.R. Wylie | ... | (novel) |
| Donald Ogden Stewart | ... | (screenplay) |
Produced by
| Leon Gordon | ... | associate producer |
| Victor Saville | ... | producer |
Music by
| Bronislau Kaper | ||
| Daniele Amfitheatrof | ... | (uncredited) |
| Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco | ... | (uncredited) |
Cinematography by
| William H. Daniels | ... | director of photography (as William Daniels) |
Editing by
| James E. Newcom | ||
Art Direction by
| Cedric Gibbons | ||
Set Decoration by
| Edwin B. Willis | ||
Makeup Department
| Jack Dawn | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Edward Woehler | ... | assistant director (uncredited) |
Art Department
| Jack D. Moore | ... | associate set decorator (as Jack Moore) |
| Lyle R. Wheeler | ... | associate art director (as Lyle Wheeler) |
Sound Department
| Douglas Shearer | ... | recording director |
Special Effects by
| Warren Newcombe | ... | special effects |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Adrian | ... | gowns: Miss Hepburn |
Music Department
| Wally Heglin | ... | orchestrator (uncredited) |
| Leonid Raab | ... | orchestrator (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| Wanda Tettoni | ... | italian voice dubbing: Katharine Hepburn (uncredited) |
| Gaetano Verna | ... | italian voice dubbing: Spencer Tracy (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
Distributors
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1942) (United States) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
- Regal Films (1942) (Canada) (theatrical) (as Regal Films, Ltd.)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1942) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Metro Goldwyn Mayer (1943) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Metro Goldwyn Mayer (1943) (Mexico) (theatrical)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer A/B (1946) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1946) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Les Acacias (1946) (France) (theatrical)
- MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1990) (United States) (VHS)
- HBO Max (2020) (United States) (video) (VOD)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1949) (Belgium) (theatrical)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Western Electric (sound system)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
American military leader and war hero Robert Forrest, universally beloved and respected within the country and thus touted as Presidential material, has just died in a freak car accident on his sprawling estate, where, during an unexpected rainstorm, the car he was driving plunged over a ravine as he didn't notice the washed-out bridge. While the nation mourns, the national reporters descend on his small hometown to write the story of the incident. One reporter who won't is renowned Steven O'Malley (Spencer Tracy), who wants instead to write an in-depth piece on the man to preserve his status within the public consciousness. Although happy to use official documents and records, O'Malley wants most specifically to speak to his wife, Christine Forrest (Katharine Hepburn), which may be a difficult task as she has refused to grant any interviews as a very private person. O'Malley is able to meet with Christine in person, and although she is reluctant to oblige his request at first, she is convinced by Robert's aide, Clive Kerndon (Richard Whorf), to cooperate with him so as to control the agenda. As O'Malley begins his research, he begins to think that Christine and others around her are hiding something about Robert and/or his death. O'Malley is determined to discover the truth, which he believes may have something to do with: Robert's mother (Margaret Wycherly), afflicted with dementia and hidden away in a big isolated house on the estate; Christine's cousin, Geoffrey Midford (Forest Tucker), who does not hide his disdain for Robert; and/or Jason Rickards (Howard Da Silva), one of Robert's servants, or one of Jason's children Jeb (Darryl Hickman), Jason who was once Robert's superior in the military before he was permanently injured in battle and saved by Robert in the process. Written by Huggo |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | FIERY LOVE DRAMA! (original print ad - all caps) See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | Add content advisory for parents » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $1,172,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Louis B. Mayer was very unhappy about the film's political content, thinking it noncommercial. Katharine Hepburn too felt that the storyline was too dull and needed to be pepped up with some romance. She complained to producer Victor Saville about this but he ignored her comments, so Hepburn went directly to Mayer who was only too happy to make the film into a more conventional Hollywood romance. See more » |
| Goofs | In the denouement scene in the arsenal, while standing near the safe, Christine begins wearing a rain coat which then becomes a fuzzy cloth coat. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Marcia Funebre See more » |
| Quotes |
Christine Forrest:
But what was really shocking to me, was the complete cynicism of the plan. Each of the groups was simply to be used until its usefulness was exhausted. Hates were to be played against hates. If one group threatened to get too powerful, it would be killed off by another group. And in the end, those poor little people who never knew to what purpose they were lending themselves would be in the same chains, cowed and enslaved. See more » |