I know this film generally gets good reviews and was quite popular, but I don't agree, and I say that as a tremendous fan of Tracy's. I believe this film suffers from a number of maladies. First, it can't quite decide if it's a comedy or a dram. The first half of the film has quite a bit of comedy in it, but then devolves in a melodrama as the marriage between two newspaper people falls apart. Second,the film wastes two marvelous actors who deserved far more screen time -- the venerable Fay Bainter and Minor Watson (not to be confused with Bobs Watson). Third, the revised ending of the film just doesn't work that well; had Katherine Hepburn's part been played by Red Skelton, it would have done very nicely.
It's not that the acting is bad here. It isn't. Quite good, in fact. But the plot...well, starts off nicely highlight how two very different people can fall in love...but then devolves into a slow-placed second act as the marriage begins to fall apart...and never quite recovers as Tess (Hepburn) realizes she desperately wants the marriage to work...but Tracy is already gone. And can we quite forgive a couple who dumps and orphan? Tracy and Hepburn could be great together (just take a look at "Adams Rib" or "The Sea Of Grass" or "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner"), but this first pairing of the two...well, in my view, just doesn't quite come off. Oh, it's worth watching, but primarily because it's the beginning of a beautiful movie pairing and real love affair.
It's not that the acting is bad here. It isn't. Quite good, in fact. But the plot...well, starts off nicely highlight how two very different people can fall in love...but then devolves into a slow-placed second act as the marriage begins to fall apart...and never quite recovers as Tess (Hepburn) realizes she desperately wants the marriage to work...but Tracy is already gone. And can we quite forgive a couple who dumps and orphan? Tracy and Hepburn could be great together (just take a look at "Adams Rib" or "The Sea Of Grass" or "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner"), but this first pairing of the two...well, in my view, just doesn't quite come off. Oh, it's worth watching, but primarily because it's the beginning of a beautiful movie pairing and real love affair.