There have been many film and television adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s famous novel, Little Women, including at least two Japanese animes. However, none have appealed to me quite so much as the original 1933 black and white starring Katherine Hepburn as Jo March. The main reason why is simple. The 1933 film stays far truer to the book than any film adaptation I’ve seen so far.
A few details here and there have been changed. Amy gets in trouble at school for creating a funny doodle of her teacher. In the novel, she was punished for bringing limes. The lovely father daughter relationship between Beth March and Mr. Laurence is absent as it is in every film I’ve seen.
On the other hand Katherine Hepburn is perfect in the role of clumsy middle sister Jo March. At five foot seven, she towers over the actresses playing her siblings and uses the height to good effect. More than once she seems to stumble and trip over her own two feet. Something the novelized Jo March does all too often herself.
Also Marmee is still Marmee, loving and cheerful despite having a husband at war. The March family is still generous and charitable despite their own poverty, and all the key plot points that we know, love, and even detest are still intact. Has anyone else ever wanted to scream “no” at the top of their lungs when Jo turns down Laurie’s proposal? Admittedly I preferred Professor Bhaer in the end, but I digress.
Little Women 1933 is better than any Little Women film I’ve ever seen. Yes, even better than the one with Susan Sarandon and Winona Ryder. The film stays faithful to the original book and consequently to the readers who have grown up with Little Women generation after generation.
Now, I need to find out if anyone ever made a movie of the sequel, Little Men.
I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars.
Directed by George Cukor
Starring:
Spring Byington as Marmee March
Frances Dee as Meg March
Katharine Hepburn as Jo March
Jean Parker as Beth March
Joan Bennett as Amy March
Douglass Montgomery as Theodore (Laurie) Laurence
Paul Lukas as Professor Friedrich Bhaer
