Has any young actress ever had a year Katharine Hepburn experienced in 1933? After making her film debut in 1932’s “Bill of Divorcement” with John Barrymore, the 26-year-old with the preternatural cheekbones demonstrated her versatility in three exceptional motion pictures 90 years ago. The great Kate soared high as famed aviatrix who has a tragic affair with a married member of Parliament in Dorothy Arzner’s daring pre-code romantic drama “Christopher Strong.” Next up was “Morning Glory,” for which she won her first of four best actress Oscars-and of course was a no-show at the ceremony- as an eager young actress. And Hepburn ended the year with “Little Women,” the acclaimed box office hit which made $100,000 during its first week at Radio City Music Hall, based on Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel.
Most “little women” have read Alcott’s autobiographical coming-of-age novel that was published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869. Set...
Most “little women” have read Alcott’s autobiographical coming-of-age novel that was published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869. Set...
- 10/2/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Sarah Polley’s Oscar win gives Best Adapted Screenplay back-to-back female champs for the first time
“Women Talking”? More like women (are) winning. Sarah Polley took home the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar on Sunday, making her one of the category’s few female winners and giving the category back-to-back female champs for the first time.
With Polley’s victory, Best Adapted Screenplay has now gone to women nine times — and twice to the same person, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, who triumphed for 1986’s “A Room with a View” and 1992’s “Howards End.” Polley joins Jhabvala as one of four women who’ve won as solo writers. The others are Emma Thompson (1995’s “Sense and Sensibility”) and last year’s winner, Sian Heder (“Coda”).
The category’s other female winners prevailed as part of writing teams. Sarah Y. Mason was the first woman to win adapted screenplay for co-writing 1933’s “Little Women” with her husband Victor Heerman. Claudine West shared her award for 1942’s “Mrs. Miniver” with George Froeschel,...
With Polley’s victory, Best Adapted Screenplay has now gone to women nine times — and twice to the same person, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, who triumphed for 1986’s “A Room with a View” and 1992’s “Howards End.” Polley joins Jhabvala as one of four women who’ve won as solo writers. The others are Emma Thompson (1995’s “Sense and Sensibility”) and last year’s winner, Sian Heder (“Coda”).
The category’s other female winners prevailed as part of writing teams. Sarah Y. Mason was the first woman to win adapted screenplay for co-writing 1933’s “Little Women” with her husband Victor Heerman. Claudine West shared her award for 1942’s “Mrs. Miniver” with George Froeschel,...
- 3/13/2023
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
It’s been a rocky road for “Women Talking,” having underperformed or been overlooked completely at various precursors, but it managed to earn two Oscar nominations: Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay for Sarah Polley. The latter category has long been predicted to be the one that the drama could win and it is currently out in front with 16/5 odds. If Polley does pull through, she’ll join a short list of not just female winners in the category but an even shorter list of female writers who’ve won individually.
As is the case with most non-gendered categories, female champs are rather infrequent in Best Adapted Screenplay. In the 94-year history of the Oscars, the award has gone to women just eight times — and twice to the same person, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, who prevailed for 1986’s “A Room with a View” and 1992’s “Howards End.” Jhabvala is one of...
As is the case with most non-gendered categories, female champs are rather infrequent in Best Adapted Screenplay. In the 94-year history of the Oscars, the award has gone to women just eight times — and twice to the same person, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, who prevailed for 1986’s “A Room with a View” and 1992’s “Howards End.” Jhabvala is one of...
- 1/30/2023
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Sian Heder‘s Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar win for “Coda” earlier this year marked the first time in 17 years that the award went to woman. But we may not have to wait that long for the next one. Sarah Polley currently leads the Best Adapted Screenplay odds for her adaptation of Miriam Toews‘ 2018 novel “Women Talking.” If she prevails, it’ll be the ninth time a woman has won and the first time the category has seen back-to-back female winners.
Even though the first woman to win adapted screenplay was Sarah Y. Mason for co-writing 1933’s “Little Women” with her husband Victor Heerman, it will not shock you to learn that, like most non-gendered categories, female winners are few and far in between here. There have been just eight instances total, with Ruth Prawer Jhabvala accounting for two of them. Jhabvala is also one of three women who’ve won as individuals,...
Even though the first woman to win adapted screenplay was Sarah Y. Mason for co-writing 1933’s “Little Women” with her husband Victor Heerman, it will not shock you to learn that, like most non-gendered categories, female winners are few and far in between here. There have been just eight instances total, with Ruth Prawer Jhabvala accounting for two of them. Jhabvala is also one of three women who’ve won as individuals,...
- 9/21/2022
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Last year, Emerald Fennell won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for “Promising Young Woman,” becoming the first female champ in either writing category in 13 years. And an even longer drought has three chances to end this year.
For the first time, Best Adapted Screenplay features three individual female nominees representing three different films (read: no writing teams): Jane Campion for “The Power of the Dog,” Maggie Gyllenhaal for “The Lost Daughter” and Sian Heder for “Coda.” They are up against Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe for “Drive My Car,” and Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth for “Dune.” If Campion, Gyllenhaal or Heder prevails, they’d be the category’s first female winner since Diana Ossana, co-writer of 2005’s “Brokeback Mountain” with Larry McMurtry, and the first solo female winner since Emma Thompson, who won for 1995’s “Sense and Sensibility.”
As is the case with nearly all non-gendered categories at the Oscars,...
For the first time, Best Adapted Screenplay features three individual female nominees representing three different films (read: no writing teams): Jane Campion for “The Power of the Dog,” Maggie Gyllenhaal for “The Lost Daughter” and Sian Heder for “Coda.” They are up against Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe for “Drive My Car,” and Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth for “Dune.” If Campion, Gyllenhaal or Heder prevails, they’d be the category’s first female winner since Diana Ossana, co-writer of 2005’s “Brokeback Mountain” with Larry McMurtry, and the first solo female winner since Emma Thompson, who won for 1995’s “Sense and Sensibility.”
As is the case with nearly all non-gendered categories at the Oscars,...
- 3/8/2022
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Despite the proliferation of streaming services, it’s becoming increasingly clear that any cinephile only needs subscriptions to a few to survive. Among the top of our list are The Criterion Channel and Mubi and now they’ve each unveiled their stellar April line-ups.
Over at The Criterion Channel, highlights include spotlights on Ennio Morricone, the Marx Brothers, Isabel Sandoval, and Ramin Bahrani, plus Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard, Frank Borzage’s Moonrise, the brand-new restoration of Joyce Chopra’s Smooth Talk, and one of last year’s best films, David Osit’s Mayor.
At Mubi (where we’re offering a 30-day trial), they’ll have the exclusive streaming premiere of two of the finest festival films from last year’s circuit, Cristi Puiu’s Malmkrog and Nobuhiko Obayashi’s Labyrinth of Cinema, plus Philippe Garrel’s latest The Salt of Tears, along with films from Terry Gilliam, George A. Romero,...
Over at The Criterion Channel, highlights include spotlights on Ennio Morricone, the Marx Brothers, Isabel Sandoval, and Ramin Bahrani, plus Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard, Frank Borzage’s Moonrise, the brand-new restoration of Joyce Chopra’s Smooth Talk, and one of last year’s best films, David Osit’s Mayor.
At Mubi (where we’re offering a 30-day trial), they’ll have the exclusive streaming premiere of two of the finest festival films from last year’s circuit, Cristi Puiu’s Malmkrog and Nobuhiko Obayashi’s Labyrinth of Cinema, plus Philippe Garrel’s latest The Salt of Tears, along with films from Terry Gilliam, George A. Romero,...
- 3/26/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
With the losses Sunday night for Greta Gerwig (“Little Women”) and Krysty Wilson-Cairns (“1917”) in Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Screenplay, respectively, the 2010s now carries a dubious badge in Oscar history: It’s the first decade since the 1960s without a female writing winner.
Gerwig fell to Taika Waititi (“Jojo Rabbit”), while Wilson-Cairns and co-writer Sam Mendes were bested by “Parasite’s” Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won — two historic victories in their own right, as Waititi is the first indigenous writer to win, and Bong and Han are the first Asian writing champs.
The last woman to win in either category, solo or as a co-writer, was Diablo Cody 12 years ago for 2007’s “Juno” in original. The adapted category has a longer drought at 14 years, with Diana Ossana, who co-wrote “Brokeback Mountain” (2005) with Larry McMurtry, being the most recent. Since Cody’s victory, 12 women have received bids in original,...
Gerwig fell to Taika Waititi (“Jojo Rabbit”), while Wilson-Cairns and co-writer Sam Mendes were bested by “Parasite’s” Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won — two historic victories in their own right, as Waititi is the first indigenous writer to win, and Bong and Han are the first Asian writing champs.
The last woman to win in either category, solo or as a co-writer, was Diablo Cody 12 years ago for 2007’s “Juno” in original. The adapted category has a longer drought at 14 years, with Diana Ossana, who co-wrote “Brokeback Mountain” (2005) with Larry McMurtry, being the most recent. Since Cody’s victory, 12 women have received bids in original,...
- 2/10/2020
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Of the 13 people nominated for the Best Adapted and Original Screenplay Oscars this year, only two are women — one in each category: Greta Gerwig, who adapted “Little Women,” and Krysty Wilson-Cairns, who co-wrote “1917” with Sam Mendes. And if either Gerwig or Wilson-Cairns wins, it’d end a 12-year long drought for female champs in the writing categories.
The last woman to nab a writing Oscar, solo or as part of a team, was Diablo Cody in original for “Juno” (2007). In adapted, the dry spell is even longer at 14 years, with Diana Ossana being the most recent, having won for her “Brokeback Mountain” (2005) script with Larry McMurty. Since Cody’s golden night, 12 women have received bids in the original category, including Wilson-Cairns and Gerwig two years ago for “Lady Bird” (2017), while 14 women have been shortlisted since Ossana’s triumph, including Gerwig this year.
As with most non-gendered Oscar categories, there...
The last woman to nab a writing Oscar, solo or as part of a team, was Diablo Cody in original for “Juno” (2007). In adapted, the dry spell is even longer at 14 years, with Diana Ossana being the most recent, having won for her “Brokeback Mountain” (2005) script with Larry McMurty. Since Cody’s golden night, 12 women have received bids in the original category, including Wilson-Cairns and Gerwig two years ago for “Lady Bird” (2017), while 14 women have been shortlisted since Ossana’s triumph, including Gerwig this year.
As with most non-gendered Oscar categories, there...
- 1/29/2020
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Jo March and Vito Corleone have nothing in common besides being iconic literary and film figures, but they may soon have some shared Oscar history. If Greta Gerwig wins Best Adapted Screenplay, as our odds are forecasting, “Little Women” would join “The Godfather” as two-time Oscar-winning source material.
Mario Puzo‘s seminal 1969 crime novel “The Godfather” is the only work thus far that has yielded multiple Best Adapted Screenplay victories. Along with Francis Ford Coppola, the author adapted his signature book into screenplays for “The Godfather” (1972) and “The Godfather Part II” (1974), and they became two of seven people to win the category a record two times. “The Godfather” is the only franchise to have multiple wins as well.
Harry Seagall‘s play “Heaven Can Wait” came close to producing two wins: Sidney Buchman and Seton I. Miller prevailed for their 1941 adaptation, “Here Comes Mr. Jordan,” but Warren Beatty and Elaine May lost for their 1978 version,...
Mario Puzo‘s seminal 1969 crime novel “The Godfather” is the only work thus far that has yielded multiple Best Adapted Screenplay victories. Along with Francis Ford Coppola, the author adapted his signature book into screenplays for “The Godfather” (1972) and “The Godfather Part II” (1974), and they became two of seven people to win the category a record two times. “The Godfather” is the only franchise to have multiple wins as well.
Harry Seagall‘s play “Heaven Can Wait” came close to producing two wins: Sidney Buchman and Seton I. Miller prevailed for their 1941 adaptation, “Here Comes Mr. Jordan,” but Warren Beatty and Elaine May lost for their 1978 version,...
- 1/28/2020
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
The Best Adapted Screenplay at this year’s Oscars is harder to call than usual, but there is reason to believe Greta Gerwig might just pick up her first little gold man for writing “Little Women.” The film faces stiff competition between “The Irishman,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “Joker” and “The Two Popes” in that category, but Gold Derby odds currently have her out in front to win. Here are four reasons why Gerwig is in a good spot to win Best Adapted Screenplay for “Little Women.”
SEEScarlett Johansson and Saoirse Ronan are the only ones who can break this 15-year-old Oscar curse
1. She is beloved.
With just her first two solo outings as a director, Gerwig’s films have resonated with audiences, critics and awards voters. “Lady Bird” (2017) landed with five Oscar nominations including Best Picture and a pair of noms for Gerwig in Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. She...
SEEScarlett Johansson and Saoirse Ronan are the only ones who can break this 15-year-old Oscar curse
1. She is beloved.
With just her first two solo outings as a director, Gerwig’s films have resonated with audiences, critics and awards voters. “Lady Bird” (2017) landed with five Oscar nominations including Best Picture and a pair of noms for Gerwig in Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. She...
- 1/20/2020
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
Greta Gerwig may have been snubbed for Best Director for “Little Women” at the Oscars (see the full list of contenders here), but the academy nevertheless nominated the film six times including Best Picture, and Gerwig is up for Best Adapted Screenplay. If she wins, she would achieve something no female writer has since Emma Thompson.
SEE2020 Oscar nominations: Full list of Academy Awards nominees in all 24 categories
No woman has won Best Adapted Screenplay since Diana Ossana, who co-wrote the script for “Brokeback Mountain” (2005) with Larry McMurtry. But it has been even longer since a woman has won this prize as the solo credited writer of her film — 24 years, to be exact. The last time was Thompson for “Sense and Sensibility” (1995).
The parallels are eerie. Both Thompson and Gerwig were best known as actors before they went behind the camera — though Thompson has only written films, never directed them like Gerwig has.
SEE2020 Oscar nominations: Full list of Academy Awards nominees in all 24 categories
No woman has won Best Adapted Screenplay since Diana Ossana, who co-wrote the script for “Brokeback Mountain” (2005) with Larry McMurtry. But it has been even longer since a woman has won this prize as the solo credited writer of her film — 24 years, to be exact. The last time was Thompson for “Sense and Sensibility” (1995).
The parallels are eerie. Both Thompson and Gerwig were best known as actors before they went behind the camera — though Thompson has only written films, never directed them like Gerwig has.
- 1/17/2020
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
It was a big day for “Little Women.” The film earned six Oscar nominations on Monday, making it the most nominated version of the Louisa May Alcott novel in Oscar history.
Greta Gerwig‘s adaptation is up for Best Picture, Best Actress for Saoirse Ronan, Best Supporting Actress for Florence Pugh, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design and Best Original Score. The most nominations a previous version received was three, shared by the 1933 and 1994 films. There have been seven theatrical adaptations of “Little Women,” of which now four have made a dent with the academy.
Here’s the tally now:
1933 version: 3 nominations, 1 win
Best Picture
Best Director — George Cukor
Best Adapted Screenplay — Victor Heerman and Sarah Y. Mason (win)
1949 version: 2 nominations, 1 win
Best Art Direction, Color (win)
Best Cinematography
1994 version: 3 nominations, 0 wins
Best Actress — Winona Ryder
Best Costume Design
Best Original Score
2019 version: 6 nominations, wins Tbd
Best Picture
Best Actress...
Greta Gerwig‘s adaptation is up for Best Picture, Best Actress for Saoirse Ronan, Best Supporting Actress for Florence Pugh, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design and Best Original Score. The most nominations a previous version received was three, shared by the 1933 and 1994 films. There have been seven theatrical adaptations of “Little Women,” of which now four have made a dent with the academy.
Here’s the tally now:
1933 version: 3 nominations, 1 win
Best Picture
Best Director — George Cukor
Best Adapted Screenplay — Victor Heerman and Sarah Y. Mason (win)
1949 version: 2 nominations, 1 win
Best Art Direction, Color (win)
Best Cinematography
1994 version: 3 nominations, 0 wins
Best Actress — Winona Ryder
Best Costume Design
Best Original Score
2019 version: 6 nominations, wins Tbd
Best Picture
Best Actress...
- 1/13/2020
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Greta Gerwig‘s adaptation of “Little Women” doesn’t open until Christmas, but it looks poised to be become the most nominated version in Oscar history. Of the categories currently in our predictions center (aka the ones without shortlists), “Little Women” is expected to reap bids in five of them, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Saoirse Ronan, and is in sixth place in two others, Best Director for Gerwig and Best Supporting Actress for Florence Pugh.
Gerwig’s “Little Women” is the seventh theatrical adaptation of the Louis May Alcott classic. Released in 1917 and 1918, the first two were silent films and pre-dated the Oscars. The next three versions, released in 1933, 1949 and 1994, all received Oscar nominations. The sixth was probably one you didn’t even know existed; it was a modern retelling of the story, with Lea Thompson playing Marmee March, and grossed just $1.4 million worldwide when it came out last year.
Gerwig’s “Little Women” is the seventh theatrical adaptation of the Louis May Alcott classic. Released in 1917 and 1918, the first two were silent films and pre-dated the Oscars. The next three versions, released in 1933, 1949 and 1994, all received Oscar nominations. The sixth was probably one you didn’t even know existed; it was a modern retelling of the story, with Lea Thompson playing Marmee March, and grossed just $1.4 million worldwide when it came out last year.
- 11/19/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
One of the strangest ‘uplifting moral tales’ of the 1950s was a huge hit, and launched Rock Hudson as a major star. Criterion’s deluxe presentation puts it on a par with world cinema, mawkish Kitsch-o-Rama and all. Comes with a restored copy of the slightly less head-spinning 1935 version, too. Co-stars Jane Wyman, Barbara Rush, Agnes Moorehead, and Otto Kruger, whose moral guidance has something to do with ‘contacting one’s power source.’ Oh, it’s about recharging my iPhone!
Magnificent Obsession
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 457
1954 / Color / 2.00:1 anamorphic widescreen / 108 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date August 20, 2019 / 39.95
Starring: Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Barbara Rush, Agnes Moorehead, Otto Kruger.
Cinematography: Russell Metty
Film Editor: Milton Carruth
Original Music: Frank Skinner
Written by Robert Blees from an original screenplay by Victor Heerman, Sarah Y. Mason, George O’Neil from the novel by Lloyd C. Douglas
Produced by Ross Hunter
Directed...
Magnificent Obsession
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 457
1954 / Color / 2.00:1 anamorphic widescreen / 108 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date August 20, 2019 / 39.95
Starring: Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Barbara Rush, Agnes Moorehead, Otto Kruger.
Cinematography: Russell Metty
Film Editor: Milton Carruth
Original Music: Frank Skinner
Written by Robert Blees from an original screenplay by Victor Heerman, Sarah Y. Mason, George O’Neil from the novel by Lloyd C. Douglas
Produced by Ross Hunter
Directed...
- 9/3/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Above: 1960s French stock poster for Marx Brothers revivals.This weekend New York’s Film Forum begins a week-long series entitled The Marx Brothers & The Golden Age of Vaudeville which is as good an excuse as any to look at the representation of the greatest sibling comedy team in cinema through movie posters. It has long been a tradition in movie poster illustration to render comedy stars as caricatures—often with oversized heads on small bodies—and Groucho, Harpo and Chico were a caricaturist’s dream. (Zeppo, the straight man, less so, but he left the act after Duck Soup in 1933, and re-release posters for the films he appeared in tend to ignore him, as in the Belgian Duck Soup and the Danish Horse Feathers below). With their distinctive props—Groucho’s oversized greasepaint mustache and cigar, Harpo’s curly blonde wig and Chico’s Alpine hat—the threesome could...
- 9/23/2016
- MUBI
Groucho Marx in 'Duck Soup.' Groucho Marx movies: 'Duck Soup,' 'The Story of Mankind' and romancing Margaret Dumont on TCM Grouch Marx, the bespectacled, (painted) mustached, cigar-chomping Marx brother, is Turner Classic Movies' “Summer Under the Stars” star today, Aug. 14, '15. Marx Brothers fans will be delighted, as TCM is presenting no less than 11 of their comedies, in addition to a brotherly reunion in the 1957 all-star fantasy The Story of Mankind. Non-Marx Brothers fans should be delighted as well – as long as they're fans of Kay Francis, Thelma Todd, Ann Miller, Lucille Ball, Eve Arden, Allan Jones, affectionate, long-tongued giraffes, and/or that great, scene-stealing dowager, Margaret Dumont. Right now, TCM is showing Robert Florey and Joseph Santley's The Cocoanuts (1929), an early talkie notable as the first movie featuring the four Marx Brothers – Groucho, Chico, Harpo, and Zeppo. Based on their hit Broadway...
- 8/14/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
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