Little Women (1949)
Mar. 10th, 2022 07:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
osprey_archerI’ve heard that the 1949 Little Women is the weakest of the four major Hollywood adaptations of the book, so I approached this movie with a contrarian hope in my heart: I wanted to tell you all that it is GREAT, actually. But alas! Sometimes the consensus is right. This IS the weakest of the four major Hollywood adaptations of Little Women
In many ways it mimics the choices made in the 1930s Katherine Hepburn version, but without the anchoring strength of Hepburn’s performance. June Allyson is an adorable Jo - there’s a great scene where she stumbles in jumping a fence, and then goes back to take another go at it - but she doesn’t carry the film the way Hepburn does, which means that the other weaknesses of the adaptation stand out more.
Like the Hepburn version, the 1949 version cuts the book-burning/falling through the ice sequence. Unlike the Hepburn version, this version REALLY wants to establish that Amy is a horrible person, which you might imagine would be difficult when you’ve cut her iconic horrible scene; but never fear! The filmmakers found a way.
When the March sisters go down to their Christmas breakfast, Amy instantly stuffs a popover in her mouth; votes (it is heavily implied) against taking Christmas breakfast down to the poverty-striking Hummels; eats another popover on the road to the Hummels, till Jo forces her to fork over the entire popover basket; and then eats popovers in front of the starving Hummel children. “A bite for you, and a bite for you, and a bite for me!” she crows, feeding herself every third bite of popover as the starving children gaze on.
This is quite different than femme fatale Amy in the 2017 BBC miniseries, but like femme fatale Amy it certainly is a Choice. And, like Femme Fatale Amy, it is a choice that is heightened by the filmmakers’ decision to style Amy as if she’s 25 or so: she doesn’t read as a bratty child who might grow out of it, but as a selfish full-grown woman.
(The 1949 version makes Beth the youngest March sister, presumably because if you’ve got the chance to cast Margaret O’Brien you take it… although it would have been interesting to see what Margaret O’Brien could have made of Amy, given her druthers.)
It also makes some curious pacing decisions. The second half of the book is squashed into the final third of the movie, but the filmmakers don’t, at first, seem to have realized that they’re running short on time. There’s a reasonable amount of space devoted to Laurie’s proposal and Jo’s growing friendship with Professor Bhaer (who initially appears with a bearskin over his head, amazing), but then suddenly! There are ten minutes left, and we’ve still got to kill Beth and marry off both Amy and Jo!
No seaside scene with Beth! She and Jo have a good cry in the attic, and then Beth’s gone. No courtship for Amy and Laurie! Indeed, no scenes set in Europe at all. (1949 Amy has no artistic interests anyway.) Jo and Amy meet in New York before Amy goes to Europe, and Amy (clearly already intending to eat that boy like a popover) is all, “Would you mind if Laurie fell for someone else?” Jo assures Amy that she would not. Not that it would have stopped the Popover Snatcher if Jo said yes, but it’s certainly easier if Amy can claim a clear conscience!
Jo finishes her book and sends it off to Professor Bhaer! Amy and Laurie return! Professor Bhaer shows up in the rain with Jo’s book, which he has thoughtfully had published for her, as you do. He proposes! She accepts! They don’t kiss in the rain, because the filmmakers are determined to waste Hot Young Professor Bhaer. We pan up to a rainbow painted on the backdrop, because this film is in Technicolor and don’t you forget it. Happy end! THANK GOD WE GOT THROUGH ALL THAT.
In many ways it mimics the choices made in the 1930s Katherine Hepburn version, but without the anchoring strength of Hepburn’s performance. June Allyson is an adorable Jo - there’s a great scene where she stumbles in jumping a fence, and then goes back to take another go at it - but she doesn’t carry the film the way Hepburn does, which means that the other weaknesses of the adaptation stand out more.
Like the Hepburn version, the 1949 version cuts the book-burning/falling through the ice sequence. Unlike the Hepburn version, this version REALLY wants to establish that Amy is a horrible person, which you might imagine would be difficult when you’ve cut her iconic horrible scene; but never fear! The filmmakers found a way.
When the March sisters go down to their Christmas breakfast, Amy instantly stuffs a popover in her mouth; votes (it is heavily implied) against taking Christmas breakfast down to the poverty-striking Hummels; eats another popover on the road to the Hummels, till Jo forces her to fork over the entire popover basket; and then eats popovers in front of the starving Hummel children. “A bite for you, and a bite for you, and a bite for me!” she crows, feeding herself every third bite of popover as the starving children gaze on.
This is quite different than femme fatale Amy in the 2017 BBC miniseries, but like femme fatale Amy it certainly is a Choice. And, like Femme Fatale Amy, it is a choice that is heightened by the filmmakers’ decision to style Amy as if she’s 25 or so: she doesn’t read as a bratty child who might grow out of it, but as a selfish full-grown woman.
(The 1949 version makes Beth the youngest March sister, presumably because if you’ve got the chance to cast Margaret O’Brien you take it… although it would have been interesting to see what Margaret O’Brien could have made of Amy, given her druthers.)
It also makes some curious pacing decisions. The second half of the book is squashed into the final third of the movie, but the filmmakers don’t, at first, seem to have realized that they’re running short on time. There’s a reasonable amount of space devoted to Laurie’s proposal and Jo’s growing friendship with Professor Bhaer (who initially appears with a bearskin over his head, amazing), but then suddenly! There are ten minutes left, and we’ve still got to kill Beth and marry off both Amy and Jo!
No seaside scene with Beth! She and Jo have a good cry in the attic, and then Beth’s gone. No courtship for Amy and Laurie! Indeed, no scenes set in Europe at all. (1949 Amy has no artistic interests anyway.) Jo and Amy meet in New York before Amy goes to Europe, and Amy (clearly already intending to eat that boy like a popover) is all, “Would you mind if Laurie fell for someone else?” Jo assures Amy that she would not. Not that it would have stopped the Popover Snatcher if Jo said yes, but it’s certainly easier if Amy can claim a clear conscience!
Jo finishes her book and sends it off to Professor Bhaer! Amy and Laurie return! Professor Bhaer shows up in the rain with Jo’s book, which he has thoughtfully had published for her, as you do. He proposes! She accepts! They don’t kiss in the rain, because the filmmakers are determined to waste Hot Young Professor Bhaer. We pan up to a rainbow painted on the backdrop, because this film is in Technicolor and don’t you forget it. Happy end! THANK GOD WE GOT THROUGH ALL THAT.
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Date: 2022-03-12 11:01 am (UTC)