Sometimes I rent movies to challenge my preconceptions & taste. I'm not a big fan of Hepburn, and I expected this to be an average sappy old movie. I put the movies like this on while I work, and see if they draw my attention. This did; it has some quality to it. The cinematography is noticeably above average (almost noirish) for a romantic vehicle, and all of a sudden I was watching it actively. So it was an additional treat to hear some very funny dialog performed well.
Tracy: "Lay down" Hepburn: "on my back or what?" T:"on your what!"
or another exchange:
Tracy: "I'm not sure about (boyfriend Collier)" Hepburn: "In what way" T:"In no way" H:"I mean 'in what way not?'" T: "In no way not!"
I have no problem that it's more low-key than the other Tracy/Heburn vehicles. There's a little too much sporting footage for my taste but it doesn't ruin it. Aldo Ray is sweet as a big lug of a boxer. He has a couple scenes where he wrings laughs from his character's slow-wittedness, while all evidence points to the contrary (about thirty lines of dialog performed in one take). He's charming in a hurt little boy way. Everyone of his lines makes me laugh.
The scene where Hepburn wins over Ray with a pep talk is funny and beautifully performed.
Tracy: "Lay down" Hepburn: "on my back or what?" T:"on your what!"
or another exchange:
Tracy: "I'm not sure about (boyfriend Collier)" Hepburn: "In what way" T:"In no way" H:"I mean 'in what way not?'" T: "In no way not!"
I have no problem that it's more low-key than the other Tracy/Heburn vehicles. There's a little too much sporting footage for my taste but it doesn't ruin it. Aldo Ray is sweet as a big lug of a boxer. He has a couple scenes where he wrings laughs from his character's slow-wittedness, while all evidence points to the contrary (about thirty lines of dialog performed in one take). He's charming in a hurt little boy way. Everyone of his lines makes me laugh.
The scene where Hepburn wins over Ray with a pep talk is funny and beautifully performed.