"Alice Adams" (1935)

"Alice Adams” (1935) - Intro

Written by: Josh Lansky

TCM’s “The Essentials”

Intro:

Hi everybody, I’m Dave Karger and welcome to Turner Classic Movies. All night tonight we’ll be looking at films featuring the infamous and prolific Hedda Hopper. Up next from RKO in 1935, it’s “Alice Adams.” The story centers around Katherine Hepburn as the title character - a low-income girl from a low income family. Hoping to climb the social ladder, she surrounds herself with all the right friends and adopts the various quirks she believes allow her to fit in with them. But the reality of her family’s meager circumstances leads her to think the only way out for her will be secretarial school. That is, until she meets a visiting ‘Prince Charming’ - Fred MacMurray, of course - who seems to like her almost as much as she needs him. The movie received two Academy Award nominations: one for Best Picture and the other for Katherine Hepburn’s stellar performance - Her second nomination in four years. Hedda Hopper plays a supporting role in the film as socialite Mrs. Hopper. Growing up, Hopper’s parents were Quakers who didn’t exactly approve of their daughter pursuing a career in acting, so at the age of 18 Hopper ran away from home. She supported herself with minor theatrical roles in amateur theater productions till making her Broadway debut in 1909, in “The Motor Girl.” Hopper would find success in Hollywood as a character actress, but mostly in smaller supporting roles. Hopper appeared in over 100 MGM films over the course of three decades, but her acting career had seemed to plateau. By the mid-1930s, Hopper was working as a freelance actress unable to obtain a studio contract. Her career had fallen into a bit of a slump so she did what anyone would have done, diversified. In 1936 Hopper’s famous sense of style and outspoken personality led to a job as a fashion commentator on a Hollywood radio station. And in 1938 she began what would be an infamous twenty-eight year career as a Hollywood gossip columnist. The column began appearing in the prestigious ‘Los Angles Times’ and Hopper’s status and power grew. Her column appeared in 85 metropolitan papers, 3000 small town dailies, and 2000 weeklies. Before long Hopped could make or break a career in one hundred words or less. From 1935, also starring Fred Stone, Ann Shoemaker, Hedda Hopper and Hattie McDaniel, here’s: “Alice Adams.” *******

“Alice Adams” (1935) - Outro

Written by: Josh Lansky

TCM’s “The Essentials”

Outro:

The happy ending for Alice Adams, played by Katherine Hepburn, was a Hollywood concoction. In the book by Booth Tarkington, the dashing Arthur, played by Fred MacMurray in the movie, does not return after leaving the dinner fiasco at the Adams’ home. Alice ends up applying to the business college to get a job. Today, the true ending would likely be appreciated, showing that Alice could become her own woman, forge her own path, independent of the marriage. But in 1935, a happy ending nearly always required a happily married couple. Even Tarkingtown knew his novel’s ending had to change to satisfy movie audiences. And so it did. The movie was a hit and Garnered Oscar nods for best Picture and for Hepburn as best Actress. Up next, John Gilbert,, Hedda Hopper, and Virginia Bruce in “Downstairs.” We’ll see you soon, here, on TCM! ****** (Downstairs - 1932)