Morning Glory (1933)

A pretentious yet naive young girl (Katharine Hepburn) arrives in New York from a small Vermont town to become a stage actress. Her climb won't be easy as she finds out that to make a living, she often has to put her artistic principles aside and her heart comes into conflict with her career goals. Based on a play by Zoe Atkins, this "unknown understudy gets big break when the Star leaves the show and becomes an instant Star" stuff was probably already pretty hoary in 1933. Lord knows it was used often enough. The young Hepburn's eccentric mannerisms which can often irritate in the wrong parts are perfectly right for this role though and she's was impressive enough to to nab the first of her four Oscars for her work here. But as good as she is, she still can't redeem the creaky material. It's the kind of nonsense about the theatuh that Joseph L. Mankiewicz ribbed in ALL ABOUT EVE. Eve Harrington was the dark side of Hepburn's Eva Lovelace, it's only fitting that their first names are so similar. It's Hepburn's show and everyone else is there to prop up her performance. Directed by Lowell Sherman. Remade by Sidney Lumet in 1957 as STAGE STRUCK. With Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Adolphe Menjou, C. Aubrey Smith, Mary Duncan and Helen Ware.