Adam's Rib (1949)

A pair of married attorneys find themselves on opposite sides in the courtroom as he (Spencer Tracy) prosecutes a woman (Judy Holliday) for attempted murder while she (Katharine Hepburn) is her defense lawyer. Directed by George Cukor, this may well be the best of the Tracy-Hepburn vehicles though I have a personal preference for THE DESK SET (1957). The screenplay by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin is clever (perhaps too clever sometimes) and the two leads go at it with considerable gusto. As a director (the film is static), Cukor doesn't seem to do much other than stay out of the way of his actors. But as good as Tracy and Hepburn are, the supporting cast gives them a run for their money. Judy Holliday and David Wayne as a Cole Porter type songwriter steal whole scenes from the leads. The film features a rare comedy score from Miklos Rozsa. With Tom Ewell, Jean Hagen, Hope Emerson, Marvin Kaplan and Paula Raymond.