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16 out of 20 people found the following review useful: Hypnotic Hepburn, 14 May 2005 Author: Ron Oliver (revilorest@juno.com) from Forest Ranch, CA
Will a young actress manage to become a lasting stage star or is she destined to be but a MORNING GLORY which will fade with the rising sun?A youthful Kate Hepburn is mesmerizing in one of her first starring roles at RKO. She plays an aspiring and highly idealistic actress from Franklin, Vermont who will suffer anything, in all innocence, to reach her goal of celebrity in the New York theatre. Hepburn instantly grabs the viewer's attention and sympathy, as she gabbles earnestly about the letter from Bernard Shaw she keeps under her pillow or her resolve to commit suicide on stage at the height of her fame. The viewer understands that she is one of Nature's fragile flowers and needs protection from life's cruelties. At the end of the film, in what should be her moment of triumph, we are left uneasily troubled over what will happen to her next.Able support is given by a trio of fine male co-stars. Douglas Fairbanks Jr is the successful playwright who slowly comes to develop deep feelings for Hepburn. Adolphe Menjou plays the powerful and slightly caddish theatrical manager who takes advantage of Kate at a very vulnerable moment. Best of all, marvelous old Sir C. Aubrey Smith plays Kate's first New York friend, a gentlemanly English actor, reduced to performing small roles, who is bemused by Hepburn's zeal.Mary Duncan scores as a selfish, manipulative stage star. Tyler Brooke, as an alcoholic author, and Richard Carle, as an important newspaper critic, have a couple of good scenes, especially when they get Kate drunk at Menjou's fancy party, thereby loosening her inhibitions and giving her the courage to very ably enact some lines by Hamlet & Juliet.Early on, when Ms. Duncan compares Menjou & Fairbanks to 'Wheeler & Woolsey' she was referring to RKO's comedy team of Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey. Although from 1929 to 1937 they starred in a series of 22 often hilarious movies they are now, sadly, almost forgotten.
14 out of 18 people found the following review useful: Katharine Hepburn's wonderful Oscar-winning performance is worth seeing., 3 January 1999 Author: Arthur Hausner (genart@volcano.net) from Pine Grove, California
In only her third film, Katharine Hepburn gives a lovely performance as a skinny, aspiring actress coming to New York from a small Vermont town convinced she will become a star. From the opening scenes where she stares admiringly at portraits of famous actors in the theater lobby, and then nervously starts her chatterbox conversation with C. Aubrey Smith in producer Adolphe Menjou's outer office, you are compelled to root for her because of her exuberance. But the climb to stardom is not that easy, she learns, failing in a small role Menjou gives her, taking menial jobs in vaudeville to keep from starving until she can get a break. When she does get the break of a lifetime, replacing the star who quit on opening night when her financial demands were not met, Hepburn is filled with fear of failure once again.I loved the famous scene where Hepburn gets slightly drunk at a party given by Menjou and recites the "to-be-or-not-to-be" soliloquy from Hamlet and the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet. So did the guests, who applauded, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., who fell in love with her. The supporting cast were all excellent, but I particularly liked Helen Ware playing Hepburn's costumer, who was briefly once a famous star, but faded quickly, like a morning glory.If you are interested in credit errors, note that Menjou's onscreen character name credit is given as "Louis Easton," but when you see it printed throughout the film it is spelled "Lewis Easton."
11 out of 15 people found the following review useful: Katharine Hepburn was unique, 25 July 2003 Author: Petri Pelkonen (petri_pelkonen@hotmail.com) from Finland
Katharine Hepburn plays Eva Lovelace who comes to New York dreaming to become a star in the world of theater.Morning Glory from 1933 is a fine drama.It has witty dialogue and the acting work is brilliant.Douglas Fairbanks Jr (1909-2000) plays Joseph Sheridan.But this movie works mostly because of Hepburn's excellent performance.She is just glorious in this movie.Morning Glory was her third movie and she won her first Oscar from this.Sadly this legendary actress died recently in the age of 96.The world lost a great talent in her.There will be no one like her again.But we can always watch her old movies like Morning Glory and be amazed by her greatness.Katharine Hepburn;The stage is yours!
11 out of 16 people found the following review useful: All About Eva Lovelace, 3 November 2000 Author: lugonian from Kissimmee, Florida
MORNING GLORY (RKO Radio, 1933), directed by Lowell Sherman, stars Katharine Hepburn in her third feature film and one she was born to play. The story involves Eva Lovelace (KH), an aspiring actress from Vermont who comes to New York City in hope to get an acting job in the theater. While at an employment office, she comes across a veteran actor (C. Aubrey Smith), a theatrical manager (Adolphe Menjou), and a young playwright (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) who, at first, thinks she's "daffy." Eventually, the leading lady (Mary Duncan) of the upcoming play walks out on opening night because the producer refuses to meet her salary demands. Then Eva, the understudy, is given her big opportunity to take her place. After her stage performance (which is not presented on screen), Eva steals the show and becomes an overnight success. Now in love with the playwright (DF), Eva comes to realize then and there that a career and a relationship cannot mix. But the memorable closing scene has Eva shout out to her wardrobe woman (Helen Ware), that "I am not afraid to be a morning glory. Why should I be afraid. I am not afraid ..." (Fade Out). While Hepburn won her first Academy Award for her performance here, I personally feel her role as Jo March in LITTLE WOMEN (RKO, 1933) was far better suited for her and should have gotten the award for that one instead. And like the character of Eva Lovelace, no one can be Jo March but Kate Hepburn. The story elements to MORNING GLORY does echo Kate's early stage origins. In spite of some scenes where she, at times, overacts, this is HER movie from start to finish. In a TV documentary on Kate's movie career, it was said that Constance Bennett was scheduled star as Eva Lovelace, but when Kate read the script, she saw herself as that character and got to play her instead. Kate is, however, convincing when she changes from naive youth to a mature woman. The movie includes some very witty dialog to help the story along. Great bit: The exchange between Mary Duncan and Geneva Mitchell outside Menjou's office, "You've gained."/ Response: "I'll soon be your size, my dear!" Another memorable scene is Kate's reenacting the "Romeo and Juliet" balcony scene at a dinner party. Kate and Adolphe Menjou later appeared in STAGE DOOR (RKO, 1937) with Ginger Rogers, which improved over MORNING GLORY. Both have the elements of looking like a filmed stage play, but the 1937 production presented more characters and a plot that moved at a faster pace.MORNING GLORY, which was distributed on video cassette in the 1980s, first by Nostalgia Merchant and later through RKO Radio Home Video, played regularly on the American Movie Classics cable channel prior to 2000. MORNING GLORY was remade in 1958 as STAGE STRUCK with Susan Strasberg and Henry Fonda, but while both versions can be seen from time to time on Turner Classic Movies, it appears that MORNING GLORY happens to be the better known of the two. (**1/2)
9 out of 14 people found the following review useful: RandomThoughts About 'Morning Glory', 25 February 2008 Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States
How Katharine Hepburn won an Oscar for Best Actress of this film is a bit mystery. I mean, she's okay, but nothing special. This was only her third film. Many think it would have been more appropriate had she won for "Little Women," her second film, also done in 1933. Frankly, I liked her better in "Alice Adams," her one of three movies she did in 1935.Whatever. Her character in the movie is better than the story, which totally runs out of steam in the second half, so much so that I, frankly, didn't care at that point what happened to country girl "Eva Lovelace" in her quest to be a big actress in New York City. Those who like stage plays will like this movie, because that is what it is, based on Zoe Atkins play. Some may find it dated, but that's not unusual considering the date. I find many early 1930s films very dated, but still a lot of fun. Hepburn plays a charming girl in this, and had a beautiful face when she was young, so I can tolerate her snobby accent. In this story, she was a delight compared to Mary Duncan's role as the spoiled actress, coddled by Adolph Menjou. And speaking of actors, Hepburn may get all the attention but Douglas Fairbanks Jr., is every bit as good as her, if not better, in this film. Why didn't he win an Oscar?One complaint: it's hard to understand a sizable amount of dialog in here. Words are slurred or breathlessly delivered (I really hate that) and you find yourself saying, "what did she say?" It's ridiculous. I saw this on VHS. However, the good news is that it is now available on disc, as part of the "Katharine Hepburn Collection" and has the subtitle option, if one is interesting in seeing it. There is a catch: you have to pay $50 since it is part of a set.
11 out of 18 people found the following review useful: VERY dated, 8 August 2004 Author: Wayne Malin (wwaayynnee51@hotmail.com) from United States
Story about Eva Lovelace (Katharine Hepburn) a stagestruck girl who comes to NY determined to be a great actress. She learns quickly that it isn't that easy and falls in love with producer Louis Easton (Adolphe Menjou) who doesn't love her. And writer Joseph Sheridan (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) DOES love her but she doesn't have a clue.The story is VERY old and the movie itself is incredibly stagy (it's based on a stage play--and it shows) but it is worth watching. It's well-directed and cast and Hepburn is just incredible. She won her first Academy Award for this and it's easy to see why. She never strikes a false note (even during a drunk scene at a party which could have been done very badly) and she's young and beautiful. Also Menjou is very good (as usual) and Fairbanks is just so-so but he WAS an incredibly handsome young man.See it for Hepburn. And it is short (about 72 minutes).
7 out of 11 people found the following review useful: Horse whipped to the Finish Line, 3 April 2006 Author: (futures@exis.net) from Ronn Ives/FUTURES Antiques, Norfolk, VA.
"Morning Glory" (1933): Katherine Hepburn won her first Oscar in the role of a naive, romantic young woman who wants to become a New York stage star. The story is of that climb, and were it kept this direct, might not be a brain teaser, but at least it wouldn't end muddled. Her character begins as a wonderfully flaky, idealistic, bubble-headed but assertive hopeful, who stumbles her way into the hearts of calloused stage people. You can't help but like her. However… whether it's in the script or the editing, the sense of TIMING becomes very odd. Her character is given plenty of attention and patience in the first half of the film, and then the story is increasingly horse-whipped into a faster & faster, more compressed, rushed explanation, until finally – at the end (if you can call it that) – the entire idea simply SCREECHES TO A SUDDEN HALT – and you're left looking around the room, wondering if the electricity just went out.
6 out of 10 people found the following review useful: Another Delicious "Star is Born" Film, 22 June 2001 Author: jacksflicks from Hollywood
Sometimes I get irritated at how narcissistic Hollywood is, even on the subject matter of its films: there's an obvious Hollywood bias in favor of stories about show business, especially show business people. It seems as if, even if the main story isn't about show business, there's inevitably a girlfriend who's a nightclub singer or someone's putting on a skit or having a talent show. However, there are some exceptions to this tiresome self-promotion. The Gaynor and Garland versions of "A Star is Born," "What Price Hollywood," "Stage Door" and "Sunset Boulevard" come to mind. Here's another film about becoming a star that I love. "Morning Glory" is about a stage-struck young girl who makes it to the top. Sound familiar? Yes, but there's a charming little variant here - she achieves her stardom with her naiveté intact. This proposition would seem hard to swallow if it weren't for the fact that the young ingenue happens to be a very young Katherine Hepburn. You don't need gauze over the lens with Hepburn before the camera. She seems to generate her own nimbus. It also helps that Adolphe Menjou is present as the worldly wise, cynical, yet in the end kind impresario.But for me, the biggest treat is that Hepburn was directed in "Morning Glory" to her first Oscar by the great Lowell Sherman, whose untimely death deprived movie lovers of a great talent, both behind and in front of the camera. What is so eerie about Sherman is his almost autobiographical end-life in film. In "Morning Glory" he was directing a brand new star playing a brand new star. And in "What Price Hollywood," the prototype of "A Star is Born," Sherman actually played a director who discovers and develops a new star, a director who's at the end of his rope - as Sherman actually was! "What Price Hollywood" was Sherman's penultimate film - he died, worn out, two years later. Sure, "Morning Glory" is dated to modern audiences, but even if you're unable to get over yourself and make allowances for passé cinematic styles, which are inevitable in films not far removed from the pantomime of silents, let yourself get a kick out of watching this story behind the story.
7 out of 12 people found the following review useful: Kate Went On To Be Great, 8 October 2006 Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York
Was there ever a brighter more eager theatrical hopeful than Katharine Hepburn in Morning Glory? She set the standard for playing them in this her third film and first Oscar winning performance.Young Eva Lovelace comes into the office of producer Adolphe Menjou looking for her first big break. She charms everyone with both her innocence and determination. Menjou, playwright Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and old time actor C. Aubrey Smith all seem to be completely charmed by her.Morning Glory is a short film and I'm sure there's a director's cut out there somewhere. Note after Hepburn meets all the three mentioned above in Menjou's office, they cut next to where she's going to a party at Menjou's and there's reference to some out of town play she did on tour in which she must have flopped badly. It's eluded that Fairbanks was the one who cast her. I'm wondering if audiences in 1933 saw more than the 74 minutes that are on my VHS copy.One of these days TCM should run Morning Glory back to back with All About Eve. Essentially it's the same story with a protagonist who's wicked and manipulative instead of innocent. Hepburn got her Oscar for the way she did the classics after having a little too much champagne. She does Hamlet's 'to be or not to be' and then she really electrifies the guests and Menjou's party and I'm sure the movie goers with her recitation of Juliet's soliloquy from the balcony scene. When you got Will Shakespeare doing your dialog did the other contenders for the Oscar have a prayer?Morning Glory, a chance to see the young Kate go on to be great.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: Hepburn's evolution, 27 August 2008 Author: adt125 from Australia
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
A rather ordinary film made interesting by the presence and acting of Hepburn.Kate starts wonderfully in this, developing the character well and with lovely control. She moves onto a little Shakespeare Cameo that was well done if a bit of a corny device in the film. From here her earlier character seems to get abandoned and then come some mixed efforts - some good and some old fashioned over-acting that I thought was deliberate, but actually turned out to be Kater trying to act the character. Kate had some trouble staying in character for this role - but I am sure that is because of the haphazard assemblage of the film.That the character Kate created in the early scenes suddenly goes to bed with some aging guy stretches credulity and quite distasteful, especially the scene where Fairbanks realizes this has happened. The older guy was neither charismatic, handsome of trying to woo Kate - we are given no hints as to how Kate suddenly decided to give herself to him and then somehow become smitten with him. Except maybe that with some strange leap of logic with no supporting data that she had decided to sleep her way to the top.An uneven film, lots of glitches and would be of little interest except to see the evolution of Kate Hepburn's talents which definitely she showed in parts. However with Kate Hepburn as with that other great Mary Pickford, just appearing in front of the camera creates a magnetic appeal and a sense of fascination.I am not sure how Kate won an Oscar for this, she was great in parts but not so great in many other parts of the film.
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