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Little Women - 1933
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For the rest of this week we will be taking a look at some different adaptations of Louisa May Alcott's classic story "Little Women". 1933's edition of the film will be our first installment. In this timeless tale, four sisters navigate life, love, and loss during the turbulent times of the Civil War.
The film's cast includes Katharine Hepburn, Joan Bennett, Paul Lukas, Edna May Oliver, Jean Parker, Frances Dee, Henry Stephenson, Douglass Montgomery, John Lodge, Spring Byington, Samuel S. Hinds, Nydia Westman, and Harry Beresford.
There are four sisters in the March family. Perhaps the most energetic and enthusiastic of them is the second, Jo. She works as a companion to her Aunt March, who promises to take her to Europe one day. Jo longs for that day so she can improve her writing skills by taking in as much of the continent as she can.
The youngest, Amy, loves to draw, and finds herself in trouble when she creates a particularly unflattering caricature of her teacher.
The third sister, Beth, is a homebody. She is content to help around the house, focus on her piano music, and play with her kittens.
The eldest, Meg, works as a governess to help support the family. Aunt March pins all her hopes on Meg to lift the March family out of poverty by marrying a wealthy man.
The girls are a fun-loving bunch, especially Jo. She's extremely outspoken and says things like "Christopher Columbus!" when she gets excited. When one of her sisters admonishes her for using such dreadful language, Jo laughs it off and says, "I don't care. I like good strong words that mean something."
The girls are devoted to their family. When their mother Marmee reads a letter from their father who is off fighting in the US Civil War on the side of the Union, they gather around to anxiously hear his news.
And they selflessly help others less fortunate in the community than they are. On Christmas morning, the March family gathers up their unusually extravagant breakfast to take it to a poor family who doesn't even have a stick of firewood to ward off the biting cold.
Later that day, after they perform one an amateur theatrical written by Jo, the Marches get a surprise. Their neighbor Mr. Laurence heard what they did for the poor family and organized a surprise of cake and ice cream for them to enjoy.
Jo makes the acquaintance of old Mr. Laurence's grandson, Laurie. When she enters their home for the first time, Jo wanders around in awe. "Christopher Columbus! What richness!" she exclaims. "It's so roomy!" she marvels as she gazes at the size of the rooms in the house.
Laurie and Jo become fast friends, their imaginations running wild together. All of the March girls come to love Laurie like a brother.
As time goes on, Meg March falls in love with Laurie's tutor John Brooke. Jo isn't wild about the idea at all. Feeling that she doesn't want the family to drift apart, she tries to break them up at every opportunity.
When Marmee gets a telegram saying that Mr. March has been wounded in the war, the girls scurry into action so that Marmee can go to his bedside. Lacking the money that Marmee needs, Jo is sent to beg from Aunt March. When Aunt March is less than generous, Jo sells her hair to get money so that Marmee will be comfortable on her journey.
While Marmee is gone, Beth comes down with scarlet fever and hovers perilously close to death. Marmee must eventually be sent for as the situation looks hopeless.
Beth, however, makes a miraculous recovery, though the ordeal has left her forever weakened. Beth loves being able to come downstairs again. Even the birds at the window seem to be happy.
On the day that Beth comes downstairs after being ill, Laurie arrives with a surprise: the girls' father. They are overjoyed to be a complete family again.
Time marches on, and Meg and John Brooke are married in a quiet ceremony at the March family home.
Jo wanders away from the celebrations to think. Nothing will be the same for her now that Meg is married and gone from the home.
Laurie follows her and tells her that he loves her. Jo tries to explain that she doesn't feel the same way, and even if they did get married they would quarrel too much and regret the decision. Laurie walks away extremely hurt that Jo doesn't return his feelings.
Jo tells Marmee that she'd like to go away so that she can work on her writing career. Marmee has a friend in New York City that runs a boarding house and agrees to write to her so that Jo can spread her wings.
Once at the boarding house, Jo makes the acquaintance of Professor Bhaer, who delights in entertaining the landlady's children. Jo is utterly charmed by him. When she asks what he does for a living, the reply is: "Oh, he’s...he’s a...professor, see? You know, learns ‘em how they talk in foreign countries. I don’t know what good it does ‘em when they’re
livin’ right here."
Professor Bhaer and Jo begin to spend a great deal of time together. He plays the piano and sings in German for her, and she sews his buttons on his waistcoat for him. They two seem ideally suited.
Sadness comes to Jo when she finds out that Aunt March is taking Amy to Europe instead of her. The blow is doubly hard when Professor Bhaer reveals that he isn't impressed with some of Jo's writings that she's shown him. He tells her that she has talent, but she should write what she knows.
All is forgiven between them when he takes her to the opera one night. Jo is in raptures when she comes home, reveling in the experience and jokingly declaring she wants to be a singer instead of a writer.
Her New York stay comes to an end when she learns that Beth is gravely ill. "I shall be homesick for you...even in Heaven," says Beth. After Beth's death, Jo begins to write a book. She sends the manuscript to Professor Bhaer in New York for his impressions.
She learns that Amy has fallen in love with Laurie, who has also been in Europe. The two get married. When Amy returns home with Laurie for the first time, she is anxious to get Jo's reaction. Jo hugs her and gives the union her blessing.
And Jo gets a surprise of her own when Professor Bhaer appears and presents her with a book (her book), which he had published. He congratulates her on a job well done. Jo gets up the courage to begin a romantic relationship with him. When she opens the door to her house, she loudly proclaims, "Welcome home!"
Cast rundown:
Katharine Hepburn...............................Jo March
Joan Bennett.......................................Amy March
Paul Lukas..........................................Prof. Bhaer
Edna May Oliver...................................Aunt March
Jean Parker.........................................Beth March
Frances Dee........................................Meg March
Henry Stephenson...............................Mr. Laurence
Douglass Montgomery..........................Laurie
John Lodge........................................John Brooke
Spring Byington..................................Marmee
Samuel S. Hinds..................................Mr. March
Nydia Westman...................................Mamie
Harry Beresford...................................Dr. Bangs
And that's it for Little Women. This film performed very well at the box office. Audiences resonated with the parallels between the life portrayed on screen and the life they were living. In the film, the characters go through the trials of war, hunger, frugality, and other hardships. Movie goers were also facing those same things as the Great Depression lingered and the world was on the cusp of entering World War II.
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