Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant on paper, I suppose, look like an odd pairing, but they were absolutely marvelous together, and "Holiday," directed by George Cukor, is no exception. Hepburn plays the unhappy, bored, but bright Linda in a dysfunctional, upper crust New York family. Her brother, Ned (Lew Ayres) is a miserable drunk, and her father controls the family with an iron hand and the ethic that money is their god. Their mother, who was like Linda, is deeply missed by her. Linda adores her younger sister, Julia, but has idealized her and doesn't see that she has the same upper class values as their father. When Julia brings home her fiancée, Johnny Case (Grant),it is immediately obvious to the audience (and later to the characters) that Johnny fell for the wrong girl.

"Holiday" is a film filled with heart, poignancy, and some warm humor provided by Johnny's friends, played by Edward Everett Horton and Jean Dixon, who come up against the society crowd at a party. Hepburn gives a beautiful performance as a young woman who wants to break free, and Ayres is heartbreaking as a man who can't. Grant, of course, is in the kind of role he did best in his early career, a young man from the wrong side of the tracks who is an independent spirit. He does some great gymnastics in the film, and he and Hepburn have a wonderful moment where she stands on his shoulders, and they fall into head rolls. Really marvelous stuff. The only problem I have is that the character of Julia, the younger sister, is so uptight and shallow, it's amazing that Johnny fell for her at all. Since they met while she was vacationing in Lake Placid, the audience must assume that out of the family home, she was more fun and playful, but when she comes up against her father, she falls right in with him.

Hepburn and Grant worked together in "Bringing Up Baby," "The Philadelphia Story," and this film - actually, three films in a row - plus "Sylvia Scarlett." One wishes they had appeared together even more. They had great chemistry.

I really enjoyed this film a lot--thanks mostly to some wonderful performances and a pretty decent plot. Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn were excellent in the film and the writing was top-notch as well. And, for once, I really don't have any complaints about a film! The movie is a remake of a 1930 film (which I have unfortunately not been able to yet see) about a fun-loving guy who thinks he's met the girl of his dreams on a vacation and asks her to marry him. All this actually occurs before the movie begins. As the film starts, he is going to her home and finds that she's not the woman he expected--she comes from an incredibly wealthy family. Grant isn't upset at all about this--he likes the sudden prospect of a rich wife. But, what he doesn't realize is that she and her father are super-controlling and have no intention of letting him live the carefree life he's always envisioned. Over time, it becomes obvious that it isn't Grant that the girl loves, but her vision of what she can mold him into! Along the way, he also meets her alcoholic brother and free-spirited sister (Hepburn). Hepburn and Grant have a lot in common and eventually it becomes clear Hepburn is falling in love with her future brother-in-law! I don't really want to discuss the movie further, as it would spoil the film. But, the film is an excellent tale about finding the balance between money and success as well as happiness and personal freedom. The movie is quite charming and intelligently written and is well worth your time.

A final note--Although few would consider Ms. Hepburn sexy or even attractive in a traditional Hollywood sense, she is at her most radiant in this film. Part of it may be that her cheeks seem a bit fuller and less gaunt than usual--regardless, it is Hepburn at her most beautiful.

I saw Holiday as a fan of Cary Grant and of Katharine Hepburn, and like I did with Bringing Up Baby and The Philadephia Story, I loved it, from start to finish Holiday is quite simply magical entertainment.

CINEMATOGRAPHY/PRODUCTION VALUES The cinematography for films made around this period, before and after and for this genre, often looks wonderful and holds up well. Holiday is no exception to the rule, while the costumes and sets add to Holiday's charm.

MUSIC As an aspiring professional singer and music enthusiast I always look for good music. An uncredited Sidney Cutner provides the music here, and he does do a very good job. The music is memorable and fitting, and does have a somewhat timeless heart warming quality to it.

STORY The story for Holiday is a very sweet and heart warming one. While things do get a tad overstated at the end, throughout George Cukor(who does a superb job directing this film) makes the story and situations upbeat and entertaining.

SCREENPLAY Aside from the acting, the screenplay is what makes Holiday work so well, as it expertly mixes comedy, romance, social comment and pathos. The comedy is genuinely funny, the romance is sweet and warm, the social comment is relevant and done in a non-offensive way and the pathos is poignant.

ACTING Holiday does have a superb support cast, with Doris Nolan, Edward Everett Horton and Lew Ayres particularly standing out. But for my money, the film's best asset is the performances and chemistry of the leads. Cary Grant is at his most charming and his most thoughtful, and I have yet to see a film of hers where Katharine Hepburn is as touching and as beautiful as she is here even playing the rich-girl character that we have seen before. And their chemistry sparkles like champagne bubbles.

All in all, I think this film is wonderful. 10/10 Bethany Cox