Monday, July 2, 2012

Double Feature: Alice Adams (1935) and Shane (1953)

Alice Adams:

Katharine Hepburn headlines as the titular character of George Stevens' comedy of socially-challenging proportions. As the daughter of a working man, she cannot present herself as frivolously as the other girls in town, and she is quite the scandal for it. Her world is shaken up when she must deal with the scandal of a new-found romance with the upstanding Arthur (Fred MacMurray) and the problem of her social position.

The film received only two nominations for Best Picture and Best Actress. It lost both of them, but Hepburn was very deserving of a what would have been her second Oscar at the time. The supporting cast was also passed over sadly.

Shane:

George Stevens' celebrated western (what range he had) features a roaming stranger (Ladd) who helps a terrorized family restore peace to their valley. Under the heel of an aged cattleman, the entire community is plagued with fear as he attempts to drive them out, even hiring a gunslinger (Palance) to intimidate them. Shane, a semi-retired gunman, must fight to keep the peace and take a final stand for his friends.

The film received nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (De Wilde), Best Supporting Actor (Palance), Best Screenplay, & Best Cinematography (Color). Loyal Griggs took home his (and the film's) only Oscar for Best Cinematography.

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