jacobs-greenwood
I'd heard this was the weakest screen adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel. However, after 90 minutes of wonderfully sentimental tear-jerking moments, to say nothing of the Academy Award winning Art Direction-Set Decoration and Oscar nominated Color Cinematography, I thought those assessments must be wrong.Unfortunately, the last fourth of the film, which focuses primarily on the Jo March character, proved that those critics were right. I think the reason for this is that June Allyson just couldn't carry it as well as (e.g.) Katharine Hepburn did in the original; of course, few could. It's still a very good family drama.This version was produced and directed by eventual Irving G. Thalberg winner Mervyn LeRoy, with a screenplay by Victor Heerman, Sarah Y. Mason and Andrew Solt. In addition to Ms. Allyson, the cast includes Peter Lawford, Margaret O'Brien, Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh, Rossano Brazzi, Mary Astor, Lucile Watson, C. Aubrey Smith, Leon Ames, and Harry Davenport (among others). Harlan Briggs and Will Wright, who plays a kindly storekeeper, appear uncredited.The March family consists of four daughters, Jo (Allyson), Beth (O'Brien), Amy (Taylor), and Meg (Leigh), their mother they call Marmee (Astor), their crotchety and rich Aunt (Watson), and absent (at the beginning and for most of the film) Reverend father (Ames), who's gone off to war. They live next door to the Laurences, Laurie (Lawford) lives with his grandfather James (Smith) because his parents are no longer living.In this version: Jo is the outgoing tomboy who's an artistically creative writer, the second oldest daughter to socially proper Meg who, unlike Jo, is interested in the opposite sex; Amy is a self centered braggart and the youngest, Beth, is a talented piano player who is shy. Because Laurie is lonely, he watches the March family activities through his window. Soon, however, Jo and Laurie are fast friends, running, chasing and playing with one another as two boys would, earning Jo some rebuffs from Meg and Aunt March and growing affections from Laurie.Mr. Laurence is thought to be as stern and crotchety as Aunt March but Jo, and later Beth, learn that their assessment is all wrong. He becomes a good neighbor to them, allowing shy Beth to utilize his piano without an audience that would frighten her. Even though the Marchs themselves are struggling without father's income, Marmee helps those even less fortunate setting a good example for her daughters, who follow her lead.Unfortunately this leads to Beth contracting Scarlet Fever shortly after Mr. Laurence had gifted his piano to her in return for her gift of slippers to him. Dr. Barnes (Davenport) is able to help her pull through while the family, which now includes the Laurences, gathers.Much to Jo's dismay, Meg dates Lieutenant Brooks (Richard Stapley, aka Wyler) whom she eventually marries; father, who returned shortly after Beth's recovery, performed the service. The event leads Jo to despair (e.g. the family is breaking up) which causes Laurie to confess his love for her. When Jo says that she doesn't, couldn't love Laurie in that way, he is heartbroken and storms off.Jo decides to go away to pursue her writing. She's to live in Mrs. Kirke's (Connie Gilchrist) boarding house where she meets Professor Bhaer (Brazzi, almost unrecognizably young in one of his first English speaking roles). Ellen Corby plays the maid, Sophie. He expands her world considerably by taking her to the theater, the opera, the ballet, etc.. He also tells her that the fantasy writing she's done for various murder magazines and the like is not very good, that she's got talent but she's wasting it. This brings her to tears in part because she'd just learned (from a visit) that Aunt March was taking Amy to Europe instead of her.Jo returns home because Beth is again ill. However, she takes the professor's advice and writes a book about her youngest sister. At the film's end, Bhaer brings Jo a copy of her published novel, during a rain storm of course, which leads to the predictable, romantic ending.
TheLittleSongbird
The book "Little Women" is one of my favourite books of all time, it is funny, moving and just makes me warm inside while reading it. This 1949 film is very delightful and charming with some good performances, lush cinematography and visual detail and lovely music. However, as I am sure people have pointed out, it is very loosely based on the book. Beth is now the youngest, Laurie goes off to war here and there are bits cut out. The latter is understandable though because the book is quite long. Putting all that aside, this is still a delightful film. It looks lovely, with lush cinematography and colourful costumes and scenery. The music is also gorgeous, I particularly loved hearing "None But the Lonely Heart", that is one of my favourite songs and never fails to bring tears to my eyes. The acting in general is very good, Janet Leigh isn't given that much to do but she is very rosy-looking as Meg. You may argue that June Allyson was too old for Jo, in some ways that is true. However Allyson still manages to give a warm and tomboyish performance. Elizabeth Taylor is wonderful as spoilt, selfish Amy, Taylor is not the lovely woman she is in "Ivanhoe" or the seductive "sex on wheels" character she is in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", she is Amy and plays her very convincingly, making the most of some of the film's best lines. That leaves Margaret O'Brien, a very cute and appealing child actress, and she was very convincing as Beth, Beth's vulnerability in the latter half of the film is genuinely affecting. Out of the supporting actors, Mary Astor comes off best, sticking to the benevolent and sincere Marmee of the book, and C.Aubrey Smith is splendid as Old Mr Laurence, his scenes with Beth are quite heart-warming. Peter Lawford is charming as Laurie, and Lucille Watson is quite detestable as Aunt March. Rossano Brazzi as Professor Bhaer looks handsome, but I wasn't entirely convinced by him. He started off wooden, and I also felt he was too Italian for the role, Professor Bhaer is supposed to be German. Still, "Little Women" despite its flaws is still a delightful and charming film. 8/10 Bethany Cox
edwagreen
Even Louisa May Alcott would have been disappointed wih this 1949 remake.With her hoarse voice, June Allyson lacks the exuberance of Katharine Hepburn. Elizabeth Taylor is as sour at the beginning as can be. She is almost cruel and as self-centered as they come. Did it make sense to all that while her young sister was dying, she went off to Europe with her maiden aunt, nicely played by Lucile Watson. Watson did an excellent job in reprising the role so memorably created by Edna Mae Oliver in the 1933 original. However, must they have made the trip in order to catch up with Peter Lawford, who had been abandoned by Jo (Allyson)?Janet Leigh, as the sister who married, and "dad" Leon Ames are totally wasted here. Leigh appears but says so little and does anyone realize that when Ayres appeared, the great Civil War must have ended. What happened there?Rosano Brazzi is way out of his league as the foreign-born professor who brings culture and love into the life of Jo.
