HotToastyRag One of my favorite film proposals is from Without Love. Based on Philip Barry's play, Katharine Hepburn, who starred in the show on Broadway, recruited her off-screen sweetheart Spencer Tracy to act in the film adaptation. They play intellectual patriots—he's a government scientist and she's his assistant—who get along quite nicely as friends but aren't interested in romance. Because of logistics during wartime, Kate gets the bright idea that it would be easier if they married so he can continue his important experiments, and she gives a hilarious nervous monologue proposing a marriage "without love".The Hays Code didn't allow double beds in a bedroom, or for an unmarried couple to lay down next to one another—one person's feet had to be always on the ground. Without Love was pretty daring for its time, since it stretched the boundaries and filmed some pretty risqué bedroom scenes using the excuse that Spencer Tracy's character was a chronic sleepwalker. To modern audiences, those scenes might seem a little silly, but try and imagine how it felt seeing them in 1945!While this isn't my favorite Tracy-Hepburn pairing—that award goes to Adam's Rib and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner—it's definitely worth watching. They're awfully cute together in this one, and the romance doesn't include constant bickering like some of their other films. It's nice to see them actually get along, plus Felix Bressart, Kennan Wynn, Gloria Grahame, and Lucille Ball round out the supporting cast nicely.

JohnHowardReid Wow! A movie with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn! But don't too excited! Who directed? Harold S. Bucquet, no less. Bucquet started off as an assistant director way back in 1922, then graduated to shorts in 1935 and finally to features with Young Dr. Kildare in 1938. He died on February 13, 1946, so Without Love was his last fling. At its best, Without Love is moderately entertaining, but, alas, it's at its least interesting when Tracy and Hepburn are on screen – thanks partly to Bucquet's rigorously dull direction with its long, static takes. And partly to a rather odd screenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart which delivers all its brightest and most lively lines to the support cast, particularly Lucille Ball and Keenan Wynn! Admittedly, Tracy does deliver a few bright comebacks. But that's about all we can say on the plus side. Production values are rigorously "B"-grade and it's hard to believe that Karl Freund was in charge of photography. To sum up: Without Love is an "A" feature with "B" production values.

Ripshin I'll refrain from a lengthy post, unlike many others in here. This film is entertaining, but also bizarre. Hepburn and Tracy are always a pleasure, but the whole scenario seems a bit out of whack. Wynn and Ball are excellent in their supporting roles, although Wynn's character seems to disappear towards the end, and there is zero chemistry between the two. Frankly, if this film/play were staged today, Ball's character would be a man, and Wynn's would be gay. Yes, Dizzy the dog did steal many of the scenes. I'm surprised some of the double entendres made it past the Hayes Code, although I'm certain Barry's original play is much more risque.Turner Classic Movies plays this film during "theme" periods, and today I watched it immediately after "Woman of the Year." The latter film has a final scene which is quite annoying, and demeaning to Hepburn's character. Ironically, considering Hepburn's real-life independence, her pairings with Tracy always seem to require that she be "dressed down."

folsominc2 i was able to see this movie for the first time over the weekend & have to say that i immediately fell in love with it. the tenderness of both characters & understanding of each other's problems showed how in love might grow to being in love so deeply.the love of the characters was not based on sexual situations or any of the vulgar material that is produced today, although they were deeply attracted to each other, first mentally and then physically.i truly wish that they would release this film so that i could get a copy of it. it is one of the best, sweetest romances i have seen in a long time.