Cheap Adam's Rib (DVD) (Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn) (George Cukor) Price

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Customer Reviews of Adam's Rib

Basically, Adam's Rib starts out with a wife who shoots at her husband (Judy Holliday, who does an excellent job with her important, if small, role) after finding him with another woman. At the trial, Holliday is represented by Amanda Bonner (Katherine Hepburn) who just happens to be opposed by her own husband (Spencer Tracy) who is the prosecuting attorney. The movie creatively uses the premise of the trial as a springboard for witty, funny conversations between the Bonners' about equality and the double standard (if Holliday had been a man, would she be judged so harshly).

Anyhow, Adam's Rib is a fantastic film which discusses many relevant issues and is, contrary to what you might think, really quite modern in its outlook. There may be some points in the film that reflect its age but, overall, the main issue - the ever ongoing battle of the sexes - is still as relevant today as it was 60 years ago.

Furthermore, the movie is so witty and well done that it would be a joy to watch even if the content was clearly irrelevant now. It features several scenes that are especially noteworthy - for instance, the scene in which Hepburn humiliates Tracy in court and the resulting scene where Tracy scares Hepburn with the licorice gun. So, overall, this film still sparkles with wit and with the chemistry between its stars...highly recommended!

Who Wears the Pants?
Adam's Rib (black and white; running time 101 minutes; not rated) stars two of the greatest Academy Award winning actors of our time, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. This movie was directed by George Cukor in 1949 for Metro Goldwyn Mayer. In a very comical and humorous way, Adam's Rib explores equal rights for women and the question of who wears the pants in a marriage.

When a wife is accused of the attempted murder of her unfaithful husband, Assistant District Attorney Adam Bonner (Spencer Tracy) lands the case. Little does he know that soon his wife, Amanda Bonner (Katharine Hepburn), who is also an attorney, will be defending the accused wife and using equality for women as the main defense. Amanda Bonner wants to know, "What's the difference?". She submits that if the accused had been a man whose wife was being unfaithful, everyone would believe he was attempting to save his marriage, while her client is accused of trying to kill her husband. As the trial progresses, so does the animosity and competitiveness between the attorneys, which in turn causes a strain on their otherwise happy marriage. The sparing between the two attorneys culminates in the hilarious closing arguments of the trial. The accused wife is found not guilty and Amanda Bonner has won her case--or has she? Adam Bonner is able to use his wily ways to get Amanda back which will leave unanswered the question, "Who wears the pants?".

This film is rated five stars (*****). This classic romantic comedy will leave you with a smile on your face. The comic interaction between Tracy and Hepburn is engaging and unforgettable.

So far ahead of its time...
Katharine Hepburn is invariably described as one of the greatest screen legends of all time, and this film embodies all of her classic screen qualities. It is romantic, hilarious, and has a relevant message, even to the modern viewer. I highly recommend this film. She and Tracy had incredible chemistry on screen in all their films, but this (and "Woman of the Year") are my all-time favorites.