Adam’s Rib movie storyline. A great, sophisticated, battle-of-the-sexes comedy, one of Hollywood’s greatest comedy classics, about husband-and-wife lawyers who take opposite sides of a court case, from a forward-looking screenplay with snappy dialogue by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin – the husband and wife’s second collaboration with director George Cukor. Often rated as the best pairing of the nine films of the legendary screen team of Tracy and Hepburn – it was their sixth film together.
The film was originally titled Man and Wife. Chauvinistic District Attorney Adam Bonner (Tracy) prosecutes a ‘dumb blonde’ Doris Attinger (Holliday in her debut role) for attempted murder. The bombshell vengefully shot and wounded her philandering, two-timing husband Warren (Ewell) with mistress Beryl (Hagen). His savvy wife Amanda Bonner (Hepburn) victoriously defends the woman with feminist, women’s rights arguments, upsetting sexist double standards. At film’s end, Adam conclusively admits the profound differences between males and females: Vive la difference. Academy Award Nominations: 1, Best Story and Screenplay.
Adam’s Rib is a 1949 American film directed by George Cukor from a screenplay written by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin. It stars Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn as married lawyers who come to oppose each other in court. Judy Holliday co-stars as the third lead in her second credited movie role. The music was composed by Miklós Rózsa, except for the song “Farewell, Amanda”, which was written by Cole Porter.
Adam’s Rib (1949)
Directed by: George Cukor
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Holliday, Tom Ewell, David Wayne, Jean Hagen, Hope Emerson, Eve March, Clarence Kolb, Emerson Treacy, Polly Moran, Will Wright, Elizabeth Flournoy
Screenplay by: Ruth Gordon, Garson Kanin
Cinematography by: George J. Folsey
Film Editing by: George Boemler
Set Decoration by: Edwin B. Willis
Art Direction by: William Ferrari, Cedric Gibbons
Music by: Miklós Rózsa
Distributed by: Loew’s Inc.
Release Date: November 18, 1949
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