Woman of the Year (1942)

Director:

George Stevens

Writers:

Ring Lardner Jr. (original screen play) and
Michael Kanin (original screen play)
(more)

Release Date:

19 January 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

The picture of the year!

Plot:

Rival reporters Sam and Tess fall in love and get married, only to find their relationship strained when Sam comes to resent Tess' hectic lifestyle.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Reporter | Newspaper | Kiss | Baseball

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Spencer Tracy	...	Sam Craig
Katharine Hepburn	...	Tess Harding
Fay Bainter	...	Ellen Whitcomb
Reginald Owen	...	Clayton
Minor Watson	...	William J. Harding
William Bendix	...	'Pinkie' Peters
Gladys Blake	...	Flo Peters
Dan Tobin	...	Gerald Howe
Roscoe Karns	...	Phil Whittaker
William Tannen	...	Ellis
Ludwig Stössel	...	Dr. Lubbeck (as Ludwig Stossel)
Sara Haden	...	Matron
Edith Evanson	...	Alma
George Kezas	...	Chris
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jimmy Ames	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Herbert Ashley	...	Stage Doorman (uncredited)
Dorothy Ates	...	Phone Girl (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict	...	Clayton's Secretary (uncredited)
John Berkes	...	Pal (uncredited)
Symona Boniface	...	Tess' Party Guest (uncredited)
Elfriede Borodin	...	Leni (uncredited)
Jack Carr	...	Baseball Spectator Behind Tess (uncredited)
Ruth Cherrington	...	Foreigner (uncredited)
Ann Codee	...	Madame Sylvia (uncredited)
Jimmy Conlin	...	Reporter at Bar (uncredited)
Jules Cowles	...	Joe the Bartender (uncredited)
Floyd Criswell	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Fern Emmett	...	Justice of the Peace's Wife (uncredited)
Curt Furburg	...	Foreigner (uncredited)
Lisa Golm	...	Yugoslav Consul's Wife (uncredited)
George Guhl	...	Door Attendant (uncredited)
Winifred Harris	...	Chairlady (uncredited)
Carey Harrison	...	Spaniard (uncredited)
Bern Hoffman	...	Hindu Man at Party (uncredited)
William Holmes	...	Man at Banquet (uncredited)
Bobby Larson	...	Dickie Dunlap (uncredited)
Ben Lessy	...	Punchy (uncredited)
Murdock MacQuarrie	...	Head Copy Reader (uncredited)
Edward McWade	...	Adolph (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Mug (uncredited)
Gerald Mohr	...	Radio Emcee (uncredited) (voice)
Amber Norman	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Sergio Orta	...	Mr. Yes (uncredited)
George Ovey	...	Little Sports Reporter (uncredited)
Bob Perry	...	Referee (uncredited)
Jack Raymond	...	Mug (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Mr. Harding's Chauffeur (uncredited)
Julian Rivero	...	Spaniard (uncredited)
Henry Roquemore	...	Marcus P. Calverton - Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
Cy Schindell	...	Pinkie's Listener in Bar (uncredited)
Harry Semels	...	Mug (uncredited)
John Sheehan	...	Red Face (uncredited)
Eddie Lou Simms	...	Champ (uncredited)
Walter O. Stahl	...	Yugoslav Consul (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Cabby (uncredited)
Ray Teal	...	Married Sports Reporter (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Mug (uncredited)
Michael Visaroff	...	Russian Guest (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Lubbeck's Bodyguard (uncredited)
Duke York	...	Football Player (uncredited)
Joe Yule	...	Building Superintendent (uncredited)

Directed by
George Stevens

Writing credits
Ring Lardner Jr.		(original screen play) and
Michael Kanin		(original screen play)
John Lee Mahin		contributing writer (uncredited)

Produced by
Joseph L. Mankiewicz	....	producer

Original Music by
Franz Waxman		(musical score)

Cinematography by
Joseph Ruttenberg		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Frank Sullivan

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis		(set decorations)

Costume Design by
Adrian		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
Jack Dawn	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert A. Golden	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Randall Duell	....	associate art director
Robert McKnight	....	sculpture: Katharine Hepburn's bust (uncredited)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents) (A George Stevens Production)
• Loew's (produced by) (as Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1942) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Les Grands Films Classiques (GFC) (2011) (France) (theatrical)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (DVD) (as MGM/UA Home Video)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"La mujer del año" - Argentina, Spain
"Årets kvinde" - Denmark
"Årets kvinna" - Sweden
"A Mulher do Dia" - Brazil
"A Primeira Dama" - Portugal
"Az év asszonya" - Hungary
"Die Frau von der man spricht" - Germany
"Die Frau, von der man spricht" - Austria
"Eshet Ha-Shana" - Israel (Hebrew title)
"I gynaika tis hronias" - Greece (imdb display title)
"Kobieta roku" - Poland (informal title)
"La donna del giorno" - Italy
"La femme de l'année" - France
"Tess Harding" - Poland
"Tie miehen sydämeen" - Finland
"Uma Mulher Muito Importante" - Brazil (cable TV title)

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Russian | German | Spanish | Greek

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

New Zealand:PG | USA:Approved (certificate #7844) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl (cut) | Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto (1848 - 1932) was an Italian sociologist and philosopher. He made important contributions to economics, particularly in the study of income distribution and in the analysis of individuals' choices.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Sam and Tess meet, he crumples the paper he is holding and drops it into an ash can. When it falls into the can, it is not wadded up.

Quotes:

Sam Craig:[in front of the airport] Could I drop you someplace, Miss Whitcomb?
Ellen Whitcomb:You can drop that "Miss Whitcomb."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in George Stevens: D-Day to Berlin (1994) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride)

Wow

Right off I have to say that this is at once the funniest, most romantic, most intelligent & most realistic depiction of a romantic relationship I have ever seen.(For perspective, I'm a 60 year-old multi-lingual film buff).

Whatever kind of film George Stevens tried, he did it to perfection. Witness Gunga Din, Swingtime & A Place in the Sun to mention just a few. It was like watching something by Hawks, Lubitch & Sturges all rolled into one.

Hepburn never appeared softer, more vulnerable, less mannered than in Woman of the Year. I fall in love with her all over again every time I watch it, which is surprisingly often, especially in the scene where she carries on about Oswald Spengler while plastered under the table.

Then there's Tracy, the most honest actor who ever lived. But not just that: there was his ability to delve seemingly without effort into an infinite bag of gestures & expressions & tones & just plain old-fashioned but highly manifest wisdom & come up with the most richly nuanced guy ever depicted on-screen. Tracy was a giant, a genius, the Rembrandt of film.

A delightful, dazzlingly perfect grown-up movie.