George Cukor often seems like the great Hollywood auteur hiding in plain sight, obscured on the one hand by international icons such as John Ford and Alfred Hitchcock and, on the other hand, by cult heroes such as Raoul Walsh and Allan Dwan. A filmmaker of greater refinement than many of his contemporaries, he made elegant, sophisticated films with an unmistakable visual style. This week the streaming channel FilmStruck moves Cukor front and center as its featured director, offering up a generous selection of his films; we’ve bypassed the three most iconic (The Women, The Philadelphia Story, and A Star Is Born) in favor of five others that demonstrate his artistry and range.
Adam’s RibCukor’s gracious 1949 comedy about a lady lawyer (Katharine Hepburn) married to a district attorney (Spencer Tracy) and what happens when they find themselves on opposite sides of a shooting trial. The film is a classic, and deservedly so: the conjunction of Tracy’s sly listlessness and Hepburn’s stridency defines “chemistry” in the movies. Nor are there any slouches in the supporting cast; it includes Tom Ewell, Judy Holliday, David Wayne, and Jean Hagen, all superb. 101 min.—Dave Kehr
