Adam's Rib (1949)
When a woman attempts to kill her uncaring husband, prosecutor Adam Bonner
gets the case. Unfortunately for him his wife Amanda (who happens to be a lawyer too)
decides to defend the woman in court. Amanda uses everything she can to win the
case and Adam gets mad about it. As a result, their perfect marriage is disturbed by
everyday quarrels.
Married lawyers Adam and Amanda Bonner find themselves on opposite sides of the
courtroom in this comedy. Adam is prosecuting a high-profile case in which a woman
is accused of trying to murder her philandering husband. Amanda acts as her defense
attorney, and the sparring begins.
Directed by George Cukor
Writing credits: Ruth Gordon, Garson Kanin
Cast:
Spencer Tracy .... Adam Bonner
Katharine Hepburn .... Amanda Bonner
Judy Holliday .... Doris Attinger
Tom Ewell .... Warren Francis Attinger
David Wayne .... Kip Lurie
Jean Hagen .... Beryl Caighn
Hope Emerson .... Olympia
La Pere Eve March .... Grace (Amanda's secretary)
Clarence Kolb .... Judge Reiser
Emerson Treacy .... Jules Frikke
Polly Moran .... Mrs. McGrath
Will Wright .... Judge Marcasson
Elizabeth Flournoy .... Dr. Margaret Brodeigh
Charles Bastin .... Young District Attorney
Joseph E. Bernard .... Mr. Bonner
Madge Blake .... Mrs. Bonner
Harris Brown .... Court Attendant
David Clarke .... Roy
Harry Cody .... Criminal Attorney
Dick Cogan .... Reporter
Paul Cramer .... Stenographer
Bert Davidson .... Subway guard
Roger Davis .... Paul Hurlock
Janna DeLoos .... Mary (maid)
Sidney Dubin .... Bobby (Amanda's assistant)
Rex Evans .... Fat Man in Elevator
John Fell .... Adam's assistant
Norman Field .... Courtroom Bailiff
Glen Gallagher .... Criminal Attorney
Danny Harvey .... Office Boy
Marvin Kaplan .... Court stenographer
Kenner G. Kemp .... Man in courtroom
Michael Kostrick .... Photographer
Nancy Laurents .... Photographer
Gracille LaVinder .... Police matron
DeForrest Lawrence .... Adam's assistant
Lester Luther .... Judge Poynter
George Magrill .... Subway Conductor
Dwight Martin .... Photographer
Louis Mason .... Lloyd (elevator operator)
John Maxwell .... Court clerk
David McMahon .... Reporter
Walter Merrill .... Undetermined Role
Frank Mills .... Juror
Ralph Montgomery .... Photographer
Anna Q. Nilsson .... Mrs. Poynter
James Nolan .... Dave
Tommy Noonan .... Reporter
Gil Patric .... Criminal Attorney
'Snub' Pollard .... Man in courtroom
Dan Quigg .... Reporter
Tom Quinn .... Photographer
Paula Raymond .... Emerald (Kip's girlfriend)
William Self .... Benjamin Klausner (jury foreman)
Pete Smith .... Trailer narrator
Will Stanton .... Taxicab Driver
Bert Stevens .... Courtroom Extra
Brick Sullivan .... Court Clerk
Ray Walker .... Photographer
Marjorie Wood .... Mrs. Marcasson
Wilson Wood .... Reporter
Produced by Lawrence Weingarten
Original Music by Miklós Rózsa
Non-Original Music by Cole Porter (song "Farewell, Amanda")
Cinematography by George J. Folsey
Film Editing by George Boemler
Art Direction by William Ferrari, Cedric Gibbons
Set Decoration by Edwin B. Willis
Costume Design by Walter Plunkett (costume designer: Ms. Hepburn)
Makeup Department Jack Dawn .... makeup creator
Sydney Guilaroff .... hair designer
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joel Freeman .... assistant director
Jack Greenwood .... assistant director
Art Department Henry Grace .... associate set decorator
Sound Department Douglas Shearer .... recording supervisor
Douglas Shearer .... sound recordist
Special Effects by A. Arnold Gillespie .... special effects
Other crew Cole Porter .... lyricist: "Farewell, Amanda"
Eugene Zador .... orchestrator
Also Known As:Man and Wife (USA) (working title)
Runtime: 101 min
Country: USA
Language: English
Color: Black and White
Sound Mix: Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification: USA:Approved / Australia:G (alternate rating) / Australia:PG
Trivia: Katharine Hepburn reportedly urged director George Cukor to focus the
camera on Judy Holliday during a number of their shared scenes, not only
because she was a fan of the new-to-movies Judy Holliday but because it
was hoped the studios would see how terrific Judy Holliday was and cast
her as the lead in Born Yesterday (1950), the role she'd created on Broadway.
(It worked.)
Goofs: Crew or equipment visible: When Adam Bonner is lifted by the woman in court,
the wires supporting him are visible.
Continuity: When Olympia lifts Adam in court, Kip jumps out of his seat and races
forward laughing. In subsequent shots he is alternately standing/sitting.
Continuity: As Doris is waiting for her husband to come out of work, she drops the
newspaper she is holding. In front shots she still holds it. In side and rear shots she
isn't.
Revealing mistakes: Even though Adam and Amanda are reading about Doris Attinger's
arrest in different morning newspapers (he the "New York Globe", she the "New York
Chronicle"), the back pages of both papers are identical.
Continuity: When Adam and Amanda are at their accountant's office, the sign on the
outside of the building reads Jules Frick. When they are inside the sign in the window
has the correct name Jules Frikke.
Continuity: During the trial, when Adam Bonner is talking to the jury, he makes a few
slips of the tongue. You can see Amanda's hand jump to cover her mouth to keep from
laughing in several shots, while in other shots her hand is on the table in front of her.
Continuity: When Adam confronts Amanda and Kip in his apartment with the licorice
gun, the handkerchief in his suit pocket keeps changing lengths between shots.
Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Kip is playing his song for Amanda in the Bonner's
apartment, his foot is on a foot pedal that raises the dampers, but the sound we hear is
quite different.
Quotes:
Kip Lurie: Lawyers should never marry other lawyers. This is called in-breeding;
from this comes idiot children... and other lawyers.
Adam Bonner: First of all, I should like to say that I think the arguments advanced
by the counsel for the defense were sound... MERE sound!
Amanda Bonner: Let's all be manly!
Amanda Bonner: What I said was true, there's no difference between the sexes.
Men, women, the same.
Adam Bonner: They are? Amanda Bonner: Well, maybe there is a difference,
but it's a little difference.
Adam Bonner: Well, you know as the French say...
Amanda Bonner: What do they say?
Adam Bonner: Vive la difference!
Amanda Bonner: Which means?
Adam Bonner: Which means hurrah for that little difference.
Adam Bonner: What are ya? Sore about a little slap?
Amanda Bonner: No. Adam Bonner: Well, what then?
Amanda Bonner: [outraged] You meant that, didn't you? You really meant that.
Adam Bonner: Why, no, I...
Amanda Bonner: Yes, you did. I can tell. I know your type. I know a slap from a slug.
Adam Bonner: Well, OK, OK.
Amanda Bonner: I'm not so sure it is. I'm not so sure I care to expose myself to
typical instinctive masculine brutality.
Adam Bonner: Oh come now.
Amanda Bonner: And it felt not only as though you meant it, but as though you felt
you had a right to. I can tell.
Adam Bonner: What've you got back there? Radar equipment?
Adam Bonner: No matter what you think you think, you think the same as I think.
Kip Lurie: Amanda, my love, why do you stay married to a legal beagle with ten thumbs?
Awards: Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations.
Tagline:
It's The Hilarious Answer To Who Wears The Pants!
Funniest Picture in 10 Years!
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