Movies: Holiday (1930) and Holiday (1938)

Both these movies are based on the play by Philip Barry.  I first saw the 1938 version many years ago and it has been a favourite ever since.  I saw the 1930 version for the first time this week on Tubi  (thank you Tubi) - it had been "cleaned up" with computer magic and was clear to watch and had good sound quality.

The 1930 version starred Ann Harding as Linda in an excellent performance that was deservedly nominated for a best actress Oscar.  The ever reliable Mary Astor played Julia.  Robert Ames was there as Johnny and this was the one unfortunate casting decision in the film - he was far too old for the part (he was around 40 and looked older - he was a man with alcohol problems which killed him in 1931) and the writing left him with very little to work with.  The 1938 film changed the role to allow the character to be a co-lead unlike the 1930 film which centered on Linda.  Another actor who died young at 36 was Monroe Owsley who played Ned.  Columnist Hedda Hopper appeared here as Susan.   

This film was made in the early days of sound but doesn't show any of the awkwardness you often see in films of that era.

There was one lovely scene where a drunken Ned has fallen asleep in the playroom and Linda looks at him with such love and compassion and then turns out the lights as she quietly leaves the room.

The 1938 version is well known and features the always successful pairing of Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant.  Hollywood had come a long way between 1930 and 1938 and this version is more polished - camera work, pacing etc and especially the script.  Johnny has an actual character and you can see why Linda and Julia would be drawn to him.  Changing the Nick and Susan couple to be friends of Johnny rather than Linda works far better.  In this version though Linda and Johnny really do dominate the film - the other characters and clearly supporting parts for the Hepburn-Grant dynamic.

I can't say that I liked one version better.  I like them both and I hope that the 1930 version becomes better known.  It's similar to the 1940 and 1944 versions of Gaslight - the later version is slicker but they're both wonderful films and I hope that the 1940 version, again, becomes better known.  (I read that when MGM bought the rights to remake Gaslight they wanted all prints and the negative of the 1940 version to be destroyed - I'm so glad it survived.)