The Hollywood Studios, Year-By-Year – RKO, 1934: Spitfire & The Little Minister

For RKO 1934, we take an appreciative look at two unloved Katharine Hepburn movies (now, although the public liked them well enough at the time): John Cromwell's Spitfire and Richard Wallace's The Little Minister, based on a novel by J. M. Barrie of Peter Pan fame. Dave suggests an alternate trajectory for Hepburn's 30s box office decline. Elise rambles on about Barrie's tragic and sinister life. We compare Spitfire to Dreyer's Day of Wrath and Henry King's Song of Bernadette; and agree that The Little Minister is one of the great romance movies (with intimations of her Bringing Up Baby performance in the bargain).  Time Codes: 0h 01m 00s:            Katharine Hepburn & Pandro Berman at the Box Office         0h 13m 09s:            Spitfire [dir: John Cromwell] 0h 40m 41s:            The Little Minister [dir: Richard Wallace] +++ * Check out our Complete Upcoming Episode Schedule (now projected into 2023) * Find Elise's latest film piece on Billy Wilder and 1930s Romantic Comedy *And Read lots of Elise's Writing at Bright Wall/Dark Room, Cléo, and Bright Lights.* Follow us on Twitter at @therebuggy Write to us at [email protected] Theme Music: "What's Yr Take on Cassavetes?" – Le Tigre