Stage Door

This is one of those unusual films that is better than the play from which it was adapted. It gave a much needed boost to Katharine Hepburn's career after a series of rather dire period dramas that RKO had put her in, and proved that Ginger Rogers could not only dance, she could act as well.

This is one of those "behind the scenes" type dramas. Katharine Hepburn plays Terry, a rich girl who comes to live in a boarding house with other actresses. She is spoilt and stuck up and comes in for a lot of criticism from everyone, especially her roomate (Ginger Rogers). Terry takes the lead part in a play when one of the other actresses (Andrea Leeds) has been working on it for years. When she commits suicide on the opening night, Terry is inspired to give a great performance, and at the end, dedicates it to her. OK, so the plot is fairly run of the mill, but what makes it worth seeing is the witty script, and the acting, in particular that of Hepburn, Rogers and Lucille Ball. Not surprisingly, the film was a box office hit across America when it was first released, and it is still an enjoyable film to see now.

Review by Katherine Edge
Taken from EUFS Programme 1993-94