Customer Reviews

Keeper of the Flame [VHS]

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Steven O'Malley, who is a reporter played by Spencer Tracy, comes to a small town to find the truth behind a hero of the town whose name is Robert Forrest. This great hero has just died and Steven O'Malley begins to feel this great man was not all he appeared to be. He finds it hard to reach Forrest's widow Christine who he wants to interview. The widow is played by Katharine Hepburn who gives a superb performance. O'Malley finds himself falling in love with the widow. He also finds that no one close to Forrest wants him to find out the truth about this great hero. You will find yourself wanting to discover the truth. It is filled with suspense, romance, and mystery and is a must-see!!

One of my favorite Spencer Tracy movies, Keeper of the Flame is probably the most serious of all the films teaming Tracy with Katherine Hepburn, perhaps the only one that might fit the "noir" class. Mystery surrounds the death of national hero Robert Forrest. Reporter Steve O'Malley (Tracy) wants to do a biography of the late statesman, but the closer he tries to get to the family on their huge estate (sort of a gothic version of the Kennedy Compound), the more it seems Forrest's widow (Hepburn) and secretary are trying to hide something. Tracy begins to suspect their foul involvement in the hero's supposed accidental death. In addition to the great Tracy and Hepburn and an intrigueing story, there are fine performances from the supporting cast which includes a young Forrest Tucker (The Ghost Busters a.k.a. Spencer, Tracy, and Kong), Darryl Hickman (Fighting Father Dunn), Howard da Silva (1776), Percy Kilbride (Pa Kettle), and others.

This is an interesting choice for the second Tracy-Hepburn picture, following the success of "Woman of the Year," but then all of the films Katharine Hepburn made during World War II were interesting choices. In "Stage Door Canteen," while other stars performed, Hepburn shared in the film's main dramatic scene and in "Dragon Seed" she played a Chinese peasant girl. However, "Keeper of the Flame" is clearly Spencer Tracy's film. He plays Steven O'Malley, a famous correspondent who has returned from Europe to cover the death an American national hero, Robert V. Forrest. Hepburn plays the reclusive widow, a role that eerily foreshadows Jacqueline Kennedy in some regards, whom O'Malley comes to suspect of having murdered her husband. However, to his surprise, O'Malley discovers that Forrest's supernationalism was merely a facade for fascism. There is more going on here than meets the eye. Based an "unwritten" novel by I. A. R. Wylie and scripted by Donald Odgen Stewart, the choice of George Cukor to direct the film is quite surprising. Cukor and cinematographer William Daniels do their best to create a Hitchcock-type film, but the overall effect is a pale imitation at best. Hepburn seems ill-suited to the role of the widow with a secret, although certainly her political sensibilities would support the point of the film. Tracy is a bit subdued, no doubt because of the conflict between his feelings for Christine Forrest and his desire to uncover the truth no matter what the cost, but this is still a solid performance from one of the greatest film actors.

Overall the fascist threat seems too muted in this film. Darryl Hickman as the young Jeb Rickards, who had belonged to Forrest's youth organization (which looks less like the Boy Scouts and more like the Hitler Youth as the movie progresses), is the true emotional heart of the film. Yet in the end you feel more that he was mislead than actually endangered by his membership. The idea that fascism could succeed in America only as a third front sort of thing is dangerously misleading, as demagogues like Huey P. Long were in the process of proving. The nation surely could have used a solid anti-fascist film from Hollywood, but "Keeper of the Flame" was ultimately too shallow an effort. At the end you might understand that Robert V. Forrest was a fascist, but you really have no idea what that means beyond the fact that it is a very bad thing.

This is arguably the weakest Tracy-Hepburn film and was certainly not the formula followed in their more successful efforts. Given the subject matter the romantic elements between the two is sadly misplaced, getting in the way of the film's message as much as the reporter's investigation. Hepburn would be served a little better by her next foray into the suspense genre four years later in "Undercurrent."

Very different from other Tracy/Hepburn films, both in style and substance. I have viewed this multiple times and thoroughly enjoy it. Strong political theme has kept this from being one of the top films of the era.

This one of the best no matter what! My dad told me to watch this movie because he thought I would like it, and I did. It might not be the best Known movie but it's still a thriller. If you love Alfred's movies I promise you will love this!

Intended as a complete contrast to their previous co-starring vehicle, the breezy battle-of-the-sexes comedy "Woman of the Year", 1942's KEEPER OF THE FLAME gave Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy the chance to show their dramatic mettle in an intriguing, wartime story of false hero-worship and the looming spectre of America's involvement in the Second World War.

After a tragic car accident which claims the life of beloved national hero Robert Forrest, globe-trotting reporter Steven O'Malley (Spencer Tracy) arrives on the scene to write an article. He desperately wants to interview Forrest's widow Christine (Katharine Hepburn) but finds resistance and downright hostility at every turn. What of the close "friendship" between Christine and her cousin Geoff (Forrest Tucker)? Or Robert's "crazy" mother (Margaret Wycherly) who seems quite lucid when O'Malley secretly arranges a visit with her? And what are the true motives driving Forrest's sycophantic secretary (Richard Whorf)?

Director George Cukor extracts his usual stellar performances from Hepburn and Tracy in this stirring, timely political thriller, which was based on the novel by I.A.R. Wylie. Audiences must have been stunned by the material, especially because it followed hot on the heels of the pair's first outing ("Woman of the Year") released earlier that same year. The ending does seem a bit rushed, and some wonderful characters (like Audrey Christie's wisecracking reporter) sadly fall by the wayside, but it's still a very fine film.

This long-overdue Stateside DVD release of KEEPER OF THE FLAME will also be available in Warners' 9-movie Tracy & Hepburn the Definitive Collection, that will also include, thanks to a special distribution deal, their three non-Warner-controlled films "Desk Set", "State of the Union" and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"; in addition to "Woman of the Year", "Sea of Grass", "Without Love", "Pat and Mike", and "Adam's Rib".

I have waited forever for this great movie to be issued on DVD! And finally it has happened! I saw it when it first was shown in the theaters and later in VHS form but have been frustrated that it took so long to be available on DVD. Tracy and Hepburn at their best caught in a strong and frightening plot. It tells of the innocence and gullibility of the general public and our willingness to believe what people of note told us in the years preceding WW II. The story reminds us that what is on the surface often masks a dark and evil truth.

I've waited years for this prescient 1942 film to finally appear on DVD after watching it only on Turner Classic Movies, despite the presence of legendary stars Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. Donald Ogden Stewart's screenplay from the I.A.H. Wylie novel foreshadowed the healthy skepticism needed in these contentious times about supposedly grassroots political movements that hide an agenda unknown to those involved in promoting that movement.
In "Keeper of the Flame"'s opening, we see a car taking a flying leap from a bridge that has been washed out. As we learn from the following montage, the crash killed incredibly wealthy Robert Forrest, who has become, through his self-sponsored "America Forward!" movement, one of the USA's most beloved political figures since Lincoln, though he's never held political office. The world's press has descended on Forrest's hometown to write tributes to The Great Man and interview his widow Christine (Hepburn), who remains unavailable however.
Be forewarned, what follows is not your typical Tracy/Hepburn "Woman of the Year" or "Adam's Rib" romp, which might explain its tardy appearance on disc. Director George Cukor created no real romantic or comic banter between Hepburn's not-so-merry widow and Tracy's investigative reporter Steve O"Malley, although Tracy's fellow reporter Jane Harding, played by a delightfully sardonic Audrey Christie, fills that bill quite nicely. Rather, Cukor spends a great deal of time building suspense around Tracy's subtle peeling back the facade of Forrest's deception in his talks with Hepburn, who agrees to speak with Tracy through the duplicitous encouragement of Forrest's unctuous assistant, slimily played by the dead-on casting of Richard Whorf. The truth does finally comes out at the mansion's Arsenal, where (spoiler alert), it's revealed in hidden documents and money that Forrest was really planning on becoming America's own Nazi Fuehrer. "They didn't call it fascism, of course," says Christine, but "wrapped it up in red, white and blue and called it Americanism." It is this scene alone, with its revelation "...of the utter cynicism of the plan. Each group was to be used and then discarded when their usefulness was ended." that makes the purchase of this DVD essential for anyone who still needs to be reminded in the 21st century that Gadsden Don't Tread On Me flags, tri-corner hats and muskets do not necessarily a patriot make, and the present day media's uncovering of secret corporate and billionaire sponsorship of "astroturf" organizations is still essential.Keeper of the Flame

No one expected Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn - let alone MGM - to follow "Woman of the Year" with a disturbing political drama. The Tracy-Hepburn chemistry remains vital to "Keeper of the Flame" (1943). Unfortunately, director George Cukor lacks the hard edge necessary to deliver an emotional wallop - little helped by Donald Ogden Stewart's erratic screenplay. Shot entirely on the Culver City backlot, the art direction and photography have an American Gothic atmosphere refreshingly at odds with the MGM gloss. Despite its heavy-handedness and uncertain pacing, "Keeper of the Flame" survives as a fascinating wartime curio.

Of all the famous acting teams of the 20th Century, Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn are among the most famous, eclipsed perhaps by Bogart and Bacall, but otherwise in a class by themselves.

Spencer Tracy is ranked 9th among AFI's Greatest Male Stars. He won 2 Oscars ("Captains Courageous" in 1937 and "Boys Town" in 1938) and was nominated 7 more times. Personally I think his best performances were "Inherit the Wind" (1960) and "Judgment at Nuremberg" (1961). His acting method was - "Come to work on time, know your lines and don't bump into the other actors."

Katherine Hepburn (1907-2003) is generally accepted to be the finest female actor of the 20th century. She won 4 Oscars ("Morning Glory", "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner", "The Lion in Winter" and "On Golden Pond") and was nominated for 8 more (e.g., "The African Queen", "Philadelphia Story"). She won an Emmy ("Love Among the Ruins") and was nominated 4 more times.

Tracy and Hepburn began their collaboration in 1942 with "Woman of the Year", and made 8 more films including "State of the Union" (1948), "Adam's Rib" (1949), and "Pat and Mike" (1952). The only one of their 9 films to receive Oscar nominations was their last film, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (1967), however, most of their films were box office success and some were top 20 ("Woman of the Year", "State of the Union", "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner").

"Keeper of the Flame" (1943) was their second film together and it's the only melodrama among the 9 films. Tracy plays a writer doing a book about Hepburn's recently deceased husband, a national hero who may have had secrets that no one wants revealed.

The film has a good cast including Margaret Wycherly, Forrest Tucker, Steven McNally, Howard Da Silva, and a young Darryl Hickman. Also look for marvelous character actors Donald Meek (hotel keeper) and Percy Kilbride (taxi driver).

Margaret Wycherly (1881-1956) plays Hepburn's mentally ill mother-in-law. She's best remembered as "Ma Jarrett" from Cagney's "White Heat" (1949) and for her Oscar nominated role as "Ma York" in "Sergeant York" (1941).

Forrest Tucker (1919-86) plays Hepburn's cousin. He's best known from TV's "F Troop" (1965-7) but he was a prolific film actor in the 40s and 50s, frequently appearing in westerns ("The Westerner") and war films ("Sands of Iwo Jima").

Stephen McNally (1913-94) plays a reporter. He appeared in over 100 films from 1942 to 1978, often as a heavy in films like "Johnny Belinda" (1948), "Winchester 73" (1950), and "Violent Saturday" (1955).

Howard Da Silva (1909-86) plays the gatekeeper on Hepburn's estate. He appeared in more than 60 films, and gave memorable performances as Ben Franklin in "1776" (1972), FDR in "Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover" (1983), and Khrushchev in "The Missiles of October" (1974).

11 year old Darryl Hickman (1931) plays Da Silva's son. He's best known for "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" (1959-63) that starred his younger brother, Dwayne. He was a child actor in films like "Grapes of Wrath" (1940) and "Men of Boys Town" (1941) and made 100 films before he turned 21. As with many child actors, he found the transition to adult roles difficult and went into coaching.

George Cukor (1899-1983) directs. Cukor was nominated 5 times for an Oscar and won once ("My Fair Lady") in 1964. He's best known for his comedies ( "The Philadelphia Story", "Adams Rib", "Born Yesterday", "Pat and Mike") but was equally capable with drama ("Romeo and Juliet", "A Star is Born", "Gaslight"). He's famous for saying - "Don't just do something, stand there!"

William Daniels (1901-70) is the cinematographer. Garbo insisted he shoot all her films, which he did, except for 2 ("Conquest", "Two-faced Woman") which turned out to be box office flops. When not working with Garbo, Daniels was a favorite of Erich von Stroheim. Daniels lensed more than 150 films. He was nominated 3 times ("Anna Christie", "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", "How the West was Won") and won once ("Naked City" in 1948). His work in this film is exceptional.

The NY Times' Bosley Crowther called it "a courageous and timely drama" but most critics considered it too slow and criticized the fact that the secret was revealed in the middle of the film, leaving the second half flat. Director Cukor agreed, as did the writer (which makes you wonder, of course, why they made the film that way).

FWIW - the "secret" is actually revealed about 2/3 of the way through.

Hedda Hopper called the film "Citizen Kane with all the art scraped off", and there are distinct parallels to "Kane" in which a writer seeks to uncover the story of a rich and famous person who's just died, and interviews the people closest to him. In both films there is a secret, the husband and wife are estranged, and both dead mean had sought (unsuccessfully) elected office.

1943 was an OK year in films - The top grossing films included "This is the Army", "For Whom the Bell Tolls", "Song of Bernadette", "Coney Island", and "Stage Door Canteen". Other notables included "The Ox Bow Incident". The big Oscar winner was "Going My Way", and other winners included "Gaslight" and "None But the Lonely Heart"

War films were particularly popular - "Action in the North Atlantic" with Bogart and Raymond Massey, "Air Force" with John Garfield, "Bataan" with Robert Taylor and Lloyd Nolan, "Bombadier" with Pat O'Brien and Randolph Scott, "Corvette K-255" with Randolph Scott, "Five Graves to Cairo" with Franchet Tone and Anne Baxter", "Hangmen Also Die" with Brian Donlevy and Walter Brennan, and "Hitler's Children."

Coming in 1943 this is a curious film, since the war years tended to favor patriotic films, but this film undercut those feelings, suggesting a national hero was working against the interests of the country, and equating wealth with fascism. Republicans in Congress prompted Will Hays to set up regulations to control film content. The plain truth is that there were powerful wealthy individuals who were sympathetic to fascism and who expected the Nazis to win the war in Europe, and wanted to maintain good business relations with them. In addition, the idea that a national hero would oppose the war was not at all unusual - Charles Lindbergh (1902-1974), for example. This is the undercurrent to the film which today, seems incredible, but which at the time tapped a real nerve.

FWIW - The link between Lindbergh and the film character is suggested by references to a speech to the Republican convention mentioned in the film - In real life, Lindbergh had been suggested as a candidate to run with Wilkie. Also, Lindbergh's "American First" crusade had definite anti-Semitic underpinnings, and the film's hero also has anti-Semitic leanings. Moreover, the film character created a "Forward America" movement very similar to Lindbergh's "America First" movement.

If you're looking for the Tracy/Hepburn type of film you're accustomed to, with snappy dialogue, male/female issues, and mild romance, this is not the film for you. Rather it is a melodrama set against the changing political mores leading up to the Second World War. The acting is good and photography is excellent. Production values are poor (it's all shot on a stage) and the music is overbearing at times, but otherwise this is an interesting film to watch.