Morning Glory
Encyclopedia
Morning Glory is a 1933 pre-Code
American drama film
which tells the story of an eager but naive would-be actress and her journey to stardom. It stars Katharine Hepburn
, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Adolphe Menjou
. The movie was adapted by Howard J. Green from the play by Zoe Akins
, and was directed by Lowell Sherman
. Katharine Hepburn won her first Academy Award for Best Actress
for this movie.
Morning Glory was remade in 1958 under the title Stage Struck
.
She later meets Joseph Sheridan (Fairbanks), who later agrees to give her a small part in an upcoming Broadway play. Later in the film, just as the play is about to begin, the star of the show Rita Vernon (Mary Duncan
), a blond theater star, starts making demands for certain amounts of money in a contract she wants and when they can't meet her demands for a contract and more money, she storms off the set and the show is without a star. The production crew frantically tries to find a replacement. As a last resort, they choose Eva Lovelace to play the star of the show, she gets her big break. She quickly rehearses her lines and makes an excellent debut as a star.
Cast notes
as Eva Lovelace and Adolphe Menjou
reprising his role of Louis Easton. Garland performed the song "I'll Remember April
" on the broadcast.
In 1949, a second radio adaptation was aired on the radio, this time with Elizabeth Taylor in the lead role of Eva Lovelace.
Pre-Code
Pre-Code Hollywood refers to the era in the American film industry between the introduction of sound in the late 1920s and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines. Although the Code was adopted in 1930, oversight was poor and it did not become rigorously...
American drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
which tells the story of an eager but naive would-be actress and her journey to stardom. It stars Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Adolphe Menjou
Adolphe Menjou
Adolphe Jean Menjou was an American actor. His career spanned both silent films and talkies, appearing in such films as The Sheik, A Woman of Paris, Morocco, and A Star is Born...
. The movie was adapted by Howard J. Green from the play by Zoe Akins
Zoe Akins
Zoë Akins was an American playwright, poet, and author.- Early years :Born in Humansville, Missouri, Akins was educated in Illinois and later in St. Louis, where she began her writing career...
, and was directed by Lowell Sherman
Lowell Sherman
Lowell Sherman was an American actor and film director....
. Katharine Hepburn won her first Academy Award for Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
for this movie.
Morning Glory was remade in 1958 under the title Stage Struck
Stage Struck (film)
Stage Struck is a 1958 American drama film directed by Sidney Lumet. The screenplay by Augustus and Ruth Goetz is based on a play by Zoe Akins, which served as the basis for the 1933 film Morning Glory starring Katharine Hepburn....
.
Plot
Eva Lovelace (Hepburn) is a small town theater performer who hopes to make it big in Broadway. She goes to auditions and tries to get a role in an upcoming play that would help her make it to the big time. While there, several other actresses auditioning make the cut and they cast them and not her, since they have a lot more experience on stage than she. A theater coach (C Aubrey Smith), whom she meets while auditioning, agrees to give her acting and theater coach lessons.She later meets Joseph Sheridan (Fairbanks), who later agrees to give her a small part in an upcoming Broadway play. Later in the film, just as the play is about to begin, the star of the show Rita Vernon (Mary Duncan
Mary Duncan
Mary Duncan was an American actress.She began her career as a child actress playing on the Broadway stage from 1910. In 1926 she played the daughter "Poppy" in the smash hit and controversial play The Shanghai Gesture. Florence Reed played her mother called Mother Goddam in which Reed kills Duncan...
), a blond theater star, starts making demands for certain amounts of money in a contract she wants and when they can't meet her demands for a contract and more money, she storms off the set and the show is without a star. The production crew frantically tries to find a replacement. As a last resort, they choose Eva Lovelace to play the star of the show, she gets her big break. She quickly rehearses her lines and makes an excellent debut as a star.
Cast
- Katharine HepburnKatharine HepburnKatharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
as Eva Lovelace - Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as Joseph Sheridan
- Adolphe MenjouAdolphe MenjouAdolphe Jean Menjou was an American actor. His career spanned both silent films and talkies, appearing in such films as The Sheik, A Woman of Paris, Morocco, and A Star is Born...
as Louis Easton - Mary DuncanMary DuncanMary Duncan was an American actress.She began her career as a child actress playing on the Broadway stage from 1910. In 1926 she played the daughter "Poppy" in the smash hit and controversial play The Shanghai Gesture. Florence Reed played her mother called Mother Goddam in which Reed kills Duncan...
as Rita Vernon - C. Aubrey Smith as Robert Harley "Bob" Hedges
- Don AlvaradoDon AlvaradoDon Alvarado was an American actor, assistant film director, and film production manager.-Life and career:Born as José Paige in Albuquerque, New Mexico...
as Pepi Velez - Fred Santley as Will Seymour, Easton's assistant
- Richard CarleRichard CarleRichard Carle was an American film actor. He appeared in 132 films between 1915 and 1941.He was born as Charles Nicholas Carleto in Somerville, Massachusetts...
as Henry Lawrence, theatrical critic - Tyler BrookeTyler BrookeTyler Brooke, real name Victor Hugo de Bierre, was an American film actor. He appeared in 92 films between 1915 and 1943....
as Charley Van Duesen - Geneva MitchellGeneva MitchellGeneva Mitchell was an American film actress. She appeared in over 70 films between 1929 and 1946.-Career:Modern viewers will recognize Mitchell from her appearances in the Three Stooges 1935 films Restless Knights, Pop Goes the Easel, and particularly Hoi Polloi...
as Gwendoline Hall - Helen WareHelen WareHelen Ware ; born Helen Remer, was an American stage and film actress. She had a gradual but ultimately successful Broadway stage career and by her thirties was playing the character parts for which she became famous. She began playing character parts in silent films in 1914 and continued into the...
as Nellie Navarre, wardrobe woman - Robert Adair as Roberts, Easton's Butler (uncredited)
- Mildred Washington as Emma, Rita Vernon's dresser (uncredited)
Cast notes
- John CarradineJohn CarradineJohn Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
has an uncredited bit part in the film.
Radio adaptation
In October, 1942, Lux Radio Theatre broadcast a radio adaptation of the film, starring Judy GarlandJudy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
as Eva Lovelace and Adolphe Menjou
Adolphe Menjou
Adolphe Jean Menjou was an American actor. His career spanned both silent films and talkies, appearing in such films as The Sheik, A Woman of Paris, Morocco, and A Star is Born...
reprising his role of Louis Easton. Garland performed the song "I'll Remember April
I'll Remember April
' may refer to:* "I'll Remember April" , a 1942 popular song by Gene de Paul, lyrics by Patricia Johnston and Don Raye* I'll Remember April , a 1999 film by director Bob Clark...
" on the broadcast.
In 1949, a second radio adaptation was aired on the radio, this time with Elizabeth Taylor in the lead role of Eva Lovelace.