Movies at Mechanics' Presents: Holiday (1938)

Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant star in Holiday, a beautifully underrated comedy from 1938 about a young banker hoping to retire and enjoy life, much to the chagrin of his fiancée’s wealthy family. Based on the play by Philip Barrie, it explores the rigid social expectations of the upper classes, and what happens when the older generations clash with the new.

Philip Barrie’s play had been a hit on Broadway in 1928, with Hope Williams as the free-thinking sister of the banker’s fiancée--the female lead. Katharine Hepburn was Williams’s understudy, though she played the role only once. When Columbia Pictures bought the film rights in the late 1930s, Hepburn pursued it. At this point in her career, Hepburn had been named on the Theater Owners Association’s list of actors considered “box office poison,” and she desperately needed to salvage her reputation. Hepburn bought herself out of her RKO contract, convinced director George Cukor that she was perfect for Holiday, and went to Columbia to make the film. 

By 1938, Hepburn and George Cukor had worked together on four films. They enjoyed a close personal and professional relationship, and Cukor helped Hepburn refine her image for the screen. Hepburn and Cary Grant were also an established screen team, having appeared together previously in Sylvia Scarlett and Bringing Up Baby. With these powerhouses in her corner, Hepburn believed Holiday couldn’t fail.

Though it ultimately didn’t make a financial profit at the 1938 box office, and Hepburn would have to find other avenues to counteract the box office poison claims, Holiday was praised by critics and it has aged exceptionally well today. It holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and is considered among the best in both the Hepburn and Grant filmographies.

Join us for this gem of a film at 6 PM, as we salute the careers of Katharine and Audrey Hepburn all through the month of May. Come about 15 minutes early to see the pre-show, which includes vintage clips, newsreels, and musical numbers from the early days of film and television!

Movies at Mechanics' has welcomed film enthusiasts for classic cinema screenings and salons on Friday evenings for over 20 years. Join us for fresh popcorn, lively discourse, and your favorite films the first three Fridays of the month. Hosted by Lara Gabrielle, film writer and author of Captain of Her Soul: The Life of Marion Davies.

“Author Gabrielle has given us a gift: an honest biography of a woman whose life and career have long been misunderstood. . . .  In short, this is the book Marion Davies has always deserved.”-Leonard Maltin, film critic and historian