ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

ksf-2 Hepburn had been in the biz for a few years when she made "Quality Street", a story from Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan. Hepburn is "Phoebe", who had her heart set on Doctor Brown (Franchot Tone), but it was not to be. Off to war for him. Look for the awesome Estelle Winwood, in only her third role at age 54 ! And the amazing Eric Blore, who was so great as the impish butler in all those fred astaire films. When Phoebe has a reunion with Brown, she poses as her own, much younger, niece, confusing Miss Willoughby (Winwood) and her neighbors, as well as Brown. (Did you see that HAT?? it's hilarious., at 43 minutes in) Watch it just for that hat, if nothing else. It's kind of a "much ado about nothing" story, but it IS a fun, goose-chase of a caper. Fay Bainter does a great job as the fragile flower, Phoebe's sister, afraid of her own shadow. Bainter won the best supporting for Jezebel the year after making Quality Street. In our story, "the niece" spends her time flirting with Brown and everyone else. Will that make him jealous? Which one will Brown choose? or maybe neither one. Directed by George Stevens, who directed Hepburn three times. Stevens won two Oscars in the 1950s, but it wasn't while working with Hepburn. Fun running gag where every time someone knocks at a front door, all the neighbors look through the the curtains to see who is calling on their neighbor. For some reason, they hardly ever show this on Turner Classics. Granted, it's pretty lightweight, plot-wise, but it IS a fun chance to see early Hepburn and Tone. There's a blending here, where the actors are all having fun, and it comes through to the viewer. I recommend this one, if you can catch it.

barrymn1 Despite many of the other reviews, I find this film (along with her "A Woman Rebels"), one of the best of the films that originally did poorly at the box office and contributed Hepburn's career downturn in the late 1930's.It IS a precious little comedy of errors, but it's also quite a hoot. Besides Hepburn and Fay Bainter's good performances, there's amusing supporting performances from Cora Witherspoon, Eric Blore, and especially from Estelle Winwood, who made so few films during this era, despite being a seasoned stage actress. Her part is very funny and she plays it beautifully.Give this film another viewing and you'll enjoy it. The only real issue I have with the film is (in typical 1930's/1940's fashion), Katharine Hepburn's makeup after 10 years is not much different from what she looked like at the start of the film.

bkoganbing For her second time in a James M. Barrie role, Katharine Hepburn starred in a remake of Quality Street. Hepburn had previously played a little Scot's minx in The Little Minister also for RKO. Barrie did right by her again, she was well cast as one of the Throssel sisters of Great Britain of the Napoleonic Era. She and sister Fay Bainter look like they're doomed to be spinsters. Bainter has resigned herself to that fate, but Hepburn still has hopes.But when she thinks Franchot Tone might be popping the question, he's only around to tell her he's doing what Admiral Nelson expects of every man, his duty to England. In 1805 he enlists in the army and Hepburn and Bainter go on teaching school.Ten years go by and when Tone doesn't at first recognize Hepburn when he returns, she thinks her prime has passed. But she'll teach Tone a lesson by impersonating her own made up niece. And what a niece, a naughty flirt who entrances all the young blades returned from the wars and doing a job on Tone's ego as well.Quality Street has a quality history, it was first performed on Broadway by the immortal Maude Adams in 1901 and then made a silent film in 1927 starring Marion Davies and Conrad Nagel. I can certainly see why William Randolph Hearst thought this a good role for Davies. She could be both a crinolined heroine and also use her comic talents as well. Hepburn also gets to use her full talents playing one role straight and imitating a fictitious person at the same time.Quality Street got an Oscar nomination for Best Musical Score. If it sounds familiar the theme was recycled later on for the frontier film Rachel And The Stranger. It was even given words that were sung on record by that film's star Robert Mitchum. And George Stevens after doing Alice Adams with Hepburn was assigned this one as well. He'd do even better the third and last time he worked with Hepburn in Woman Of The Year.Quality Street is a good film, but I'm sure that Depression Era audiences found a Victorian Era comedy a bit dated.

Steve Quality Street is a contrived romance, with a small cast, on a set that looks like a play stage, with few visual impacts and in B&W. So, why did we enjoy it so much? The cast, down to the overplayed smaller parts, all does a great job. The ensemble cast brings spirit to even the small parts, the dialogue is clever, and the asides and glances make it fun. We particularly enjoyed the set and period behaviors as great insights on life in the early 19th century. Hollywood did a great job in establishing this period essence through effective use of hints and props. If you like Hepburn, you will enjoy this moral story, with feminine strength in an unforgiving society. Worth a relook!