Review of Adam's Rib (1949) by Mitchell W — 04 Jun 2008

There's never been an on-screen couple as consistently charming and convincing as Tracy and Hepburn (partly because they WERE a couple), and this is easily the best example of their sparkling chemistry. Cukor doesn't need much to set up their relationship - there's an easy, natural flow to their exchanges that's both engaging and immediately apparent.

The differences between both actors are much more noticeable in the films they made apart from one another - Tracy often had an intense yet low-key personality colored by his blue-collar roots, and Hepburn usually came off as a sparky, somewhat rebellious blue-blood. Alone, they were very charismatic individuals, but together they took it to a whole new level. Their disparate personalities blend wonderfully together, so much that many of their best scenes seem improvised. Even the most perfunctory moments, like driving to work, are lifted by their familiarity with one another.