Movies
Keeper of the Flame (MGM 1943, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn)
An interesting look at public images and private lives. Spencer Tracy is a reporter assigned to write a piece about a recently deceased, beloved American patriot. Katharine Hepburn is the widow who continues to protect the public from the secret life behind the facade. The reporter’s story gets complicated when he falls for the widow. Tracy and Hepburn in the able hands of George Cukor, with a script by writer Donald Ogden Stewart (‘The Philadelphia Story’, 1940) based on the story by A. I. R. Wylie.
During production of Keeper of the Flame Hepburn imperiously tried to tell director George Cukor how to set a fire. Retorted Cukor, ‘It must be wonderful to know all about acting and all about fires!
production details
cast
Spencer Tracy as Stevie O’Malley
Katharine Hepburn as Christine Forrest
Richard Whorf as Clive Kerndon
Margaret Wycherly as Old Mrs. Forrest
Forrest Tucker as Geoff Midford
Frank Craven as Docteur Fielding
Stephen McNally as Freddie Ridges
Percy Kilbride as Orion Peabody
Audrey Christie as Jane Harding
Darryl Hickman as Jeb Rickards
Donald Meek as Mr Arbuthnot
Howard Da Silva as Jason Rickards
William Newell as Piggot
crew
Director: George Cukor
Producer: Victor Saville
Cinematography: William Daniels
Script: Donald Ogden Stewart
Donald Ogden Stewart I.A.R. Wylie
USA / MGM / 100 minutes / 1943