Turner Classic Movies often shows the marvelous old film Holiday-- starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Doris Nolan. It's among the best films either of them made and it's certainly among my favorites. However, I recently learned that the movie is NOT the first version of the Philip Barry play. Back in 1930, the original movie was made which stars Ann Harding, Robert Ames and Mary Astor.

The plots of the two versions are pretty much the same. Julia brings her new fiancé, Johnny, home to meet her family. He's shocked to find out she's loaded...and I mean loaded! Her family has millions and is very prominent socially. This is a far cry from Johnny and his working class roots. However, they are in love and both plan on getting married quite soon regardless of their differences. Through the course of the film, it becomes obvious that Julia has plans to control and mold Johnny---plans which are very different from his plans. Johnny is a bit of a dreamer. He would like to make enough money so that he can then go on an extended break--to see the world, experience life and only then settle down into a routine. Julia, however, sees him working as a banker or financier--stable, dependable and dull. There is absolutely no way both can have their way. One, or both, must bend.

In this same wealthy family are Linda and Ned. Ned is a cynical sort who spends an inordinate amount of time drinking. He knows full well the sort of dreary life he has set before him and spends much of his time intoxicated in order to deal with it. As for Linda, she's much more of a dreamer--a free spirit living within a gilded cage. In so many ways, she seems more compatible with Johnny--though she's too decent a sort to try to come between him and her sister. So what's to happen? Will Johnny allow himself to be emasculated and lose all his dreams or will he and Julia end up living in some bohemian apartment while he 'finds himself'...or is there some other alternative?

As I mentioned above, the plots are virtually the same. What is NOT the same is the entire feel for the two films. The 1930 version is rather stagy and lacks the energy of the 1938 film. Much of it is because back in 1930, they were just learning how to make sound films and often they looked more like plays being recorded on film than a movie as we know of it today. Holiday (1930) definitely is much more stagy. The worst of it is probably with Linda. In the earlier film, Ann Harding (a very popular actress in her day but a mostly forgotten actress today) played EXACTLY like she was standing on a stage addressing the crowd. Her diction and delivery were anything but realistic. In contrast, Katharine Hepburn's Linda was vivacious and exciting. As for the rest, in the 1930 film the performances were generally better than Harding's but still lacked the freshness and quality of the later film. Overall, I'd clearly give the nod to the 1938 production. But, this is not to say the 1930 film is bad....it isn't at all. And, for film nuts like me (and I know there must be more of you out there),a chance to see both films is a real treat. If you are also a lover of old films, I have an exciting suggestion. See BOTH movies.

How can you see the original Holiday? There is a wonderful website called the Internet Archive (archive.org) where you can view or download public domain movies 100% legally and for free. When you go to the site, in the search bar, type HOLIDAY. It will then provide a link to the 1930 film and its download. It's available in a variety of formats and your computer probably will play at least one of them. As for me, I've long used Media Player Classic (not the program that comes with Windows--the free program from mpc- hc.org). I strongly recommend you download it if your video player on your computer doesn't allow you to play the films. Media Player Classic will play a wider variety of formats than the players that come with PCs and MACs. Then, you'll be able to watch just about anything from the Internet Archive--and there are many thousands of films as well as audio recordings and even old video games! All are free and some are amazingly good--too good to have just been abandoned to the public domain.

Terrific performances by Ann Harding and Mary Astor guide this comedy based upon the Philip Barry play where socialite Astor becomes engaged to factory worker Robert Ames, planning to "better" him even though it's her who needs lessons in being "bettered". When Ames meets her sister, Harding, it is apparent that they have a lot more in common than Astor and Ames, and that Astor intends to manipulate the entire marriage. The whole family becomes involved in the undeclared war between sisters with Harding begging Astor to accept Ames for who he is, and the seemingly decent Astor proving how much of an elitist she is.

Best known for the remake starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, early talky version is quite good on its own and got Oscar nominations for the remake was completely overlooked. There are excellent supporting performances by Hallam Cooley, Edward Everett Horton (from the Broadway play as well as the remake) and I don't want gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. Cooley is Harding and Astor's stuffy businessman father, objecting to Harding's free thinking nature (accepting everybody for who they are regardless of their background),and more concerned with the family's public perception rather than what Harding feels.

Harding at times seems to sound like Katharine Hepburn who had not made her film debut but ironically appeared in the play on Broadway. she was exquisite, and proves herself to be adept at drawing-room comedy even though RKO would mainly cast as long-suffering sophisticated heroines. Astor gives a very grounded, diversified performance, easy going and sweet at one moment and hard-headed at others. It only suffers slightly from early sound technology, and while the camera may not move as fast as it would later in the remake, it is still quite good and innocent even better because it is not played for screwball comedy, but rather as a drawing-room comedy with moments of drama that have important social ramifications.

If you get the chance to see this version of "Holiday," take it! Ann Harding is fabulous in the part of Linda, a role later played by Katharine Hepburn in the better known 1938 version. But another pleasure of this version is Mary Astor's excellent portrayal of Julia. She takes a rather blah and unrewarding role and really makes something of it. Highly recommended!