Tracy and Hepburn

Say “Tracy and Hepburn” and folks will go right to “Woman of the Year” (1942), “Adam’s Rib,” (1949), “Pat and Mike,” (1952) etc. They rarely get to this film “Keeper Of The Flame,” (1942). The second pairing for the actors, it’s a rather dark and foreboding work that showcases Hepburn in a rather unusual role - we’re so used to seeing her as the strong and strong-willed leading female. Here, she is the fearful widow of a wealthy and powerful man caught up in the political machinations of his family and followers and concealing a terrible secret. Tracy delivers his usual solid performance as the writer who arrives to write a glowing biography of the dead man but falls in love with the widow and eventually learns the truth. The end is downbeat despite a triumphant flourish. Similar in its underlying musing on American fascism to “Meet John Doe!” (1941) released a year earlier. Look for Margaret Wycherly in a dark riff on her “mother” roles (Ma York in “Sergeant York” (1941) and Ma Jarrett in “White Heat” (1949))