Fred MacMurray: Underrated!

In a deceptively difficult role, Fred MacMurray is perfectly cast in Alice Adams, as Alice's sincere, bright-eyed suitor. He delivers a flawlessly-understated performance in this brilliant film. Though he's mostly remembered today as his "older" self, playing dads and "absent-minded professors" and the like (as well as for his forays into film noir, most notably in Double Indemnity). But it's nearly forgotten today that in the early days of his career, the 6'3" MacMurray was luminously handsome and was considered a top-tier "leading man," appearing opposite some of Hollywood's great beauties (Carole Lombard, Marlene Dietrich et al.). Though this was MacMurray's fourth "credited" performance (he had previously played saxophone for Russ Columbo's orchestra), he shows a deft touch for comic timing and reaction. If Hepburn weren't giving one of her greatest performances in this film, I'd almost say he steals the film, he's that impressive. Try watching this film and imagine some other actor in the role...and imagine how the delicate balance George Stevens created between the two lead actors would be entirely different.

Katharine Hepburn rightfully gets most of the acting plaudits in this mini-masterwork of a film...but she had a mighty fine "leading man" to play off-of.