WITHOUT LOVE

US, 1945, 111 minutes, Black and white.
Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Lucille Ball, Keenan Wynn, Carl Esmond, Patricia Morison, Felix Bressart, Gloria Grahame.
Directed by Harold S. Bucquet.

Without Love is the slightest of the Tracy- Hepburn romantic comedies. It followed the success in woman of the Year and the more serious Keeper of the Flame. It preceded The Sea of Grass. Later successes were to be Adam’s Rib, Pat and Mike - both directed by George Cukor, the slight Desk Set and the final film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. This is a typical M.G.M. romantic comedy - plus morale- boosting for the war effort. Pleasant support from Keenan Wynn and Lucille Ball.

1. The film basically as a Tracy- Hepburn romantic comedy and enjoyable as such? The quality of interaction between the two? The blending of war propaganda?

2. M.G.M. gloss and style, romantic score, piano music? Black and white photography?

3. The basic plot: the battle of the sexes, the overtones of the screwball comedy, the serious highlighting of science and the war effort and propaganda? The irony of a marriage without love leading to love? The serious significance of the title and its irony?

4. Pat and his work as a scientist, Washington in the '40s, his war effort, the humorous encounter with Quentin when looking for lodgings, his influence on Quentin? The irony of the meeting with Jamie, pretending to be the caretaker? The war effort and his scientific background?

5. Spencer Tracy's style as Pat? His telling off of Edwina, supporting Quentin, friendship with Kitty? Admiration for Jamie, clash? Their work together? The proposal of marriage? Their exhilaration in the experiments and collaboration? The nature of the platonic relationship? Their scientific achievement? His fearing of Lila? The clashes with Jamie? The party, the attack on Paul, the happy ending and love coming into his life?

6. Katharine Hepburn's presence as Jamie, her style? Her story as told to Pat? Her detachment from life, from the house? Reliance on Kitty? The fascination of Paul? Antagonism towards Pat, support of his work and allowing the experiments? Her return, working with him, the marriage, her enjoying country life? Paul's challenge about her life without love? The Washington success? Her changing, disappointment, her fling, her telling the truth and the reconciliation?

7. The Washington scenes and success, the emphasis on the experiment and Pat's fulfilling it? The encounter with Lila and resolving the conflict? Seeking out Jamie at the party, the clash with Paul and testing his truthfulness? Jamie and her imitation of Lila? Confession? The final celebration and a marriage with love?

8. The humour of the portrait of Quentin - drinking, weakness, wanting to be a sailor, pressured by Edwina, loving Kitty? Edwina and the portrait of the snob and her come-uppance? Kitty and her genial success?

9. The emphasis on the war effort, the Washington staff, the professor, the scenes of the experiments?

10. Audience enjoyment of the perennial battle of the sexes? Rapport of Tracy and Hepburn, their particular styles, their screen quality for love and romance? Audience enjoyment of their films?