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Sylvia Scarlett Photos

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Movie Info

After the death of her mother, Sylvia Scarlett (Katharine Hepburn) decides that she can help her debt-ridden father, Henry (Edmund Gwenn), by dressing like a young man in order to move more freely in society. Returning to England from France, the pair are conned by smuggler Jimmy Monkley (Cary Grant), but are impressed enough by him to join several of his unsuccessful swindling schemes. Sylvia is unexpectedly brought out of her liberated masculine persona when she meets a breezy bohemian artist.

Genre:

drama, comedy
Original Language:

English
Director:

George Cukor
Producer:

Pandro S. Berman
Writer:

Mortimer Offner
Release Date (Theaters):

Jan 3, 1936 wide
Release Date (Streaming):

Nov 1, 2014
Runtime:

1h 34m
Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures Inc.

Cast & Crew

Katharine Hepburn
Sylvia Scarlett, aka Sylvester Scarlett

Cary Grant
Jimmy "Monk" Monkley

Brian Aherne
Michael Fane

Edmund Gwenn
Henry Scarlett

Natalie Paley
Lily Levetsky (uncredited)

Dennie Moore
Maudie Tilt (uncredited)

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Sylvia Scarlett

All Critics (14) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (11) | Rotten (3)

Cukor sets the group's sordid schemes awhirl with giddy revelry and unveils the grim realities of scuffling troupers-along with the desires and frustrations that put the whole machine in motion.

August 10, 2020 | Full Review…

Richard Brody
New Yorker
As it turns out, the pairing of Hepburn and Grant alone (and even with George Cukor directing) can't save a picture with no focus and seemingly no purpose.

July 30, 2020 | Rating: 2/10 | Full Review…

Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Surprise performance by Cary Grant. He's good.

April 16, 2020 | Full Review…

Meyer Levin (Patterson Murphy)
Esquire Magazine
Another girl - into - boy picture. Katharine Hepburn is the girl this time who puts on trousers.

September 25, 2019 | Full Review…

Ann Ross
Maclean's Magazine
Sylvia Scarlett suffers from a convoluted plot ... Contemporary audiences will be more apt to appreciate the film's exploration of gender identity. It's truly ahead of its time.

May 12, 2019 | Full Review…

Raquel Stecher
Out of the Past
A peculiar, rather audacious gender-bender tale, with Katharine Hepburn as a man for most of the film, keeping Cary Grant (and us) on his toes.

April 4, 2011 | Rating: B | Full Review…

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Cukor handles these bizarre plot turns with consummate grace.

June 7, 2007 | Full Review…

Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
...an interesting if ultimately fruitless collaboration of two of the screen's biggest legends.

May 27, 2007 | Rating: 5/10 | Full Review…

John J. Puccio
Movie Metropolis
Grant gives one of his most energetic and best film performances ever.

March 2, 2006 | Rating: A | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
Quote not available.

February 1, 2006 | Rating: 4/5

Lori Hoffman
Atlantic City Weekly
Quote not available.

July 16, 2005 | Rating: 4/5

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
The earliest and least successful pairing of Hepburn and Grant, Sylvia Scarlett is of interest to their diehard fans but not to many others.

May 3, 2005 | Rating: 3/5

Jeremy C. Fox
Pajiba

View All Critic Reviews (14)

Audience Reviews for Sylvia Scarlett

Jan 08, 2012

Think fast! Your dad, Edmund Gwenn has been embezzling money and you have to escape the country and you look like Katharine Hepburn. In order to evade the authorities, do you cut off your long braids and pose as a boy? Of course you do! When you and dad run across a smuggler who looks an awful lot like Cary Grant you decide to keep up the ruse so that you might learn the tricks of being a con man. Unfortunately, you wind up being too honest to do any decent thieving so you decide to start a touring performance troupe (you, your dad, Cary Grant and some other dame you found). When some loud mouth heckles the dame in your group while you're doing your act onstage, you go home with him, and spend the rest of the movie trying to decide whether you love him or Cary Grant. Everyone in this movie is confused and the plot is sloppy/messy, but I thought Hepburn was pretty cute in this gender-bending role (there's even a "lesbian" kiss). Granted, this was probably one of the first films of this kind, but that still doesn't make it very good.

Devon B Super Reviewer
Sep 03, 2010

This movie is somewhat strange, mostly because I didn't think Hepburn's character had a good enough reason to dress up as a boy. I didn't understand that part, and the movie doesn't explain it. Hepburn and Grant are really good in this movie, though, and it's really funny, so I stopped questioning it.

Aj V Super Reviewer
Jan 16, 2010

This is a film that stars Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Edmund Gwenn and Brian Aherne. The basic plot has Hepburn character and her father escape to England after a embezzlement charge. So no one suspects who they are his daughter pretends to be a boy. They end up meeting a scoundrel played by Grant and start a life of crime then on to a traveling show across the country. This story was a bit odd. Your never sure how this film is going to end. The film is a mix of drama, comedy and romance. All the actors do a fine job in their roles. Hepburn and Grant are the best in their roles. A solid film overall. If your a Grant or Hepburn fan then give this a watch.

Corey n Super Reviewer