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John Barrymore, Billie Burke, Katharine Hepburn, David Manners, Bramwell Fletcher ... see more see more... , Henry Stephenson , Paul Cavanagh , Elizabeth Patterson , Gayle Evers , Julie Haydon

Katharine Hepburn made her auspicious film debut in the otherwise undistinguished A Bill of Divorcement. Based on a play by Clemence Dane, the film is set on the day that Hepburn's mother, Billie Burk... read more read more...e, is to divorce her insane and long-institutionalized husband John Barrymore. But Barrymore escapes from the asylum and returns home, only vaguely aware of the passage of time (he was shell-shocked during WWI). His presence puts Burke in an uncomfortable spot, especially since she plans to wed Paul Cavanaugh. Pressured by her idiotically traditional family to renew her vows with her first husband, Burke is saved from a lifetime of misery by her spunky daughter Hepburn, who takes care of her child-like father. The film's attitude towards male-female relationships, not to mention its archaic approach to the problem of mental illness, make Bill of Divorcement a chore to sit through today. Its saving grace is the warm rapport between Katharine Hepburn and John Barrymore (contrary to Hollywood legend, they did not despise one another). Even given its dated quality, Bill of Divorcement is more palatable than its empty 1940 remake, which starred Maureen O'Hara and Adolphe Menjou. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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558 ratings

Unrated, 1 hr. 16 min.

Directed by: George Cukor

Release Date: January 1, 1932

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Flixster Reviews (33)

  • webalina
    February 3, 2008
    webalina
    I have heard for eons about how great an actor John Barrymore was, and I expected some good but overblown silent acting style from him. How wrong I was! He in reality had a naturalistic acting style that would hold up just as good today. This film is about a man who regains his s... read moreanity and escapes from a mental institution (after 16 years) only to find that his wife has divorced him and is about to marry again. Barrymore did a wonderful job of making you "feel his pain" at his discovery that the woman he adores loves someone else. And his body language that gave away that he wasn't completely well, was right on the mark, very much like people I have known who were treated for severe mental illness. This was also the first film of 24-year-old Katherine Hepburn. She plays the daughter who was born after the man's commitment to the asylum. All her mannerisms are already developed, and she's beginning to show the talent to come. She claimed later to have learned a great deal about acting from Barrymore during this film. Billie Burke, better known as Glinda in the Wizard of Oz, plays dramatic here as the wife. This really made me want to see more of Barrymore, but also made me wonder what Drew Barrymore could do if someone really gave her a chance.
  • Sunshineyness
    August 7, 2009
    Sunshineyness
    What an interesting movie. Behind the scenes we have the sunset of one legend (John Barrymore) and the sunrise of another (Katharine Hepburn) and it is utterly amazing to see them together on screen. Both actors play perfectly off each other and their relationship will break your... read more heart. The ending with the two of them at the piano had me crying for them both.

    John Barrymore plays a man escaped from the assylum that he'd been in since returning from WW1 a shell shocked man. We never are told how long he's been there, but it's long enough that his daughter (Hepburn) doesn't remember him (talks about him at the beginning as if he were dead) and his wife (Billie Burke in the only thing I've ever seen her in other than Wizard of Oz) has filed for divorce and taken up with another man. What proceeds is a dazzling family drama that ends with a family torn apart and his daughter's life resigned when she realizes that his madness could be hereditary- thus her blood damaged (Let's put on our 1930's hats people- insanity was a worse fate than death back then) and her upcoming nuptial plans are now in question.

    Granted, you have to conceit to the times to fully appreciate the weight of the decisions these characters make, but other than that a fine, fine little drama that will show you without a shadow of a doubt how Miss Kate Hepburn became a star and give you a chance to catch one of the great American actors: Barrymore in one of his last great roles.
  • jam233
    July 19, 2009
    jam233
    A bit melodramatic, but still an excellent film. Katherine Hepburn's debut is a great one, but it is John Barrymore's performance is what makes the film. A fine classic, very well done.

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Critic Reviews

Fernando F. Croce
July 4, 2011
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

The dramaturgy is pure 19th-century, yet Cukor gives you Barrymore and the debuting Hepburn cutting through it like a couple of long-stemmed knives Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
August 12, 2008
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Outdated family drama about dealing with mental illness. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
July 10, 2006
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Even in 1932, when the melodrama was made, the biological and moral issues of insanity were outdated, but Cukor's film features an original, striking turn from Katharine Hepburn in her screen debut. Full Review

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Mordaunt Hall
May 20, 2003
Mordaunt Hall, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

February 9, 2006
Time Out

Click to read the article Full Review

May 24, 2003
Film4

Click to read the article Full Review

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