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Katharine Hepburn plays a journalist who bad-mouths sports in her widely-read column. Spencer Tracy plays a sportswriter who publishes a rebuttal. The two continue sparring publicly until they meet in person… and start to fall in love. Now don’t get me wrong — I love it when Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy spar and make up, but this (their first pairing) is not among my favorites. Early scenes work better than later ones, especially when Tracy takes Hepburn to her first baseball game. But despite a few feminist overtones, the movie ends with Hepburn admitting she can’t balance work and love, and opting for love. A castrated Hepburn is like a crying clown. It just shouldn’t be. (A better Hepburn/Tracy flick dealing with gender roles, Adam’s Rib,  would come out a few years later.) Even though it may not reflect modern attitudes, Woman of the Year does give us the first hint of that famous chemistry, one that Hepburn and Tracy carried off the screen and into their own private lives. Directed by George Stevens.

Academy Award: Best Original Screenplay

Oscar Nomination: Best Actress (Katharine Hepburn)