Holiday (1930)

Holiday: Directed by Edward H. Griffith. With Ann Harding, Mary Astor, Robert Ames, Hallam Cooley. Holiday is a 1930 American Pre-Code romantic comedy film which tells the story of a young man who is torn between his free-thinking lifestyle and the tradition of his wealthy fiancée’s family.

“The 1938 remake benefits from a more assured production and, of course, Cukoru0026#39;s direction. And the two are surprisingly close: Whole swatches of dialog from 1930 are lifted more or less bodily (the 1930 version, most likely, did the same with the stage dialog). And itu0026#39;s a rather stagy early talkie, trying, but not very hard, to move the action around and make it more cinematic. What the early version does have is Ann Harding. Sheu0026#39;s so lovely, and her playing has, I donu0026#39;t know, a stillness, a contemplation to it; she seems to think very hard about what to say before she says it. It lends a certain gravitas to what is already a fairly serious comedy dealing with rather large issues–how to live oneu0026#39;s life, and how oneu0026#39;s choices affect those around one. Mary Astor is also miles beyond Doris Nolan, creating a multifaceted, complicated character out of what could come across as just a selfish sister. Robert Ames hasnu0026#39;t Cary Grantu0026#39;s polished comedy playing or looks, but heu0026#39;s credible, and Edward Everett Horton is delightful in the same part he played in 1938. Itu0026#39;s a mellow, thoughtful movie, marred but hardly ruined by the primitive movie-making. And weu0026#39;re very lucky to have Ann Hardingu0026#39;s Oscar-nominated Linda Seton preserved.”