keeper flame film keeper flame metro mayer mgm drama film directed starring screenplay adapted novel keeper flame hepburn plays widow famous civic leader suddenly died accident tracy portrays war correspondent intends write biography dead man find death mystery considered script finest moment entire career feeling assignment believed hollywood punished years political views principal filming began week august months release novel published entire picture filmed sound stage location shooting hepburn begun affair tracy heavy drinking constant guardian filming film screened december disapproved bureau chief keeper flame premiered poor reception thursday march mgm head stormed cinema enraged having encouraged making film wealth republican members congress complained film obviously leftist politics demanded president establish motion picture industry guidelines propaganda highly dissatisfied film considered efforts nonetheless today film seen positively critic concluding keeper flame truly provocative hollywood imagining possibility crucial damage individual rights ideas sweep society charismatic leader plot national hero killed riding accident entire united_states goes deep mourning admirer renowned journalist returns europe write biography great man covering funeral finds old friends fellow reporters stephen remain rest press leave widow refuses speak reporters proceedings befriends son estate grief stricken boy shows way mansion meets refuses cooperation biography leaves private secretary fearful reporter react convinces offer help steer direction want time goes gains widow trust keeper flame protecting husband memory reputation instincts tell secret kept discovers elderly mentally ill mother living separate house vast estate despite servants attempts apart manages speak clues notices arsenal stone building near mansion served office library afternoon observes smoke rising arsenal chimney asks building purpose smoke tells slips away investigate discovers burning claims love letters suspects later somebody assures unnamed party care situation learns begins wonder cousin lovers murderers announcement engagement daughter reaction theory admits fallen love finally breaks reveals ugly truth husband corrupted power received fascist plotting gain control united_states use enormous influence turn americans fascist ideals shows papers stored arsenal reveal backed secretive ultra wealthy power hungry individuals planned use racism anti union feeling divide country turning group powerful control order create chaos let seize power discovered plot day husband death went riding morning came washed bridge warned husband decided clean death rain best thing happen convinces help write book detailing scheme locks sole arsenal door sets building opening fatally shoots pistol attempts kill misses automobile rushes scene shoots passengers struck vehicle ultimately writes book titled life plot cast production script casting script based unpublished book bought book outline form april encountered casting difficulties sold rights mgm december day obtained rights mgm vice president realized source material political nature tried abandon project following attack pearl harbor relented production went forward film went production mgm book published april mgm studio head assigned script favorite mayer choice unusual time stewart written light romantic comedies featuring wealthy east_coast mayer felt stewart strongly leftist political enable chalk better screenplay stewart approached project remarking wrote adaptation novel tells fascist mice away country busy fighting good war stewart believed hollywood punished years political views felt assignment declaring compensation sabotage radical attempt bit script moment entire career stewart extensive problems adapting novel screen filming originally begin june delayed months worked screenplay consulted agency federal government created june promote patriotism warn public domestic cast male lead film days mgm purchased rights novel chosen direct late april dealt troubled actors past tracy considered difficult actor direct come mgm nazi_germany assigned compose film score named cinematographer joined cast mid april stewart sent copy unfinished script hepburn fascinated character felt film way contributing war effort mgm executives want hepburn attached picture feeling inappropriate follow previous pairing tracy woman year hepburn insisted mgm relented hepburn showed concerns stewart script toned novel love story placing emphasis character role action asked romance film hepburn spent prior year searching scripts equally strong male female parts tracy requested role restored function served novel troubled love expanded film producer threatened resign changes supported led changes rejected nonetheless script numerous problems stewart refused recognize shortcomings late summer brought favorite help script expressed concern stewart basing script best friends success picture script work continued casting film delayed months went ahead cast villain early june cast mid july cast late july added early august character initially specified given role fielding early august members cast hired tested film mid june cast search voice principal filming post production principal filming began week august entire picture filmed sound stage location shooting hepburn begun affair production notorious ways hepburn tracy tracy drank heavily shoot hepburn constant guardian nurse maid time tried bars assisted drunk reinforced ego ran lines hepburn continued upset script dealt problem friends family order concentrate interpretation role filming process efficient going middle production asked hepburn talk attempt convince need sober order add realism production consulted reporters advice handle funeral based critiques changed scene village hotel bar instead drinking talking funeral reporters work drafting articles script changed permit reporters working drinking occurred september october returned hollywood early september called early october film editor final cut film scenes deleted picture appear cast lists release film screened december bureau chief unhappy picture found heavy handed mgm promoted academy award best actor nominated keeper flame premiered new_york_city thursday march premiere served fundraiser group dedicated public lighting enforcement trash laws premiere mgm head stormed enraged having encouraged making film wealth opened los_angeles thursday april keeper flame australian premiere metro theatre melbourne june didn appear american television march box office film held fourth week films lasted week box office nationally considered successful hepburn tracy films earned united_states canada making overall profit reception film generated political controversy republican members congress complained film obviously leftist politics demanded president establish guidelines motion picture industry critical reaction time mixed reviewer felt film reminiscent motion pictures like called art writing new_york_times concluded half film good half felt slow failed deliver emotional punch called film courageous timely drama praised tracy hepburn performances featured script uneven dramatically nature story murder mystery interest centered dead man hunt critical problem audience informed sooner journalist nature story wait journalist catch enjoyed direction felt sustained mystery little existed like chicago_tribune critics pointed picture slow film hepburn tracy given great film keeper flame great courage daring took magnificent production given excellent acting exciting tense story contains generally speaking film better received eastern half united_states highly dissatisfied film suspect story basically fraudulent told interviewer like critics felt piece storytelling mystery half damn good rest film substantial problems praised work saying tracy best picture subdued cool conveyed reporter sent investigate death try cast role exploring secret dead boys club hero fact rampant fascist hepburn felt hindered role approach kate romantic glamour girl acted supposedly left scene floating room yards yards far far don think believed story pure particularly disliked hepburn entrance film long dress felt hepburn best tricky isn doesn long piercing looks portrait think finally carried slightly humanity asserted humor overall felt film wax work quality screenwriter stewart eventually came feel film tedious wooden heavy handed recently critics film positively cited great emotional drama critics scholars note film good example type anti fascist films produced america early world war states film remains astonishing bold effort shape american public opinion film hard line popular message author world war notes film strong warning american people domestic mind control praising virtues freedom press film historian concluded truly provocative hollywood imagining possibility crucial damage individual rights ideas sweep society charismatic leader authors noted film different anti fascist films period clearly links wealth points ways patriotism far easily turned fascist ends technical quality highly praised release cinematography lighting design described lush received accolades peers work film biographer film critic praised strong atmosphere interesting gothic style historians pointed film score particularly good example review noted music goes silent climactic scene reveals secrets effective unexpected emotional tactic
Keeper of the Flame (film)