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Without Love: A Play
Unknown Binding
Published January 1, 1943
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About the author
Philip Barry
36 books13 followersPhilip James Quinn Barry was an American playwright, best known for the plays Holiday and The Philadelphia Story, both of which were successfully adapted into movies starring Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn (as well as James Stewart, in The Philadelphia Story).
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November 5, 2020
Barry was at his best when writing for Hepburn, although even Hepburn couldn’t save Without Love. I read the play and watched the film – which made some good changes to the original play – but neither succeeds.
The tale is purportedly about two people, both happily single, who decide to marry for practical reasons. Both versions of Without Love suffer from paying too little attention to the central relationship and how it evolves. Instead both give over entirely too much time to Patrick’s career (diplomatic in the play, scientific in the movie, dead weight in both). The political subplot in the play is especially confusing, and I couldn’t figure out if it would have made more sense to the original audience. Jamie, Hepburn’s character, is underwritten in both, and even Hepburn couldn’t give her enough life to turn her into a three-dimensional person.
Having read some of Barry’s lesser-known work this summer, I reluctantly come to the conclusion that brilliant as he could be, there’s a reason only two of his plays are known today. Not recommended.
The tale is purportedly about two people, both happily single, who decide to marry for practical reasons. Both versions of Without Love suffer from paying too little attention to the central relationship and how it evolves. Instead both give over entirely too much time to Patrick’s career (diplomatic in the play, scientific in the movie, dead weight in both). The political subplot in the play is especially confusing, and I couldn’t figure out if it would have made more sense to the original audience. Jamie, Hepburn’s character, is underwritten in both, and even Hepburn couldn’t give her enough life to turn her into a three-dimensional person.
Having read some of Barry’s lesser-known work this summer, I reluctantly come to the conclusion that brilliant as he could be, there’s a reason only two of his plays are known today. Not recommended.
Displaying 1 of 1 review