This is the third film that Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn made together and appears to be one of the less remembered.  A romantic comedy by the same playwright who created The Philadelphia Story, Without Love documents a marriage based on a lack of interest in love between the Tracy and Hepburn.  They work together on a scientific project successfully (a high-altitude oxygen mask) but keep their feelings at bay.  Numerous side characters, including dissolute alcoholic Keenan Wynn (excellent), realtor Lucille Ball (appealing), and lothario Carl Esmond (slimy) take up time and energy.  Of interest to Filmbobbery, Gloria Grahame makes a brief appearance as a crying flower girl.

Overall, the film is a mixed bag.  The lead performers are very appealing and Hepburn especially reminds us why she is the greatest actress (without further qualifiers).  Many of the supports are also good, but the material never really develops in an interesting direction.  There is no way they won’t end up together at the end, so only the path can enliven the film, and this one just doesn’t do a great job of that.  Still, the dialogue is often dynamic and even ripe with innuendo, and the joys of watching the leads, who were fairly clearly in love, make for a worthwhile experience.  ✰ ✰ ✰.

MJM  12-07-2011