Pat and Mike (1952) User Reviews (69)

"You're a beautiful thing to watch... in action."

[gaityr · 8/10 · 28 June 2002]

PAT & MIKE is the seventh Tracy-Hepburn collaboration, and it stars Spencer Tracy as Mike Conovan, the moneyminded sports racketeer with a heart of gold, and Katharine Hepburn (looking a great deal younger than she did in 1951's THE AFRICAN QUEEN) as his beautiful 'property', Pat Pemberton. Pat is an all-round 'lady athlete', adept at golf and tennis (not to mention shooting, basketball and presumably swimming), but completely frazzled whenever her fiance Collier Weld (a suitably smarmy William Ching) is around and watching her. In a bid to become more in control of herself and her life, she (contrarily) submits to Mike's management and he takes her around the country as a golf and tennis pro. It doesn't take much imagination to realise what happens next--Mike's 'handling' of Pat is the kind of handling she's willing to accept (switch 'Tracy' for 'Mike' and 'Hepburn' for 'Pat' and you get also a description of Tracy and Hepburn's real-life relationship), and before long, Collier is pretty much left in the dust.

This film is evidently a star vehicle for Tracy and Hepburn, containing next to no artistic pretensions or even any real attempt to press a subtle feminist point (in contrast with other Tracy/Hepburn films like WOMAN OF THE YEAR or ADAM'S RIB). In fact, the film seems to be just a comfortable, familiar joke between actors, writers and audience--we know these characters, we know these actors, we know what kind of relationship they always have (bantering, sparring, and in the end just a perfect fit)... the only thing that's different is the names of the characters. Sam, Adam, Mike--Tess, Amanda, Pat--what's the difference?

To be fair, Hepburn's character of Pat Pemberton is much softer and more vulnerable than either Tess Harding or Amanda Bonner. This character variation doesn't hide the real point of the screenplay though--Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin evidently wanted a chance to display both Hepburn's natural athletic abilities (phenomenal for a non-professional, but possibly not 100% believable against sports stars like Babe Zaharias) and her incredible legs. Well, they did succeed at both of these things, to great effect. It's great fun for a Hepburn fan, having read about her deep and abiding love of any and all sports, to get a chance to actually watch her playing golf and tennis onscreen. (This doesn't mean, of course, that the frequent and long golf scenes don't test one's patience occasionally!)

Spencer Tracy has great fun as Mike as well, the sports agent who originally wants Pat to flub a game and come in second. He claims early on in the film that the trouble with her is that she's got too honest a face--it's only Tracy's ability to make rough-and-tumble characters believably vulnerable at heart that makes his later declaration ("I must have caught something from you" i.e. honesty) acceptable. The chemistry between the two is probably closer to the comfortable rapport they shared in ADAM'S RIB as man and wife than the fireworks that went off between them in WOMAN OF THE YEAR. Whatever the case, it is still always a joy to watch Tracy and Hepburn together onscreen, and it's largely because this film stars who it does that you can allow yourself to enjoy and be taken in by what is evidently a cutesy star vehicle written by the stars' friends (Gordon and Kanin), and directed by the leading lady's best and favourite director George Cukor. (Some of the visual tricks, particularly Hepburn's face appearing on that of a horse, are actually more disturbing than flattering, and I--for one--would prefer not to pursue the metaphor through to its end.) Tracy and Hepburn are also boosted by an excellent supporting cast, particularly William Ching as Pat's obnoxious suitor and Aldo Ray as Mike's dimwitted star protege (until Pat comes along, that is!).

PAT & MIKE is a romantic comedy, but it's also romantic-comedy-*lite*. There are no forced or fake separations that are geared towards wringing tears from viewers before a reconciliation (contrast again with ADAM'S RIB and most formulaic films in recent years). The film is just a little piece of joyful fluff--not taxing at all for either the writers, the actors, or the viewers. For a brilliant comic set-piece, watch out for the scene in which Pat takes on the two seedy sports racketeers and dispenses them with remarkable ease and efficiency. Otherwise, watch PAT & MIKE with the knowledge that this is neither Tracy and Hepburn's best, nor is it their worst. If you keep your expectations down, you'll certainly enjoy watching this film because it aims low (aiming only to please and amuse, and not necessarily to engage and thrill), and fulfils those aims very well. 8/10.

Unexpectedly Entertaining

[gftbiloxi · 8/10 · 9 May 2005]

According to film lore, writers Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin were inspired to write PAT AND MIKE when they realized that Katherine Hepburn was a near-professional-level golfer and tennis player. The result is a sprightly tale of a college physical education teacher named Pat (Hepburn) who turns pro with the help of a slightly shady promoter manager named Mike (Tracy.)

As always, Tracy and Hepburn make for an engaging pair, and the supporting cast is crammed with memorable faces, including Jim Backus, Chuck Conners, a very young Charles Bronson, and even Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer--and every one plays with the same charming touch. The sports scenes also gives sports fans a glimpse at such legendary athletes as Babe Didrikson Zaharias. But the real interest here is the script itself: in an era noted for sexism, PAT AND MIKE is flatly feminist, and the story finds Hepburn first rebelling against fiancé William Ching's "little woman" mentality and then straightening out Spenser Tracy on the same point--and in one of the film's most memorable scenes, Hepburn effectively shoves Tracy aside to beat up two men who threaten him!

Given the nature of its story, PAT AND MIKE spends quite a lot of time on the golf course and the tennis courts, and those who have little interest in sports may not find it to their taste; that said, in spite of its many charms, the film isn't really in the same league with Tracy and Hepburn's ADAM'S RIB. Still, fans of the screen team will enjoy it quite a bit, and even purely casual viewers will have a good time.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Watch the chemistry between two great movie stars

[barryrd · 8/10 · 1 February 2009]

During a friendship that last many years, Tracy and Hepburn made many movies together and this is a good example of the chemistry that existed between them. In this movie, directed by George Cukor, Hepburn plays an athlete who comes under the management of a small town sports promoter in Mike Conovan, played by Tracy. In the role of Pat Pemberton, Hepburn is a free-spirited woman with spunk and personality. Mike has a number of colorful characters as his clients. One of the gags lands the group in a police station explaining their actions to a puzzled sheriff, played Chuck Conners. The acting is good all round.

The golf game between Pat and Babe Zaharias (outstanding golf pro in real life) translates beautifully to the screen with the crowd moving from green to green, golfers teeing off, putting and shooting into the rough. A very good movie, entertaining from start to finish, and a good chance to see Tracy and Hepburn in action.

Not average.....first-rate

[barrymn1 · 7 August 2004]

Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon specifically wrote this screenplay because of Katharine Hepburn's real sports ability.

This is a terrific comedy and a great vehicle for Hepburn and Spencer Tracy....this gives Tracy a chance to play a Brooklyn sports thug. Very funny.

Also, this is a rare chance to see some famous Women golfers of the early 1950's on film...not mention a great performance by Jim Backus.

George Cukor's direction is relaxed and natural.

There's also a funny set-piece with Hepburn having a panic attack during a tennis match.

A great movie.

Athletic battle of the sexes

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 25 January 2019]

Have loved a lot of Spencer Tracy's and Katharine Hepburn's performances, both had their fair share of great films and performances, and their partnership/chemistry spanning twenty five years on and off screen is nothing short of legendary. Have never been able to get enough of seeing them together. Also like to love quite a number of the films directed by George Cukor.

Tracy and Hepburn did nine films together, starting with 'Woman of the Year' in 1942 and ending with 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' (and Tracy's death) in 1967. For me, all of them are watchable and above and most are good and more, 'Keeper of the Flame' and particularly 'The Sea of Grass' were disappointments but still had enough good things to make them watchable. Cukor directed three of the nine, of which 'Pat and Mike' is the last after 'Keeper of the Flame' and my personal favourite Tracy/Hepburn film 'Adam's Rib'. As far as their films go when ranking from best ('Adam's Rib') to worst ('The Sea of Grass'), 'Pat and Mike' is somewhere in the lower middle. It's entertaining and well performed, a treat for those who are fans of the stars and their chemistry, but the battle of the sexes/romantic comedy theme was handled even better in 'Adam's Rib' with even more wit and class than seen here.

'Pat and Mike' takes a little too long to find its rhythm, some of the early scenes lack momentum.

Maybe there could have been less of the sport sequences, some engrossed and are well staged but not all of them excited or added as much as others and the pace gets bogged down as a result.

On the other hand, Tracy and Hepburn really do shine here and so does their chemistry. Really did get the sense that they were in love, and 'Pat and Mike' was one of the films where that feeling was most strong. Hepburn was simply born for her role here and she is in her element in what is actually the more interesting and more prominent role. Tracy's subtlety and charm is on full display too and it is very difficult not to appreciate either of those qualities. The supporting cast aren't as strong but still make good impressions, notably Aldo Ray.

Cukor directs with ease and control on the most part, although it takes a while to settle, while the production values are slick and stylish and the music pleasantly seductive in spots. Enough of the sport sequences are charming and exciting and the script sparkles in wit and sophistication at its best (which of course is when Tracy and Hepburn are on screen). The story is slight but is easily amiable and generally the pace is more than competent.

In summary, pretty decent. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Not Tracy and Hepburn's best

[nomoons11 · 6/10 · 20 August 2010]

There's no doubt that Tracy and Hepburn are the best male/female film duo of all time. They had chemistry like Doritos and an Ice cold glass of Milk. This film I must say wasn't even close to their best offerings.

Right off the bat, within the first 5 minutes, we go from her fiancé' wants her to throw a golf match so the other couple will finance a wing to a school or sumthin. Immediately after this we get her involved in a golf tournament and she wants to prove herself. Hepburn is so manic throughout this film it starts to get irritating after a while. I mean she's so confident about her sporting skills but when her fiancé' shows up she's a mess. How bout telling him to buzz off? By the time this film was made Hepburn was well into her 40's, she was no spring chicken so for me or anyone to believe she was winning one tennis match after another lacks a bit of credibility.

Obviously the studios knew this would be a winner because of the success of their earlier films but this one, your better off with State of the Union or Woman of the Year or even Desk Set. This one was just, for lack of a better word,....flat.

I never knew Hepburn was so athletic.

[bobsgrock · 7/10 · 13 November 2009]

The seventh pairing of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn focuses on the sports world with Hepburn playing Pat Pemberton, an all-around athlete hoping to go professional. To do that, she needs the help of a sports manager, a tough and savvy Irishman, Mike Conovan. Here, Hepburn plays the more delicate character as she is apparently unable to perform at her best when her fiancée (William Ching) is around. This of course leads to the typical pairing of the two leads as well as Pat realizing who she really needs to be with.

This was a very mediocre film, barely following a serious plot and stretching it just enough to be able to see some nice footage of Hepburn playing Babe Didrickson at golf as well as playing some indoor tennis. I never knew Hepburn was so athletic, especially at her age of filming this, but she did practically all of these scenes herself and proves that she was a capable athlete as well as actress. And although this wasn't as good a film as Adam's Rib, I liked Tracy a lot more in this role than that one. Here, he was much more likable as well as clever and sarcastic. There is a great scene when he describes to Hepburn how he runs his business and why he is so strict on how he runs the relationship between manager and athlete.

The supporting cast is mediocre as well with Ching as the helpless fiancée, Aldo Ray as a dim-witted boxer and Jim Backus as a golf store attendant. The only real reason to watch this at all is to admire the chemistry Tracy and Hepburn shared as well as admire the athletic ability Hepburn had all her life. It isn't their best work, but Tracy is very good and somewhat elevates the material better than it could be if another actor was in that role. This is also a testament to the fine actor Tracy was as his health started to decline after this. If only he could have remained healthy a little longer he could have extended his legacy as one of the best actors America has ever seen.

The Lady Needs Some Good Handling

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 31 October 2005]

Pat and Mike must have been a pleasure for Katharine Hepburn to make because she got to show off her athletic ability which was considerable. Had she not decided to pursue a thespian career, Hepburn could have gone into either tennis or golf, she was good at both or any of the other sports named which she actually played. Later on as she entered the ranks of senior citizens, health problems curtailed her athleticism.

But she's having a whale of a good time her and playing with some of the best women athletes of the 20th century.

Hepburn's a college professor who's leading a rather dull life with a rather dull bore of a sweetheart in William Ching, who in a subtle way, belittles her.

In a rather unorthodox way she meets Spencer Tracy, a sports agent who very narrowly treads the line between the legal and the illegal. She makes a believer out of him that you actually can make decent money legally.

The usual Tracy/Hepburn charm is running on all cylinders. Pat and Mike ranks in the upper division of their screen teamings. I'd say that this was more her film than his though.

A lot of familiar faces are in the cast. Look for Charles Bronson playing a hood and Chuck Connors playing a small town sheriff. Both of them make themselves noticed here which led to long careers for the two of them.

Kate and Spence

[wes-connors · 6/10 · 23 September 2011]

Widow golfer, college coach and all-around smarty pants Katharine Hepburn (as Patricia "Pat" Pemberton) is engaged to administrator William Ching (as Collier Weld) until sports agent Spencer Tracy (as Mike Conovan) admires her swing. She's "frazzled" by her fiancé, but Ms. Hepburn is confident and successful under Mr. Tracy's tutelage. This results in Hepburn messing up golf and tennis shots when Mr. Ching is watching. You might want to bet on romance blooming between Tracy and Hepburn...

The film is full of familiar faces. You may recognize a caddy, bartender, busboy and policeman - half of them fighting in an amusing scene with Tracy, Hepburn and Charles Bronson...

Featured supporting actor Aldo Ray (as David "Davie" Hucko) makes a memorable impression as Tracy's slow-witted boxer. Sammy White and George Matthews are good in smaller roles. The comedy situation is slight, and some of it is as exciting as watching golf - but at least Hepburn is playing. Director George Cukor with writers Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, the winning team from "Adam's Rib" (1949), knew how to score with Tracy and Hepburn. There may be fewer points here, but it's still a win.

****** Pat and Mike (6/13/52) George Cukor ~ Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Aldo Ray, William Ching

Taking The Michael

[Lejink · 9/10 · 2 July 2021]

My favourite Tracy and Hepburn vehicle and one of the most sparkling comedies of the era, written by the talented team of Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon and directed by Hepburn favourite, George Cukor.

It's vibrant, pithy and highly amusing with flighty, sporty girl Hepburn again being cut down to size, at least until the last scene, by Tracy's earthy, slightly seedy manager. Followed around by his ever-present gopher, he only has two sporting clients on his books when he first claps eyes on Kate's golfing prowess, a horse that can't run and a fighter who can't box. At first he sees her fresh-eyed innocence as easily malleable and even corruptible but of course, in the long-run who do you think changes who into a new person...

This very funny comedy showed its two stars in a new light, firstly demonstrating Hepburn's multi-talented sports skills (you should see her swing her way through a row of golf-balls, a feat she does even better than Fred Astaire did in "A Damsel In Distress") while Tracy slips brilliantly into the persona of the hard-boiled, chew-'em-up-and-spit-'em-out manager.

They're both terrific here with their personal chemistry there for all to see. There's good support too from William Ching as Hepburn's gormless, strait-laced fiancé whose appearance jinxes her prospects and especially the Oscar-nominated Aldo Ray as the hapless boxer who has as much trouble combining words into sentences as he does his fists into punches. The young Charles Bronson also makes an early appearance as a hustling would-be hoodlum.

Cukor's direction is vivacious and imaginative, especially the hilarious fantasy sequence when Kate's game falls apart during a tennis match with the then famous Gussie Moran.

If this movie was a score at golf it would be an eagle, if a tennis match a straight-sets victory. Give this one a sporting chance, it's bound to entertain you.

Snappy and slightly different story for Tracy and Hepburn

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 21 January 2012]

First off, I love the clothes Spencer Tracy wore in this flick. I guess that says something negative about my own tastes...although I wouldn't wear those clothes...but he sure looked nifty! And I hated the music during the opening and closing credits of the film. Among the worse I've ever heard in a motion picture! But then the movie settles down nicely as we learn that Pat (Katharine Hepburn) is a very talented sports person, whose biggest problem seems to be her fiancé, who unconsciously intimidates her. We discover she's super at golf, tennis, shooting, self defense, and a myriad of other sports. And, lots of this was really done by Hepburn for the cameras! Hepburn is perfect here.

Then she meets Mike, a just slightly seedy sports manager, who at first wants to use her to throw a golf match, but later manages her legitimately. Tracy is perfect here, and that's high praise because here he is playing a very different type of character where his typical understated acting isn't right for the part.

There are a bevy of supporting actors here who are fun to watch: Chuck Connors (his first movie role), a young Charles Bronson, and a very welcome Jim Backus in the early part of the film.

Of the five romantic comedies that Hepburn and Tracy appeared in, this is in the top half -- not as good as "Adams' Rib", but better than the others. It deserves a place on your DVD shelf!

Far from Pat

[RodReels-2 · 10/10 · 12 July 2003]

I add a comment because I think so many comments on this movie miss the mark. Watching this again after Katharine Hepburn's death, I was struck with how far ahead of its time this star vehicle was. Not only does it capture who she was, but it expresses a truth about women's equality that is not always fully evident in her body of work. Pat turns the tables on Mike. She owns him. She made him. And where would he be without her? There are instances in many of Hepburn's works where even her feminist leanings cave in to the conventions of the times. But in this one, she stays strong. She no doubt falls in love with the man of her dreams, but she doesn't do so at the expense of sacrificing any of her other dreams. Great fun flick from Tracy-Hepburn and one of my all-time favorites.

Great Tracy/Hepburn Film

[Incalculacable · 7/10 · 19 May 2006]

Although perhaps not the best of the Tracy/Hepburn series this classic has a few laughs and is definitely entertaining for the whole family!! Hepburn plays Pat Pemberton, an engaged college P.E teacher with a fantastic sporting ability (this movie just just an excuse to show off her sporting abilities in many sports such as tennis, golf, running etc) but her fiancé is unsupportive, overbearing and makes her feel self conscious. Tracy, wonderful as always, plays Mike Conovan, a sports manager and sees a lot of potential in her. At the last minute, she decides to take him up on his offer and he makes her his most important client.

I am not a sports fan, so I found the rather long sports scenes a little boring, but the scenes between Tracy and Hepburn were pure cinematic gold! The chemistry, as always, is perfect between them and naturally, their business relationship oversteps the boundaries of a manager/client relationship (much to the joy of the viewer!). There is wonderful freeing feminist message. Pat, under the influence of her fiancé, could have easily stayed a housewife and forgot about her dreams - what SHE wanted, but instead she put herself first and did what was right for her.

A thoroughly entertaining film with a perfect balance of comedy and subtle romance. I loved how the relationship grew so gradually. Wonderful movie magic. Priceless.

Witless Comedy

[kenjha · 5/10 · 27 December 2008]

In this disappointing follow-up to the excellent "Adam's Rib," Hepburn plays a multi-sport athlete who is managed and promoted by Tracy. There are two funny scenes: one involving a tennis match and another where Hepburn slugs a couple of goons to protect Tracy. The other ninety percent of this supposed comedy is devoid of laughs and there is little plot. Cukor can't overcome the witless script by Gordon and Kanin. In fact he makes matters worse by inserting extended sport sequences, particularly golf, that are neither funny nor exciting. The film provides early roles for Bronson, Backus, and Connors, as well as the opportunity to see various famed tennis and golf stars.

"You're a beautiful thing to watch... in action."

[sme_no_densetsu · 7/10 · 23 February 2009]

I'm no expert on Tracy/Hepburn collaborations; in fact, this is the only one that I've seen. Nevertheless...

In this film Kate plays an aspiring female athlete (Pat) while Spence plays a controlling sports agent (Mike). Pat is out to prove something to herself but keeps crumbling under the pressure whenever her domineering fiancé's around. Meanwhile, Mike develops a liking for his protégé that extends beyond his business considerations. Obviously, you can see where this is headed a mile away but that doesn't diminish the fun of getting there.

Hepburn & Tracy are excellent together, as you might expect, and the film's premise gives Hepburn ample opportunity to display her considerable golf & tennis skills. The cast even includes a handful of female athletes of the era as her competitors. Also, you can see some early film work from the likes of Jim Backus & Charles Bronson here.

The direction by George Cukor is ably handled and the script has some memorable lines, like the one I quoted above. Unfortunately, I feel that the plot wasn't as refined as it could have been. For instance, the final five minutes or so feel like the filmmakers arbitrarily decided that they'd better end the story as quickly as possible. This is somewhat jarring because the romance wasn't especially prominent up to this point and the golf rematch goes by so quickly as to seem nearly inconsequential.

Ultimately, though, I'd say that the current rating (7.0) is a bit harsh. I'd rate it somewhere between 7 & 8. The script does have some shortcomings but they're not nearly enough to derail the picture.

Well, you see, this is a question of getting married. You've never been married to a lobster.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 20 January 2011]

Out of MGM, Pat and Mike is directed by George Cukor and written by Ruth Gordon & Garson Kanin (Oscar nominated). It stars Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn & Aldo Ray. David Raksin scores the music and William H. Daniels photographs it on location around Los Angeles. Most of the golfing scenes were filmed at the Riviera Country Club, with other work shot at Occidental College. The film is notable for featuring many sports star cameos, some who show up include: Babe Zaharias, Betty Hicks, Helen Dettweiler, Don Budge, Gussie Moran, Beverly Hanson and Alice Marble. In the support cast are Charles Bronson, Frank Richards, Jim Backus, and Chuck Connors.

Hugely efficient romantic comedy that sees Hepburn as sprightly PE teacher, Pat Pemberton, who is courted for stardom by shifty promoter Mike Conovan (Tracy). The trouble is is that as talented as Pat is, she goes to pieces when watched by her beau, Davie Hucko (Ray). Pretty soon Pat starts responding to Mike's methods of coaching, and could there even be love in the air too? OK, so it doesn't hold any surprises in how it pans out, but the fun is in getting there. The script is tight as a padlock and Cukor gets great performances out of his two leads. Notably Hepburn, who gets to show her undoubted athletic ability. Added bonus is Raksin's score, which is breezy with jazzy tones and sits nicely in context to the material playing out.

Not as sharp as Adam's Rib, but clever and funny in equal measure. 7/10

Pat & Mike...

[tim-764-291856 · 7/10 · 1 April 2012]

I'm not really a sports fan and watching it on TV, especially golf is just a bit of a no-no. Therefore, that side of things wasn't going to keep me hooked.

What does, of course is the famous Hepburn/Tracy coupling and every scene that they're in has that rare chemistry these days - of people on the same wavelength, actually liking each other. The fact that that is underestimating it, to say the least would not surprise the viewer who didn't know at the time and delight further those who did.

Neither one is my favourite actor, by quite a long way but together there's an easy, natural charm that makes a story - almost any story tick along like a Swiss watch. It's quite daft in places, possibly adding to its charm and is largely forgettable, though the premise of a female tennis and golf pro needing a shot in the arm by a cynical coach is now no longer new, it must have seemed fresh exactly 60 years ago.

It's great also to see Charles Bronson in his first feature, though he's listed as Charles Buchinski. There's also Hepburn's distracting and pest of a fiancée, played by William Ching and a rather stupid boxer that Tracy has on his books, played by Aldo Ray.

This isn't the greatest pairing of the couple ever made but a good one and I watched this DVD as part of the Tracy & Hepburn Collection, the others in it being Keeper of the Flame, Woman of the Year and Adam's Rib.

Very entertaining; Hepburn's favorite

[gbill-74877 · 9/10 · 13 November 2020]

• Where'd you pick all that up anyway?
• Oh, I've been around Physical Ed. for years.
• Physical Ed? Who's he?

An entertaining script and wonderful performances from Katharine Hepburn (Pat, the athlete) and Spencer Tracy (Mike, her manager) made this one a delight. I liked seeing Tracy in the role of a crooked promoter, and Hepburn has lots of fine moments reacting to the stress around her - her overbearing boyfriend (William Ching), her performance anxiety when he watches her, and the strict regimen her manager puts her on. It's well paced by George Cukor its 95 minutes, and has lots of little things I liked:

• The cool sequence where he shows what a tennis match might look like to someone suffering a breakdown, including a net that just keeps higher and a racket that gets teeny (while the opponent's is huge).

• Seeing Hepburn golfing and playing tennis, as well as the cameos from real athletes of the era, most notably Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Don Budge.

• The amusing moments from the supporting cast, some examples of which were how the sidekick butts in to make obvious points, the waiter who starts talking to himself after Mike keeps changing Pat's order, and how the three gangsters leave after they've had their glasses of milk (one of whom is a young Charles Bronson).

• The message of empowerment to women. We see so much of what's going on through Hepburn's character, and I loved her strength. The film has a regrettable moment of cautioning her against going "too far" (Tracy's character getting bent out of shape after she rescues him, and then saying "I like a he to be a he and a she to be a she"), but overall there's a message of feminism here (what fantastic final lines!), and maybe that's one of the reasons this was Hepburn's favorite of the nine films she made with Tracy.

• The other messages the film offers: find someone in life who makes you feel comfortable with yourself, and that competition is sometimes about beating yourself as much as it is about the other guy.

• "It's the same in this case, buster. You are the wrong jockey for this chick."

This Spencer Tracy-Katharine Hepburn comedy features Oscar nominated Writing

[jacobs-greenwood · 7/10 · 9 December 2016]

Directed by George Cukor and earning husband & wife writers Ruth Gordon & Garson Kanin their third and last Best Writing Oscar nomination (without a win), this comedy-romance features another successful teaming of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn.

Mike (Tracy), the manager of a boxer (Aldo Ray), meets Pat (Hepburn) when he notices what a great golfer she is. He also learns that she's quite an accomplished multi-sport athlete, and begins to manage her sports career also. It takes him longer to decipher her handicap, that she can't perform under the watchful eye of her fiancée (William Ching).

Many memorable sports action sequences as well as scenes with Pat physically defending Mike and cutesy interaction between Mike's two star athletes. Plus, this film contains one of the few on-screen tennis matches in all of classic film! Real life athletes: gold medal Olympian Babe Didrikson Zaharias and tennis Grand Slam champion Don Budge appear as themselves. Charles Bronson, Chuck Connors, Jim Backus, and Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer also appear.

Fun -- but don't dissect it

[[e-mail] · 8/10 · 1 February 2009]

"Pat and Mike" is one of the many collaborations between Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, and it is, of course, a romantic comedy. As everyone knows, Hepburn and Tracy were real-life lovers, and the chemistry between them lights up the screen in this as in their other movies. Since everyone also knows the formula, it's obvious, long before they do, that Hepburn and Tracy will wind up together. "Pat and Mike" is one of Hepburn's better comic turns as a professional athlete unafraid to step into the middle of a fight to protect tough guy Tracy from gangster associates when they try to rough him up because he hasn't persuaded Pat to cooperate with their crooked gambling scheme. As in most of the Hepburn/Tracy movies, the premise doesn't much matter. The magic is between them, no matter the characters, no matter the story, and it is wonderful to watch since I can think of no present day movie couples who generate this kind of electricity and deliver this much fun.

Fatigue shows in 5th time to the well for Tracy, Hepburn

[bmacv · 6/10 · 21 March 2002]

Pat and Mike reunites stars Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy with director George Cukor and screenwriters Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon, the team that make Adam's Rib such a success three years earlier. Like Adam's Rib, Pat and Mike seeks to explore the inequality of the sexes in midcentury America while retaining its credentials as a light romantic comedy.

This time out, Hepburn plays a college instructor with a hidden talent for sports. She catches the mercenary eye of Tracy, a Runyonesque sports promoter whose other clients are a filly and a punch-drunk heavyweight (Aldo Ray). In no time she's competing nationally (she almost beats Babe Didrikson Zaharias), and such an athletic polymath that she plays both golf and tennis with equal professionalism -- unless her jinx of a fiance (William Ching) happens to be nearby. Inevitably, of course, the Tracy-Hepburn pairing prevails, squeezing out the bland interloper.

Alas, the usually sure-footed Cukor hobbles through the episodic script. A whiz at sophisticated comedies of manners, he's ill at east in the raffish sports milieu, staging the various tournaments either like pageants or as slapstick. (He also resorts to cutsey camera tricks -- like superimposing Hepburn's puss on the nag's head -- which already looked gimmicky in Adam's Rib.)

The leads, in the fifth of their seven collaborations, fail to generate the romantic voltage that suffused Adam's Rib and their first teaming in Woman of the Year (where you could pinpoint the very frame in which they fell in off-screen love). The same can be said of the screenplay: Despite a sprinkling of good lines, it lacks sparkle and punch. Too fanciful to be a good sports movie, Pat and Mike ends up neither fish nor fowl nor good red herring, either. Basically, it's a vehicle calculated to capitalize on bankable elements from earlier hits. But Pat and Mike misses.

Hepburn's Physical Prowess Takes Center Stage in an Entertaining Sports-Centric Pairing with Tracy

[EUyeshima · 8/10 · 13 September 2008]

Katharine Hepburn has said this deceptively casual 1952 comedy is her favorite of the nine on screen pairings with longtime partner Spencer Tracy, and one can see why as the film takes advantage of her natural athletic prowess. Directed by the redoubtable George Cukor and written by the husband-and-wife team of Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon ("Adam's Rib"), this is not so much a rollicking screwball farce as a sly opposites-attract love story set in a world pitched between professional sports and the street-slang and pinstripe suits of Damon Runyon. It's not a complicated plot. Mike Conovan is a dem-and-dose sports promoter who already manages a punch-drunk fighter named Davie Hucko. On a country club golf course, he sees a great golfing talent in Pat Pemberton, a college physical-education instructor who turns out to be accomplished in a number of sports including sharp-shooting and tennis. Mike immediately sees the financial possibilities of promoting a "lady athlete", and a mutual attraction develops.

However, he also discovers Pat's one major Achilles' heel – her self-doubt is such that she cannot perform to her world-class standards under the patronizing eye of her selfish fiancée Collier. Naturally, this impediment gives rise to the movie's funniest sight gags, including a particularly hilarious tennis match with real pro Gussie Moran where Pat's tennis racket gets smaller, Moran's get larger, and the net grows higher. The rest of the film consists of scenes highlighting Pat's ascending trajectory as a pro star, and consequently, the fortyish Hepburn's impressive physical talent facing off with the likes of Olympic champion Babe Didrickson Zaharias in a pro golf tournament. The Tracy-Hepburn team shows a genuine rhythm to their banter here, and Tracy seems to be having fun playing a street-savvy huckster. I find it amusing how Hepburn's character - with her crisp New England-based diction – is supposed to be from Oakland. Aldo Ray makes a memorable impression as Davie, while a young Charles Bronson can be seen as one of the hoods subject to Pat's masterful judo moves. There are no extras offered with the 2000 DVD.

Diverting, but not their best

[DennisLittrell · 6/10 · 9 March 2000]

One of the most amusing things about this romantic comedy is the fact that Katharine Hepburn was 44 years old when it was made. She played a super athlete. I think modern audiences would find it hard not to cringe watching her play tennis. Certainly Hepburn was in great shape for a woman her age, but the flight of imagination necessary to allow me to see her as a world class athlete was beyond my reach.

Still this is a cute little story highlighted by the usual fine chemistry between Hepburn and co-star Spencer Tracy. He plays a grammatically challenged sports manager/promoter with the familiar Spencer Tracy heart of gold who falls in love with his 'property.' In small roles, Chuck Conners plays a cop and Charles Bronson a not too bright thug. Aldo Ray is a feeble minded heavyweight boxer and William Ching is Hepburn's incompatible boyfriend. The Ruth Gordon/Garson Kanin script was ahead of its time as it had Hepburn kicking male butt with the greatest of ease, albeit factiously. This is worth seeing for the good snapshot of mid-century American values presented.

(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)

Great to see athletic Hepburn!

[hemisphere65-1 · 4/10 · 22 July 2021]

Seeing her lay golf with Babe Dedrickson Zaharias and tennis with Don Budge makes this terrible movie worth watching.

The story is infantile and slightly embarrassing to watch, but at least the sporting parts seem real.

I'm not sure how old Pat (Hepburn) is supposed to be, but she is clearly much too old to be the hot new kid on tour.

Biggest surprise was Aldo Ray as a convincing lummox.

After fresh opening, it becomes yet another struggle-of-the-sexes comedy-lite

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 25 September 2005]

Sports manager Spencer Tracy sees a rough jewel in female athlete Katharine Hepburn--but her golf and tennis games get thrown off whenever her overpowering beau comes around. Begins very smartly, with Hepburn feisty, funny and very convincing on the golf course and the tennis court. Unfortunately, the script changes gears too soon while attempting to match up the Hepburn and Tracy characters romantically, becoming yet another of their sex-battles centering on egos and male/female relationships. With a great supporting cast (the wonderful Aldo Ray, Jim Backus, Charles Bronson, and even Chuck Conners), this might've been hugely entertaining. As it is, a passable time-filler, but not an important film for either of the two stars. **1/2 from ****