Pat and Mike (1952)

90% of critics liked it
(20 reviews)
67% of users liked it
(3,229 ratings)

Pat (Katharine Hepburn), a college phys-ed instructor, enters into professional competition as a golf and tennis player. Mike (Spencer Tracy), a likeable but unscrupulous sports promoter, first attempts to bribe Pat to lose, but later becomes her manager. Pat performs brilliantly until her… More Pat (Katharine Hepburn), a college phys-ed instructor, enters into professional competition as a golf and tennis player. Mike (Spencer Tracy), a likeable but unscrupulous sports promoter, first attempts to bribe Pat to lose, but later becomes her manager. Pat performs brilliantly until her insufferable fiance Collier West (William Ching) shows up; West always manages to make Pat so nervous that she can't win to save her life. At long last, West walks out, having found Pat in a compromising situation with Mike. Though she'd previously kept her distance from Mike, Pat suddenly realizes that she's fallen in love with him and--after a few crooked gamblers are disposed of--Pat and Mike become partners on a permanent basis. Pat & Mike reunited Tracy and Hepburn with their favorite director, George Cukor, and their favorite scenarists, Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin. Watch for real-life golf and tennis champs Gussie Moran, Babe Didrickson Zaharias, Don Budge, Alice Marble, Frank Parker, Betty Hicks, Helen Dettweilerand Beverly Hanson as "themselves" -- and also keep an eye out for ex-ballplayer Chuck Connors, making his acting debut as a highway patrolman. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: George Cukor
Written By: Ruth Gordon, Garson Kanin
Genres: Romance, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Jun 13, 1952 Wide
On DVD: Sep 19, 2000
Studio: MGM Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

, TIME Magazine
One of the season's gayest comedies.
Variety Staff, Variety
Tracy is given some choice lines in the script and makes much of them in an easy, throwaway style that lifts the comedy punch.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
One of the better Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn comedies -- not so much for the screenplay by Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon, which lacks the bite and sophistication of Adam's Rib, as for the relaxed and graceful interplay of the stars.
Don Druker, Chicago Reader
The best of the Spencer Tracy-Katharine Hepburn cycle.
Bosley Crowther, New York Times
Let's not be too analytic about the likelihood of the yarn or the tightness of the script Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin have written for this romp.
Charles Taylor, Salon.com
Pat and Mike saunters through its 96 minutes with a casual, unassuming air.
Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television
Original comedy, with a rich look at women's sports - and gender roles.
Douglas Pratt, DVDLaser
The familiarity the two stars communicate goes far beyond the script.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Slight sports comedy.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
The film doesn't have much plot but the dialogue is bright, and the roles tailor-made for stars Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. Hepburn demonstrates with physical strength what she proved in Adam's Rib with intellect, that women can be equal to men
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
There are far too many shots featuring real-life sports stars, but the sparring leads, and Ray's dim boxer, work superbly together under Cukor's deceptively effortless, always elegant direction.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
Another fine teaming, with great support from Aldo Ray
Niki Patton, Martha's Vineyard Times (Massachusetts)
Hepburn and Tracy at their romantic-antagonistic best!
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Tracy and Hepburn turn in unforgettable performances.
, Film4
Tracy and Hepburn were so opposite in personal and professional style that their joyous compatibility on screen and off remains a source of wonder and delight.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Great star comedy.
David Parkinson, Empire Magazine
Not quite as fully realised as the classic Adam's Rib, but generally good.

Read all 17 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

moon r

The story of of lady sports protege and her shady manager is a sheer cover for this light farce about gender roles, typecasted with Tracy and Hepburn. Despite having moments of mirth the overall feeling I got was that the writers, Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, cranked this out over a… More
The story of of lady sports protege and her shady manager is a sheer cover for this light farce about gender roles, typecasted with Tracy and Hepburn. Despite having moments of mirth the overall feeling I got was that the writers, Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, cranked this out over a weekend. Still the star pairing is magnetic. Look for Charles Bronson, Chuck Conners, and Alfalfa (of the Little Rascals) in bit parts.
AJ V

The synopsis on here says "predictable comic mishaps" predictable is right. These stars deserve more than another predictable comedy with a little romance. Yes, they do add sports to the mix, but that doesn't make it any more interesting.
First L

Lady golfer Pat gets so stressed out in the presence of her fiance, she blows a golf tournament. Mike is a sports promoter who spots her at the tournament and signs her on to be one of his clients. It turns out golf is one of her "minor" sports, tennis and shooting being… More
Lady golfer Pat gets so stressed out in the presence of her fiance, she blows a golf tournament. Mike is a sports promoter who spots her at the tournament and signs her on to be one of his clients. It turns out golf is one of her "minor" sports, tennis and shooting being her major sports (although shooting really isn't referenced much subsequently). The fiance turns up at a tennis tournament and proves to be her achilles heel once again, with great visual effects used to signify her sudden mental block (it's a little bit of avant garde comedy). There are a few funny moments (Pat coming to Mike's "rescue" and beating up some gangsters for him), but the romance between Pat and Mike seems highly unlikely given the two's disparate backgrounds (she's an erudite college girl and he's a street hustling small-time promoter/bookie/gangster). A light and enjoyable comedy from two screen legends.
jay n

cute but the pair made better films then this.

Cast

            Spencer Tracy as Mike Conovan

            Katharine Hepburn as Pat Pemberton

            Aldo Ray as Davie Hucko

            Jim Backus as Charles Barry

            William Ching as Collier Weld

            Sammy White as Barney Grau

            George Mathews as Spec Cauley

            Chuck Connors as Police Captain

            Loring Smith as Mr. Beminger

            Phyllis Povah as Mrs. Beminger

            Frank Richards as Sam Garsell

            Owen McGiveney as Harry MacWade

            Lou Lubin as Waiter

            Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer as Bus Boy

            Bill Self as Pat's Caddy

            Gussie Moran as Herself

            Babe Didrikson Zaharias as Herself

            Don Budge as Himself

            Alice Marble as Herself

            Betty Hicks as Herself

            Beverly Hanson as Herself

            Helen Dettweiler as Sports Star

            Joe Bernard as Gibby

            Paul Brinegar
            
            Charles Buchinsky as Hank Tasling

            Mae Clarke as Woman Golfer

            Fred Coby
            
            Frankie Darro
            
            Kay Deslys as Shooting Gallery Proprietor

            Helen Eby-Rock as Woman Golfer

            Pancho Gonzales
            
            Cameron A. Grant as Reporter

            Tom Harmon as Sportscaster

            Sam Hearn as Lawyer

            Crauford Kent as Tennis Umpire

            Louis Mason as Railway Conductor

            Bill McLean
            
            Franklin Parker as Himself

            Sam Pierce
            
            John Close
            
            Kay English
            
            King Mojave as Linesman

            Charlie Murray Jr. as Line Judge

            Bill Lewin
            
            Jerry Schumacher
            
            Hank Weaver as Commentator

            Russ Clark as Trooper

            Tom Gibson
            
            Charles Bronson
            
See full cast