The book "Little Women" is one of my favourite books of all time, it is funny, moving and just makes me warm inside while reading it. This 1949 film is very delightful and charming with some good performances, lush cinematography and visual detail and lovely music. However, as I am sure people have pointed out, it is very loosely based on the book. Beth is now the youngest, Laurie goes off to war here and there are bits cut out. The latter is understandable though because the book is quite long. Putting all that aside, this is still a delightful film. It looks lovely, with lush cinematography and colourful costumes and scenery. The music is also gorgeous, I particularly loved hearing "None But the Lonely Heart", that is one of my favourite songs and never fails to bring tears to my eyes. The acting in general is very good, Janet Leigh isn't given that much to do but she is very rosy-looking as Meg. You may argue that June Allyson was too old for Jo, in some ways that is true. However Allyson still manages to give a warm and tomboyish performance. Elizabeth Taylor is wonderful as spoilt, selfish Amy, Taylor is not the lovely woman she is in "Ivanhoe" or the seductive "sex on wheels" character she is in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", she is Amy and plays her very convincingly, making the most of some of the film's best lines. That leaves Margaret O'Brien, a very cute and appealing child actress, and she was very convincing as Beth, Beth's vulnerability in the latter half of the film is genuinely affecting. Out of the supporting actors, Mary Astor comes off best, sticking to the benevolent and sincere Marmee of the book, and C.Aubrey Smith is splendid as Old Mr Laurence, his scenes with Beth are quite heart-warming. Peter Lawford is charming as Laurie, and Lucille Watson is quite detestable as Aunt March. Rossano Brazzi as Professor Bhaer looks handsome, but I wasn't entirely convinced by him. He started off wooden, and I also felt he was too Italian for the role, Professor Bhaer is supposed to be German. Still, "Little Women" despite its flaws is still a delightful and charming film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

It's the classic Louisa May Alcott story done for another generation. A new movie version tends to come every decade or two with a new batch of young actresses shooting for their stardoms. This time around, the four March sisters are Meg (Janet Leigh),Jo (June Allyson),Amy (Elizabeth Taylor),and Beth (Margaret O'Brien).

It's a little weird that June Allyson is in her 30's. It's an awkward performance in the beginning when the character is so much younger than her real age. That is often an issue for a movie adaptation of this story. I also expected more from Elizabeth Taylor even if she's still a teenager. Amy could be a big character to jump off from. The production has big sets. Most of the exterior scenes are actually big sound stages. The artificial sets combined with the gaudy Technicolor does make it feel like living in a painting. No matter which version, the story is still compelling. This version does rely too much on sentimentality at times without delivering real emotional sign posts. The material overcomes.

It's difficult to watch this version of "Little Women" without comparing it to the 1933 film starring Katherine Hepburn. One can understand why they chose to remake the film, especially since this version benefits from color film.

There are other aspects of this film that compare favorably to the earlier film. Although June Allyson, as Jo, is not as convincing as Hepburn for me, her portrayal is very earnest. Other actors in the cast are noteworthy, especially Margaret O'Brien, who plays Beth, the shy musical sister. Janet Leigh and Elizabeth Taylor play the other two sisters, completing a stand-out foursome.

C. Aubrey Smith also deserves recognition for his portrayal of the elderly neighbor Mr. Laurence, who befriends Beth. It is one of the warmest moments of the film.

This is a wonderful coming of age story based on a classic novel.