Little Women

Little Women (1949) is an MGM Technicolor adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel, directed by Mervyn LeRoy — watch it online on iFILM. June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh and Margaret O'Brien play the four March sisters growing up in New England while their father is away at the Civil War.

The four sisters — Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy — manage the household on their own, helped occasionally by their kind neighbor Mr. Laurence and his grandson Laurie, who becomes something more complicated over time. Jo, the aspiring writer, is the heart of the story: restless, outspoken, and constitutionally unable to settle for the obvious path. The film covers her years of waiting for the world to catch up with her ambitions.

Shot in full Technicolor, the 1949 version has a warmth and visual richness that earlier black-and-white versions couldn't match. A young Elizabeth Taylor as Amy is worth the watch on its own. Stream Little Women (1949) online on iFILM.