 The technical quality of Keeper of the Flame has been highly praised since its release . William H. Daniels ' cinematography and lighting design has been described as lush and virtuosic , and he received accolades from his peers for his work on the film . Cukor biographer and film critic Emanuel Levy praised the strong atmosphere of Keeper of the Flame and Cukor 's " interesting Gothic style " . Other historians have pointed out that the film 's score is particularly good . For example , one review noted that the music goes silent during the climactic scene in which Katharine Hepburn reveals her secrets to Spencer Tracy — an effective and unexpected emotional tactic . 
