The Philadelphia Story

Rating:
Summary: one of my favorites
Review: The Philadelphia Story is one of my all time favorites. The casting of the 3 leads is wonderful.The role of Tracy Lord was tailor-made for Katharine Hepburn. She plays the part with the perfect balance of haughty arrogance and vulnerability. Cary Grant is snappy and sexy andJames Stewart is charming and loveable. This has been remade several times but has never been improved upon.

Rating:
Summary: The Golden Age of Hollywood
Review: Katharine Hepburn recreated her Broadway role as the spoiled brat socialite caught between 3 men, her ex-husband (Cary Grant), her boring fiancée, and the sneaky reporter (Jimmy Stewart) who's come to cover the society doings and snoop into a brewing scandal. George Cukor directed this sparkling, witty, fast-paced 1940 movie that propelled Hepburn into Hollywood fame and provided the structure for many knock-offs, including, several decades later, High Society.
The Philadelphia Story gives an excellent intro if you're into following the trajectory of Katharine Hepburn and the other fine, famous actors who starred in this film.

Rating:
Summary: My, she was yar...
Review: They make few movies of the level of quality as "The Philadelphia Story." This movie is just full of life, good and bad. Cary Grant, James Stewart and Katharine Hepburn are a trifecta of astounding talent, and they blend together with ease and style. Like real people, everyone has their faults and their strengths. Everyone is right and wrong at the same time, in their own way.

The dialog is so amazing, you want to quote it at every opportunity, although your life probably doesn't provide the opportunity to drop these kinds of quotes. The "High Society" at play, and the lowbrow crashers making their nickels and dimes all the while allowing their pretensions to art...this is great drama.

The DVD is not particularly exciting, and is a surprising let down for such an amazing film, however a film this great doesn't need extras. The main course is filling enough.

Definitely something you will watch over and over again. One of the best.

Rating:
Summary: You're my redhead
Review: "I thought all writers drank to excess and beat their wives. You know one time I secretly wanted to be a writer."

Dialogue that good stepping out of the 30's is part of what keeps "The Philadelphia Story" current and vibrant. But only part. You can thank Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn for the rest.

When Hepburn made the jump to Tracy Lords on film after winning accolades with her Broadway version (played with Joseph Cotton in what eventually became Stewart's McCauley Connor role), she was smart enough to take Howard Hughes gift of the screenplay and use it as leverage with Louis B Mayer to bargain for top talent.

Who did she ask for?

Spencer Tracy. Had he not been out on location, she might've gotten him and started one of the world's greatest romances a little sooner.

She settled for Cary and Jimmy, though, as any bright woman would. Wise decision, as Cary has all the charm and strength to keep her more stubborn nature in check, while Jimmy's vulnerability as Connor helps bring out her softness.

No actress ever met a director named Cukor she didn't like, and in this film, it's easy to see why: Hepburn is lit in the most breathtaking manner, filmed from a certain angle during the earlier parts of the movie and then, closer and more softly near the end, helping the transition from regal ice goddess to vulnerable, all-to-human female.

Cinematically lush with intelligent themes, whip-smart dialogue and tremendous acting by the three leads, "The Philadelphia Story" deserves to be seen on the big screen. Check your local performing arts theaters; we saw this one at the State Theater in Cleveland during a summer revival and it's most at home on the big screen.

This film is divine. Slick, smart, sassy -- and pretty risque in subject matter and dialogue for its time.

Rating:
Summary: Wit and Humor on the Main Line
Review: A perfect movie. Wonderful storyline,witty and fast-paced dialogue, beautiful clothes and Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn at the peak of their wit,charm,and beauty plus Jimmy Stewart in the role that won him an Oscar. This movie takes you into the world of the rich, privileged beautiful people and lets you get caught up in that world and have fun while you are doing it.
Have a glass of champagne and enjoy the fizz.

Rating:
Summary: Classic Hepburn
Review: Katherine as Tracy Lord shows a good range of her skills between being a spoiled witch to being a caring loving daughter and wife. Cary Grant and James Stewart are great in supporting roles. Grant is the cynical ex-husband, Dexter Haven, that wants to get even with her by embarrassing her. He is perfect for the part. Stewart is a reporter that falls for Tracy and shows us his ability to make us laugh or cry for him as he did in "It's a Wonderful Life". In fact all the supporting cast is perfect. The sets and music make us feel the surroundings are real and that we are truly there. By letting us get a glance of the wealth in the 30s makes it a great period piece as well. Any fan of Hepburn, Grant, or Stewart will enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: The Pliliadelphia Story
Review: The Philadelphia Story starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart is a very exciting story. All three play a huge roll in this film. While this isn't the best movie made by these people, they made it so enjoyable, it is hard to not keep watching it over and over; you can't get tired of this one. It is funny in parts but most of the movie is discusions between C. K. Dexter Haven (Cary Grant) and Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn).

Tracy and C. K. are only married for two years brfore they brake up. Tracy decices to get married again to George Kittredge (John Howard). C. K. is against the marrige and desides he wants to remarry. C. K. comes with photographers (one is Mike Connor- Jimmy Stewart) to cover the wedding for Spy magazine.

The movie is definatly five stars over all. You cannot really get pulled away from this movie or from these actors and actress. It is not the best family movie; it is more for older children and adults. But I know that any movie with Katharine Hepburn, Cary grant or Jimmy stewart has to be good. And with all three in the same, it's like a "triple-wammy!!"

Rating:
Summary: classic comedy
Review: Even for people who hate Katharine Hepburn as much as I do, this is a great movie. She even steals the picture, even though she stars with two of the greatest in Grant and Stewart, who won the Oscar for this performance even though he was a million times better in Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. Yeah, Hepburn was great here and in six or 12 other movies. But she was really, really bad in Morning Glory, of that I am sure, especially the final scene. But then she bounced back in Alice Adams. I have to give her credit.

Rating:
Summary: Phillie is phunny
Review: I borrowed his from a friend. plan to get my own version, this is classic fun and enjoyment. Grant and Hepburn are wonderful together, they play off one another so spendidly as former spouses whom, like all former spouses, try to dislike one another. We find out that Cary's character is being blackmailed to get reporters iinto the high society wedding, but the blackmailing but he is trying to protect his former spouses family. Could he still have feelings for his 'Red'? I love Stewart in his boy next door type role, he the writer, turned reporter so he can have food on his table and roof to cover that table. Virginia Weidel, not sure that is spelled correctly, is fun to watch as the kid sister of Hepburn's character who wants more than anything for her sister not to marry George Kittredge. Buy it, or at least rent it then decide to buy it. You shall be glad you did. I am also happy it is in black and white. Yes, there are cetian points, moments of graininess, but it is b&w, things one can over look when the movie as entertaining as "Philidelphia Story" proves to be, over and over again.

Rating:
Summary: A must-see for Hepburn, Grant & Stewart fans
Review: Getting ready for a wedding is always a challenge. But imagine trying to organize a wedding with your ex-husband hanging about, your father dallying with another woman, and a scandal magazine sending a reporter and photographer to dog your every move.

That's the dilemma spoiled socialite Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn) faces in "Philadelphia Story." To keep her father's marital indiscretion out of the paper, Tracy agrees to let the magazine send a journalistic team to cover her high-society wedding to dull-as-dirt industrialist George Kittredge. With Cary Grant as Tracy's ex and James Stewart as the guy-next-door reporter, poor George doesn't stand much of a chance at getting Tracy to the altar. Further mishaps ensue as Tracy tries to pass her uncle off as her (absent) father and celebrates with too much champagne--and perhaps too much Jimmy Stewart--at a pre-wedding party.

"Philadelphia Story" crackles with witty dialogue and sparkles with outstanding performances, not just from its stars (Hepburn, Grant and Stewart, who won a best actor Oscar for his role), but also from the supporting cast. Ruth Hussey as the not-easily-impressed career-girl photographer provides a terriflc foil to the sometimes imperious Tracy. Dinah Lord stirs things up as Tracy's kid sister.

Hepburn, of course, is absolutely incredible. In the role of Tracy Lord, Hepburn seemed to find her footing, and never lost it again. Back when her name was branded box office poison, Hepburn snatched up the film rights to Philip Barry's Broadway hit play, teamed up with two of Hollywood's greatest leading men, and made the comeback of a lifetime in "Philadelphia Story." She followed up this classic with "Woman of the Year" two years later, teaming with Spencer Tracy for a 26-year on-and-off-screen relationship.

If you enjoy "Philadelphia Story," you also might want to check out the musical version, "High Society," starring Grace Kelly as Tracy and Bing Crosby as her ex, and Celeste Holme as the photographer.