The Philadelphia Story (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Rating:
Summary: The REAL High Society
Review: Branded by Hollywood as "Box Office Poison" (usually the death blow to an actor's career), Katherine Hepburn put all of her eggs in this ONE basket, to prove she's still a force to be recconned with. Reprising her stage role, Kate secures the rights for the film version of "The Philadelphia Story". The trick worked. Katherine Hepburn was back as a big star on the Hollywood Sky.

Tracy Lord (Katherine Hepburn), a spoiled socialite scheduled to remarry when her first husband, C.K. Dexterhaven (Cary Grant) shows up as uninvited wedding guest. Add to the mix, Mike Connor (James Stewart) a reporter who is supposed to be covering the wedding for the tabloids but winds up falling for Tracy himself. The brief triangle has a predictable ending.

Less glamorous than the 1955 Technicolor Musical re-make "High Society" with Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby, this black & white Classic remains the superior production. Somewhat dated (definitely 1940s Movie Star Magazine material), this is still a groundbreaking romantic comedy. Ted Turner: Please keep your crayons away from this one!****

Rating:
Summary: Funny and clean--how often does that happen?
Review: It seemed for a while like I was fated never to watch this DVD. I received it as a Christmas present and having heard from another classic movie buff that I just HAD to see it, I was quite eager. But one thing after another came up and I only just got to watch it last Sunday.

Well, I have to say this is one of my favorite movies of all time. Although I have never been a fan of Katharine Hepburn, I really liked her in this. She played the part of Tracy Lord, a wealthy young woman who is about to marry for the second time. However, her ex-husband C.K. Dexter Haven (Cary Grant) has other ideas. He sends in two reports from Spy Magazine (Jimmy Stewart and Ruth Hussey) to do a story on the wedding. Tracy's precocious young sister Dinah (Virginia Weidler) stands by, avid for scandal. ("Mother, maybe he's going to sock her again!")

This is a good, clean movie. This makes it possible for the whole family to watch it, although young children will probably not see the point and be bored. The only reason I left one star off was because there are virtually no special features on the DVD.

Once you see "The Philadelphia Story" I bet it will be on your list of favorite movies, too!

Rating:
Summary: A Funny, Breezy Comedy with All-Star Performances!
Review: The Philadelphia Story is a fabulous filming of Katharine Hepburn's Broadway triumph, and was famous for several reasons; first, it returned Hepburn to Hollywood, after she had been declared 'Box Office Poison'; it gave Jimmy Stewart his only 'Best Actor' Oscar (albeit it was probably a consolation award for losing for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, in 1939); and it further solidified the Cary Grant screen persona as a worldly and wise bon vivant (a move begun by directors Howard Hawks and George Cukor in the late '30s), playing a character which would fit Grant so well that he would continue playing variations of it for the next 25 years! In watching this sparkling comedy, note the wonderful supporting cast, particularly Ruth Hussey, as Stewart's partner (in an underrated performance...she is very good!) and Roland Young (the original 'Topper') as Hepburn's uncle. While the film is a bit static (and occasionally heavy with 'smart' dialogue that doesn't age well), there are so many comic gems that it's difficult to quibble. Hepburn is remarkably sexy as the 'once-and-future' bride, and it's easy to see why Grant, Stewart, and John Howard would all want her. While it's social classes subtext may seem a bit dated, today, the theme of a woman rediscovering the man who truly loves her is universal, and makes The Philadelphia Story a timeless joy!

Rating:
Summary: See it............ NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This is all I need to say:

Cary Grant Katharine Hepburn Jimmy Stewart GREAT PERFORMANCES ALL AROUND, ESPECIALLY FROM THE THREE AMAZING STARS AND RUTH HUSSET!

But I'll say more anyway.

Upper class lady Tracy Lord is about to be married to George Kittridge, general manager of Quaker State something or other (I haven't watched it for a month or so) after two years before divorcing CK Dexter Haven.

Spy Magazine big cheese Sindney Kidd sends Macauly Conner and Elizabeth Imbry to get an inside story on the wedding of Tracy Lord, and George Kittridge. They are to get inside via Tracy's ex husband Dexter, who decides to help for revenge against his ex-bride.

Hilarity ensues via needle sharp dialogue, carefully hidden gags, and terrific performances.

I haven't seen one movie by Cary Grant that I haven't liked; I have seen thrity-two. I Have only seen two Jimmy Stewart and Kate Hepburn that I didn't really enjoy a-piece, and I've seen about twenty or more of theirs.

And Cuckor's direction inspired many directors to choose alternative direction styles.

Rating:
Summary: YES, BUY THIS ONE, YOU WON'T REGRET IT.
Review: This is my absolute favorite performance by the great Katherine Hepburn. She is breathtaking and absolutely wonderful. Brilliant performances all across the board, an especially funny performance by James Stewart is just the icing on the cake. Cary Grant,one of my faves, also delivers a magnificent performance. Also worth mentioning is the very beautiful Ruth Hussey, whose potrayal of Liz is stunning. She was one of the most attractive actresses at the time, in my humble opinion. This movie is very funny and the sets and costumes are among the best Hollywood has ever offered. I highly recommend this as a must own.