The Philadelphia Story [HD]

One of the great comedies of all time
In 1940, Katherine Hepburn's movie career was in desperate condition. Her 1938 film BRINGING UP BABY, although recognized as a Howard Hawks's masterpiece today, was at the time a box office failure. The failure signaled the temporary end of demand for her talents in Hollywood, although she had HOLIDAY in the can (and costarring, like both BRINGING UP BABY and THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, Cary Grant). So, she went back to the stage, in a play written specifically for her, and the subsequent hit was an unexpected and triumphant return to the screen for Hepburn. Her career never looked back again, especially when two years later she teamed with Spencer Tracy for the first time. Ironically, she originally requested that Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy play the Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart roles.

THE PHILADELPHIA STORY is such an extraordinarily well-done film that one can watch it repeatedly, reveling each time in new and hidden details. It strikes the perfect balance of being...

My, she was yar...
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.

This is why I watch the classics.
Hollywood has a long history of taking Broadway theatricals and turning them into successful films. In 1940, this process produced "The Philadelphia Story" which had been very popular while on the stage with Katherine Hepburn. As it happened, Katherine was given a lot of control over the film. She chose all the leads and virtually had the film adaptation custom crafted for her. The end result was a fabulous cast, great performances and one of the funniest scripts ever produced. One final bit of trivia, the studio claimed to have shot the entire film without the need for any second takes.

For the most part, this is an interesting film because it has interesting characters. And like any good cuisine, the ingredients are added with impeccable timing and in such a way as to produce a very spicy result. Instead of identifying with one central character, we are forced to wear the shoes of at least three. James Stewart plays, Macaulay Connor, a dissatisfied reporter working for...

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