Fifty years later, this movie still remains only notorious due to its musical aspects more than its often wooden acting and lines mouthed verbatim from an (uncredited) Philip Barry.
When the original feature was made in 1940, it was a gamble to bring Katharine Hepburn's all but dead career back into the spotlight one last time -- if it failed she would stay in Broadway.
The story is well-known: Barry had written a play, "The Philadelphia Story," expressly for Hepburn and her part, that of the socialite Tracy Samantha Lord, reflected Hepburn's arrogant position against Hollywood at the time. It was fitting to make into a movie and see if the results would garner the desired effect, and it comes to no surprise that it did, with Hepburn revitalizing what has come to be believed as one of the greatest film careers of all time.
Then MGM decided to do a musical version -- the only way to do so, since Hepburn own the rights to the play -- and retitled it "High Society," removing Philip Barry from the credits but not his text. They got the best of the talent that was available in the 50s, cast them in the roles made instantly classic by the actors of the previous movie, and watered down priceless dialogue, not only with padding here and there, but with the completely uninvolved acting. Kelly, in her last film, walked off into Monaco with a career that was apt, but not remarkable -- more known for perfect diction and beauty than actual personification. Holm is better here, but not as good -- she would never equate the spark she had in "All About Eve." She also looks oddly aged, a good ten years older than her thirty-seven years. Crosby and Sinatra are good, but not memorable -- certainly not Grant and Stewart, both oozing chemistry with Hepburn and with each other. The other actors do their parts; however, not a single one warrant mention -- not the case of young Virginia Weidler who walked off with the movie playing a small part as Tracy's kid sister in the original version.
This is -- though now seen as a classic, it's overrated -- what's been come to be seen as a poor man's version of a much wittier, sharper story. Good, but nothing more.
When the original feature was made in 1940, it was a gamble to bring Katharine Hepburn's all but dead career back into the spotlight one last time -- if it failed she would stay in Broadway.
The story is well-known: Barry had written a play, "The Philadelphia Story," expressly for Hepburn and her part, that of the socialite Tracy Samantha Lord, reflected Hepburn's arrogant position against Hollywood at the time. It was fitting to make into a movie and see if the results would garner the desired effect, and it comes to no surprise that it did, with Hepburn revitalizing what has come to be believed as one of the greatest film careers of all time.
Then MGM decided to do a musical version -- the only way to do so, since Hepburn own the rights to the play -- and retitled it "High Society," removing Philip Barry from the credits but not his text. They got the best of the talent that was available in the 50s, cast them in the roles made instantly classic by the actors of the previous movie, and watered down priceless dialogue, not only with padding here and there, but with the completely uninvolved acting. Kelly, in her last film, walked off into Monaco with a career that was apt, but not remarkable -- more known for perfect diction and beauty than actual personification. Holm is better here, but not as good -- she would never equate the spark she had in "All About Eve." She also looks oddly aged, a good ten years older than her thirty-seven years. Crosby and Sinatra are good, but not memorable -- certainly not Grant and Stewart, both oozing chemistry with Hepburn and with each other. The other actors do their parts; however, not a single one warrant mention -- not the case of young Virginia Weidler who walked off with the movie playing a small part as Tracy's kid sister in the original version.
This is -- though now seen as a classic, it's overrated -- what's been come to be seen as a poor man's version of a much wittier, sharper story. Good, but nothing more.