The Philadelphia Story (1940)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

Donald Ogden Stewart (screenplay)
Philip Barry (play)

Release Date:

26 December 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Uncle Leo's bedtime story for you older tots! The things they do among the playful rich - Oh, boy!

Plot:

When a rich woman's ex-husband and a tabloid-type reporter turn up just before her planned remarriage, she begins to learn the truth about herself.

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Wedding | Heiress | Divorce | Philadelphia

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Cary Grant	...	C.K. Dexter Haven
Katharine Hepburn	...	Tracy Lord
James Stewart	...	Macaulay Connor
Ruth Hussey	...	Elizabeth Imbrie
John Howard	...	George Kittredge
Roland Young	...	Uncle Willie
John Halliday	...	Seth Lord
Mary Nash	...	Margaret Lord
Virginia Weidler	...	Dinah Lord
Henry Daniell	...	Sidney Kidd
Lionel Pape	...	Edward
Rex Evans	...	Thomas

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

UK:U (re-rating) (1998) | Finland:K-16 (1942) | Finland:S (1986) | USA:Approved (certificate #6594) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Canada:PG (video rating) | South Korea:12 (DVD rating) (2005) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

The necklace that Dinah says "this stinks" about and later wears to entertain the reporters, is a copy of the necklace from Marie Antoinette's "The Affair of the Necklace". You can see it in Norma Shearer's Marie Antoinette (1938), as well.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: As Connor and Tracy exit the library, the boom mic is reflected on the windshield of Tracy's car.

Quotes:

Sidney Kidd: You really hate me, don't you Connor?
Macaulay Connor: Oh no!
[pause]
Macaulay Connor: I don't like you very much though.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Cleaner (2007)

Soundtrack:

Bridal Chorus

One of the best Romantic Comedies

My Rating: ***1/2 out of ****.

The Philadelphia Story is one of the earlier Romantic Comedies. It is also one of the best. This film basically has what most romantic comedies today dont have. That would be a well-written script, Great Acting, and actually funny.

The acting is a huge strength in the film. This is called Katharine Hepburn's best role by many, while I admit she is excellent in a number of scenes, I think she tends to overact at times. Cary Grant is great here. Everyone else is Great but I believe James Stewart to be the standout. He is perfect for this role, its a flawless performance, that he deservedly won the Best Actor Oscar for.

The Script has wonderful dialogue thats delivered flawlessly by the actors. Even simple dialogue like "Isn't that awful" was delivered superbly by Katharine Hepburn. George Cukor made this project look like nothing, he made many films which were "womens films" but he does a damn good job here.

If you think Romantic Comedies of today are good, look at The Philadelphia Story and they will pale in comparison. The Philadelphia Story is a very good film and worth remembering, unlike the mediocre to crappy romantic comedies of today. The Philadelphia Story is highly recommended.