Summary
On the eve of her wedding to businessman George Kittredge, Rhode Island
socialite Tracy Samantha Lord receives an unexpected, and unwelcome
visit from her first husband, the jazz musician C.K. Dexter
Haven. Before the reunion can turn nasty, Mike Connor, a reporter
from Spy Magazine turns up at the Lord household, with his
photographer, Liz Imbrie, to write a story on the impending
marriage. One evening, Tracy has too much to drink and falls into
the arms of Mike Connor, and then the swimming pool. The next
morning, Tracy realises that she is loved by three men and wonders
which one of them she should marry...
Review
This glitzy remake of The Philadelphia Story (1940)
may have more star power than the Orion Nebula but, thanks to its
unimaginative direction, bland photography and plodding screenplay, it
would have difficulty out-dazzling a lump of coal. The last film
that Grace Kelly made before she gave up acting and became Mrs Prince
Rainier III would appear to have everything going for – lively Cole
Porter numbers, some great performers and the incomparable Louis
Armstrong – but, shamelessly resting on its laurels, it ends up being
about as stimulating as a party political broadcast given by the
Let’s All Wear Beige Party. Crosby is far too old
for his role (he was more than twice Grace Kelly’s age, and looks it)
and Sinatra is clearly wasted on such lowbrow fare as this.
Whilst the film occasionally comes to life – e.g. with the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
number (that’s the song, not the ghastly game show it inspired) -
it drags like an elderly asthmatic snail on its way back home after
doing the weekend shopping. It makes a pretty good soporific
though.
© filmsdefrance.com 2009
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Related links
- Other American films of the 1950s
- The best American films of the 1950s
- Other American romantic comedies
- The best American romantic comedies
- Biography and films of Charles Walters
To buy this film
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Credits
- Director: Charles Walters
- Script: Philip Barry, John Patrick
- Photo: Paul Vogel
- Music: Cole Porter
- Cast: Bing Crosby (C.K. Dexter-Haven), Grace Kelly (Tracy Samantha Lord), Frank Sinatra (Mike Connor), Celeste Holm (Liz Imbrie), John Lund (George Kittredge), Louis Calhern (Uncle Willie), Sidney Blackmer (Seth Lord), Louis Armstrong and His Band (Themselves), Margalo Gillmore (Mrs. Seth Lord), Lydia Reed (Caroline Lord), Gordon Richards (Dexter-Haven’s butler), Richard Garrick (Lords’ Butler), Hugh Boswell (The Parson), Barrett Deems (Louis’ drummer), Edmond Hall (Louis’ clarinetist), Paul Keast (Editor), Richard Keene (Mac), Billy Kyle (Louis’ pianist), Ruth Lee (Ruth (Jazz Festival organizer)), Arvell Shaw (Louis’ bassist), Reginald Simpson (Lawrence (Uncle Willie’s butler)), Helen Spring (Helen (Jazz Festival organizer)), Florence Wix (Party Guest), James Young (Louis’ trombonist)
- Country: USA
- Language: English
- Runtime: 111 min
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- How to Steal a Million (1966)
- I Was a Male War Bride (1949)
- Lover Come Back (1961)
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- The Philadelphia Story (1940)
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To buy High Society:

Comedy / Musical / Romance






