179 reviews
"High Society" unites the unbeatable talents of three legendary stars Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong with the beautiful and talented Grace Kelly in her final role before she becomes the loving Princess of Monaco
Spoiled Tracy (Kelly) is about to marry a boring businessman John Lund, but on the eve of her nuptials, her ex-husband Crosby, who still calls her Sam, returns to try and put a stop to the wedding
On hand to cover her upcoming nuptials for a spy magazine are journalists Celeste Holm) and Sinatra, with the greatest American jazz musician Louis Armstrong providing with Crosby a musical jazz called "Now You Has Jazz."
Armstrong opens the film from the back of the blue bus shared with his band, with a calypso song, while the classic "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" is lively sung by Sinatra and Holm alone in a big room filled with Kelly's many extravagant wedding gifts
Kelly is lovely as the refined woman flirting with three men In scenes that required the softening of her unyielding nature, she seems so reserved and cold in manner
Sinatra sings to her "You're Sensational" and "Mind if I Make Love to You? Crosby sings "True Love."
Spoiled Tracy (Kelly) is about to marry a boring businessman John Lund, but on the eve of her nuptials, her ex-husband Crosby, who still calls her Sam, returns to try and put a stop to the wedding
On hand to cover her upcoming nuptials for a spy magazine are journalists Celeste Holm) and Sinatra, with the greatest American jazz musician Louis Armstrong providing with Crosby a musical jazz called "Now You Has Jazz."
Armstrong opens the film from the back of the blue bus shared with his band, with a calypso song, while the classic "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" is lively sung by Sinatra and Holm alone in a big room filled with Kelly's many extravagant wedding gifts
Kelly is lovely as the refined woman flirting with three men In scenes that required the softening of her unyielding nature, she seems so reserved and cold in manner
Sinatra sings to her "You're Sensational" and "Mind if I Make Love to You? Crosby sings "True Love."
- Nazi_Fighter_David
- May 23, 2008
- Permalink
High Society (1956)
You can see this movie as one of the last of the great silver screen musicals —and running out of originality and verve. Or you can enjoy Cole Porter brought down to a middle class sensibility (never mind the wealth of the characters here). Or you can just marvel at some great footage of Louis Armstrong, and at the inclusion a black jazz band as a centerpiece in a big budget movie.
So there are reasons to give this movie a try, even though it is fairly slow going, and a pale shadow of the original, the truly great 1940 "Philadelphia Story." Grace Kelly plays the leading woman about to be married, and she lacks the cool stony quality that Hitchcock wisely taps and instead tries to be a lively, witty, physically lithe leading lady. Just like Katherine Hepburn? Yes, except she's no Katherine Hepburn, and it all feels a bit striving.
Likewise for Bing Crosby, who plays a laid back guy who happens to have a jazz band (and who does a good swinging song with Louis and crew alongside). He isn't quite screen magic—that is, he's no Cary Grant. Frank Sinatra is fine, but he has a smaller role. Alas.
And so it goes. Brightly lit, with big flashy Technicolor set design, the mood throughout is upbeat and fun and funny. And so it's not a bad thing to view.
But if you take at all seriously the contention of one man interceding on the groom for his ex-bride, whatever the Hays Code strategy, it just lacks edge and conviction. Cole Porter doesn't let us down, so there's always that!
You can see this movie as one of the last of the great silver screen musicals —and running out of originality and verve. Or you can enjoy Cole Porter brought down to a middle class sensibility (never mind the wealth of the characters here). Or you can just marvel at some great footage of Louis Armstrong, and at the inclusion a black jazz band as a centerpiece in a big budget movie.
So there are reasons to give this movie a try, even though it is fairly slow going, and a pale shadow of the original, the truly great 1940 "Philadelphia Story." Grace Kelly plays the leading woman about to be married, and she lacks the cool stony quality that Hitchcock wisely taps and instead tries to be a lively, witty, physically lithe leading lady. Just like Katherine Hepburn? Yes, except she's no Katherine Hepburn, and it all feels a bit striving.
Likewise for Bing Crosby, who plays a laid back guy who happens to have a jazz band (and who does a good swinging song with Louis and crew alongside). He isn't quite screen magic—that is, he's no Cary Grant. Frank Sinatra is fine, but he has a smaller role. Alas.
And so it goes. Brightly lit, with big flashy Technicolor set design, the mood throughout is upbeat and fun and funny. And so it's not a bad thing to view.
But if you take at all seriously the contention of one man interceding on the groom for his ex-bride, whatever the Hays Code strategy, it just lacks edge and conviction. Cole Porter doesn't let us down, so there's always that!
- secondtake
- Dec 14, 2015
- Permalink
A society wedding is being arranged in Newport, Rhode Island. The beautiful Tracy Lord is to marry George Kitteredge. However, Tracy's ex-husband, the songwriter Dexter Haven, has never stopped loving her and even now has hopes of winning her back. Two journalists, Mike Connor and Liz Imbrie, have arrived to cover the story for 'Spy' Magazine.
Dexter has scheduled the Newport Jazz Festival for the same week as the nuptials, and this brings Louis Armstrong (playing himself) to town. The divine Tracy is adored by three men - Dexter, George and Mike Connor. She begins to harbour doubts about her forthcoming marriage...
"High Society" is a charming reworking of "The Philadelphia Story", the Grant-Hepburn comedy, which was in turn a remodelling of a successful Broadway play. The one great difference with this version is that "High Society" is a glorious musical masterpiece. Cole Porter's score has to be one of the greatest collections of songs ever filmed.
Grace Kelly is good as the imperious Tracy. "I'm a cold goddess," she intones, but she thaws spectacularly in the warmth of love. Bing Crosby as Dexter is his usual droll and stylish self. Crosby is a class act who holds the screen with effortless poise and cracks the funnies with sparkling sarcasm. Sinatra is in knockout form. Rarely has that legendary voice achieved the resonant timbre on display here. Satchmo blasts out a couple of breezy jazz numbers, and comments on the action like a latter-day Greek chorus.
The songs include five all-time classics. "True Love" is a gorgeous duet in which Kelly unveils a tuneful if brittle singing-voice. "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" is rightly world-famous, and is staged here with clever clownage by Sinatra and Celeste Holm (playing Liz). Satchmo's band accompanies Crosby in a swinging "You Has Jazz". The showstopper, "What A Swell Party This Is", has Crosby and Sinatra at their very best, wisecracking self-referentially as they belt out a gem of a song. My personal favourite, "You're Sensational", is beautifully rendered by Sinatra. Watch Frank and Grace in the instrumental break, falling in love with their eyes only.
A confection of sublime music and snappy dialogue, "High Society" is shot in bright, eye-catching Technicolor with an attractive pastel blue predominating throughout. A delightful film.
Dexter has scheduled the Newport Jazz Festival for the same week as the nuptials, and this brings Louis Armstrong (playing himself) to town. The divine Tracy is adored by three men - Dexter, George and Mike Connor. She begins to harbour doubts about her forthcoming marriage...
"High Society" is a charming reworking of "The Philadelphia Story", the Grant-Hepburn comedy, which was in turn a remodelling of a successful Broadway play. The one great difference with this version is that "High Society" is a glorious musical masterpiece. Cole Porter's score has to be one of the greatest collections of songs ever filmed.
Grace Kelly is good as the imperious Tracy. "I'm a cold goddess," she intones, but she thaws spectacularly in the warmth of love. Bing Crosby as Dexter is his usual droll and stylish self. Crosby is a class act who holds the screen with effortless poise and cracks the funnies with sparkling sarcasm. Sinatra is in knockout form. Rarely has that legendary voice achieved the resonant timbre on display here. Satchmo blasts out a couple of breezy jazz numbers, and comments on the action like a latter-day Greek chorus.
The songs include five all-time classics. "True Love" is a gorgeous duet in which Kelly unveils a tuneful if brittle singing-voice. "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" is rightly world-famous, and is staged here with clever clownage by Sinatra and Celeste Holm (playing Liz). Satchmo's band accompanies Crosby in a swinging "You Has Jazz". The showstopper, "What A Swell Party This Is", has Crosby and Sinatra at their very best, wisecracking self-referentially as they belt out a gem of a song. My personal favourite, "You're Sensational", is beautifully rendered by Sinatra. Watch Frank and Grace in the instrumental break, falling in love with their eyes only.
A confection of sublime music and snappy dialogue, "High Society" is shot in bright, eye-catching Technicolor with an attractive pastel blue predominating throughout. A delightful film.
Something wrong happened as MGM tried to update the much more original "The Philadelphia Story". Some of the blame should go to the uninspired direction of Walter Charles, who can't overcome what the great George Cukor achieved in the original movie version. Part of the blame is shared with John Patrick's screen play that might have been based on the Philip Barry play, but what one sees on the screen is a dull attempt of movie making. Donald Ogden Stewart, who adapted the original play gave that film a light and fun touch, which in Mr. Cukor's hands and brilliant direction came alive throughout the picture.
It's not fair to make comparisons, but unfortunately, the creators of "High Society" leave themselves wide open for it. Right off the start, these stars can't compare with the magnificent performances by Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, James Stewart, Ruth Hussey and the irresistible Virginia Weidler.
Grace Kelly was an elegant actress who as Tracy Lord gives the role another interpretation but doesn't capture the spirit of the no-nonsense socialite she is supposed to be. Bing Crosby, as Dexter, has some good moments, especially in the "True Love" segment in the yacht with Tracy. Frank Sinatra's Mike Connors is all right, although we can't just imagine how he can be in love with Liz Imbrie. Celeste Holm who appears as Liz gave a tamed reading of her character.
The best thing in the film is the prologue and the finale with the incomparable Louis Armstrong, whose presence would have been used to put some sparkle in this subdued version of Philip Barry's wonderful play.
It's not fair to make comparisons, but unfortunately, the creators of "High Society" leave themselves wide open for it. Right off the start, these stars can't compare with the magnificent performances by Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, James Stewart, Ruth Hussey and the irresistible Virginia Weidler.
Grace Kelly was an elegant actress who as Tracy Lord gives the role another interpretation but doesn't capture the spirit of the no-nonsense socialite she is supposed to be. Bing Crosby, as Dexter, has some good moments, especially in the "True Love" segment in the yacht with Tracy. Frank Sinatra's Mike Connors is all right, although we can't just imagine how he can be in love with Liz Imbrie. Celeste Holm who appears as Liz gave a tamed reading of her character.
The best thing in the film is the prologue and the finale with the incomparable Louis Armstrong, whose presence would have been used to put some sparkle in this subdued version of Philip Barry's wonderful play.
High Society is a terrific film. If you are the type of movie fan who doesn't comprehend the ENTERTAIN part of entertainment and is eager and willing to flaunt that ignorance in film reviews, you will hate it. But if you don't mind it when movies may not end up with deep psychological messages or everybody dead or doomed to a life of misery, you'll agree.
I'm the first to admit that this musical may not be DRAMATICALLY up to standard with The Philadelpia Story, but what musical could be, or should be, for that matter. The cast, however, is another thing entirely. As you probably know, the first cast was nearly incomparable. Suave and tremendously charming Cary Grant, the magnificent Katherine Hepburn, and, of course, Jimmy, who won an Oscar for his work and is never less than adorable.
NEARLY incomparable.But if anyone can do it, it's gotta be Bing,Satchmo,Gracie,and the Voice. I find it hard to believe anyone in the world could possibly contest that, but since there are such unlikely specimens out there, I'd better explain.
If there's a more magnificent marriage than that of Frank Sinatra and a Cole Porter masterpiece, I'd like to hear about it. But even perfection can be improved, when you add Bing Crosby, a witty little tune,and some hilarious ad libs, all courtesy of a few too many drinks.That makes up heaven, which can also go under the heading of '' Well, Did you Evah,'' without a doubt the best song ,and scene, in this film. But never fear, there are other gems as well.
Grace Kelly is terrific in High Society. The not quite yet Princess of Monaco is not only breathtakingly beautiful, but adorable as well. Her drunken warbling of ''You're Sensational,'' as her stiffly embarrassed fiancé drags her through a crowd of very proper guests is hilarious, and I can never keep from laughing during the scene when she meets Mike Connor and Liz Embrie, also known as Frank Sinatra and Celeste Holm.
Louis Armstrong doesn't have much to do in the picture, but what he does do is great. He introduces the film with a cute calypso number, sings a marvelous duet with Bing, and the way he say's,'' End of song, beginin' of the storyyy,'' is enough to make him unforgettable.
Bing, of course, can NEVER be anything but magnificent. He remains an American icon, and all his talent, charm, and timeless quality are well displayed.He makes his easy-going way through some magical songs,too, including, two marvelous duets with his singing co-stars, and, of course, that little #1 record he did with Grace.
Personally, I like Celeste Holm even more in High Society than I liked Ruth Hussey,who played the Liz Embrie role in Philadelphia Story.She's funny, charming,works well with Sinatra, sings a hilarious duet with The Voice, and has a beautiful smile. ( Not that the last thing mentioned matters, but it helps.)
And now-the best for last. I have been a Sinatra adorer for years, so I'm more than a little biased, but I absolutely love Mr.Sinatra in this movie. His singing is flawless and incomparable, ( especially in ''You're Sensational,'') his charm and charisma even more evident than the considerable amount displayed by Mr.Crosby, and he's pure style and ring-a-ding ding.( Those blue eyes ain't bad either!)
Oh, one complaint I've found about High Society is that it's outdated and it aged badly. I am 14 years old, so, if there WERE any reason to believe that, I'd be one of the first to know it. It is NOT outdated, has NOT aged badly, and it's one of the most entertaining and simply fun movies I've ever seen. And that is, as Satchmo says, the...'' End of storyyy!!''
I'm the first to admit that this musical may not be DRAMATICALLY up to standard with The Philadelpia Story, but what musical could be, or should be, for that matter. The cast, however, is another thing entirely. As you probably know, the first cast was nearly incomparable. Suave and tremendously charming Cary Grant, the magnificent Katherine Hepburn, and, of course, Jimmy, who won an Oscar for his work and is never less than adorable.
NEARLY incomparable.But if anyone can do it, it's gotta be Bing,Satchmo,Gracie,and the Voice. I find it hard to believe anyone in the world could possibly contest that, but since there are such unlikely specimens out there, I'd better explain.
If there's a more magnificent marriage than that of Frank Sinatra and a Cole Porter masterpiece, I'd like to hear about it. But even perfection can be improved, when you add Bing Crosby, a witty little tune,and some hilarious ad libs, all courtesy of a few too many drinks.That makes up heaven, which can also go under the heading of '' Well, Did you Evah,'' without a doubt the best song ,and scene, in this film. But never fear, there are other gems as well.
Grace Kelly is terrific in High Society. The not quite yet Princess of Monaco is not only breathtakingly beautiful, but adorable as well. Her drunken warbling of ''You're Sensational,'' as her stiffly embarrassed fiancé drags her through a crowd of very proper guests is hilarious, and I can never keep from laughing during the scene when she meets Mike Connor and Liz Embrie, also known as Frank Sinatra and Celeste Holm.
Louis Armstrong doesn't have much to do in the picture, but what he does do is great. He introduces the film with a cute calypso number, sings a marvelous duet with Bing, and the way he say's,'' End of song, beginin' of the storyyy,'' is enough to make him unforgettable.
Bing, of course, can NEVER be anything but magnificent. He remains an American icon, and all his talent, charm, and timeless quality are well displayed.He makes his easy-going way through some magical songs,too, including, two marvelous duets with his singing co-stars, and, of course, that little #1 record he did with Grace.
Personally, I like Celeste Holm even more in High Society than I liked Ruth Hussey,who played the Liz Embrie role in Philadelphia Story.She's funny, charming,works well with Sinatra, sings a hilarious duet with The Voice, and has a beautiful smile. ( Not that the last thing mentioned matters, but it helps.)
And now-the best for last. I have been a Sinatra adorer for years, so I'm more than a little biased, but I absolutely love Mr.Sinatra in this movie. His singing is flawless and incomparable, ( especially in ''You're Sensational,'') his charm and charisma even more evident than the considerable amount displayed by Mr.Crosby, and he's pure style and ring-a-ding ding.( Those blue eyes ain't bad either!)
Oh, one complaint I've found about High Society is that it's outdated and it aged badly. I am 14 years old, so, if there WERE any reason to believe that, I'd be one of the first to know it. It is NOT outdated, has NOT aged badly, and it's one of the most entertaining and simply fun movies I've ever seen. And that is, as Satchmo says, the...'' End of storyyy!!''
This second rendition of the exuberant play by John Barry, while inferior to Cukor's 1940 version, remains a delightful farce on the upper class thanks to the witty, sparkling script from the play by John Barry.
The cast is commendable albeit not spectacular given , showcasing the drollery of the script. Grace Kelly (in her last complete screen performance) surprises us with her comedic talents helped along by the script; Crosby slips into the comfortable role of the guy-next-door that is all too familiar with his screen person. Sinatra (showing some of his age) sings adequately, but seems a little distant and lacks the edge, danger and sexiness of his 1940 counterpart.
I might only add that the 3 principals seemed to lack that spark which validated their freewheeling around L.A singing songs about making love. On screen I did not feel they were as youthful and vibrant as seen in some of their earlier films.
The direction by Charles Walters - an accomplished director of film musicals including Gigi, Ziegfeld Follies, and Annie get your Gun - supports the cast very well with various long shots of the mansion and sunny California. He is splendidly able to infuse the house with it's sparkling jewels and ornaments with a sense of grandeur, merriment and delight so that it fully inhabits the characters and their kingdom.
The scene-stealer each time is Louis Armstrong and his band. While his interludes are not his best pieces to showcase, the music is pleasant, dreamy and fun. What else would you expect from this rollicking comedy? And how can you not love Armstrong? He was so adorable!
It was interesting to note the audience's reaction to this film. Musicals are one of my favourite genres - I love them for the swooning and swinging numbers - however the audience did not appreciate it so much. There were even groans and boos (which I found disrespectful - you must know it's a musical!) when Sinatra and Kelly burst into dreamy love duets. I have to admit though that the transition of the songs in the film was not altogether seamless (even choppy at times). At times it seemed like a selling point for the producers to capitalise on the musical craze sweeping the country during that period in Hollywood (See Kelly and Sinatra sing!); add name dropping, and songs & lyrics that misrepresent Cole Porter's skill and wit as a composer.
This is a fun film however deeply overshadowed by the original 1940 version and lacking Cuckor's razor-sharp screwball slapstick. The pace is also slower however it probably compensates for delighting us with the elegant sets and musical interludes.
I was also fortunate to see this film with audience and definitely relished hearing the viewers chortle along to the absurd story and zany characters. It was impossible not to join in the belly-laughs in this dreamy ride.
The cast is commendable albeit not spectacular given , showcasing the drollery of the script. Grace Kelly (in her last complete screen performance) surprises us with her comedic talents helped along by the script; Crosby slips into the comfortable role of the guy-next-door that is all too familiar with his screen person. Sinatra (showing some of his age) sings adequately, but seems a little distant and lacks the edge, danger and sexiness of his 1940 counterpart.
I might only add that the 3 principals seemed to lack that spark which validated their freewheeling around L.A singing songs about making love. On screen I did not feel they were as youthful and vibrant as seen in some of their earlier films.
The direction by Charles Walters - an accomplished director of film musicals including Gigi, Ziegfeld Follies, and Annie get your Gun - supports the cast very well with various long shots of the mansion and sunny California. He is splendidly able to infuse the house with it's sparkling jewels and ornaments with a sense of grandeur, merriment and delight so that it fully inhabits the characters and their kingdom.
The scene-stealer each time is Louis Armstrong and his band. While his interludes are not his best pieces to showcase, the music is pleasant, dreamy and fun. What else would you expect from this rollicking comedy? And how can you not love Armstrong? He was so adorable!
It was interesting to note the audience's reaction to this film. Musicals are one of my favourite genres - I love them for the swooning and swinging numbers - however the audience did not appreciate it so much. There were even groans and boos (which I found disrespectful - you must know it's a musical!) when Sinatra and Kelly burst into dreamy love duets. I have to admit though that the transition of the songs in the film was not altogether seamless (even choppy at times). At times it seemed like a selling point for the producers to capitalise on the musical craze sweeping the country during that period in Hollywood (See Kelly and Sinatra sing!); add name dropping, and songs & lyrics that misrepresent Cole Porter's skill and wit as a composer.
This is a fun film however deeply overshadowed by the original 1940 version and lacking Cuckor's razor-sharp screwball slapstick. The pace is also slower however it probably compensates for delighting us with the elegant sets and musical interludes.
I was also fortunate to see this film with audience and definitely relished hearing the viewers chortle along to the absurd story and zany characters. It was impossible not to join in the belly-laughs in this dreamy ride.
MGM was pretty lucky to secure the talents of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, Celeste Holm, and Louis Armstrong to get involved in this great musical adaption of The Philadelphia Story.
Cole Porter contributed a great original score for this film with songs very specifically written to suit the talents of High Society's players. I do wish Celeste Holm had been given more to do than just the duet with Frank Sinatra, Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. On Broadway Celeste Holm was a musical star with Oklahoma and Bloomer Girl to her credit, but MGM didn't want to recognize that.
For this film, the story is reset from Philadelphia to Newport, Rhode Island to bring in the famous Jazz Festival. Philip Barry's social commentary is toned down and a very partisan Greek Chorus is added in the person of Mr. Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong. Satchmo tells you right up front who he's pulling for to win Grace Kelly and he helps musically along the way.
Satch and Bing have that classic Now You Has Jazz duet, so successful was it that they did an album together a few years later. Bing Crosby during his life was crazy about jazz musicians and there was no one he liked better than Louis Armstrong. No one on the planet could resist that man's joy for living.
Grace Kelly got a chance to bat 1000 in the recording industry. She was no singer as she would have freely admitted, but Cole Porter wrote True Love specifically to accommodate her limited range and when she does the last two bars of True Love with Der Bingle she got a million selling record for her one and only platter. As for Bing he got his 20th Gold record and the only one not with Decca records.
True Love was nominated for Best Song at the Oscars but lost to Doris Day's Que Sera Sera which boomed all over the charts in 1956. It was sadly Cole Porter's last opportunity to win an Oscar for one of his movie songs.
Frank Sinatra got a couple of good ballads in You're Sensational and Mind If I Make Love to You, but what he's best remembered for is that classic Well Did You Evah duet with Bing. Today's fans can't possibly appreciate the screen meeting of the two best and best known singers for the previous generations. A musical summit conference.
High Society's tone is a lot lighter than the Philadelphia Story. The cast in terms of acting ability are not in the same league as Grant, Stewart, Hepburn, and Hussey. But folks it is a musical. I doubt those stars could have carried off the Cole Porter score.
You can't miss with a cast like this, in either film for that matter.
Cole Porter contributed a great original score for this film with songs very specifically written to suit the talents of High Society's players. I do wish Celeste Holm had been given more to do than just the duet with Frank Sinatra, Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. On Broadway Celeste Holm was a musical star with Oklahoma and Bloomer Girl to her credit, but MGM didn't want to recognize that.
For this film, the story is reset from Philadelphia to Newport, Rhode Island to bring in the famous Jazz Festival. Philip Barry's social commentary is toned down and a very partisan Greek Chorus is added in the person of Mr. Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong. Satchmo tells you right up front who he's pulling for to win Grace Kelly and he helps musically along the way.
Satch and Bing have that classic Now You Has Jazz duet, so successful was it that they did an album together a few years later. Bing Crosby during his life was crazy about jazz musicians and there was no one he liked better than Louis Armstrong. No one on the planet could resist that man's joy for living.
Grace Kelly got a chance to bat 1000 in the recording industry. She was no singer as she would have freely admitted, but Cole Porter wrote True Love specifically to accommodate her limited range and when she does the last two bars of True Love with Der Bingle she got a million selling record for her one and only platter. As for Bing he got his 20th Gold record and the only one not with Decca records.
True Love was nominated for Best Song at the Oscars but lost to Doris Day's Que Sera Sera which boomed all over the charts in 1956. It was sadly Cole Porter's last opportunity to win an Oscar for one of his movie songs.
Frank Sinatra got a couple of good ballads in You're Sensational and Mind If I Make Love to You, but what he's best remembered for is that classic Well Did You Evah duet with Bing. Today's fans can't possibly appreciate the screen meeting of the two best and best known singers for the previous generations. A musical summit conference.
High Society's tone is a lot lighter than the Philadelphia Story. The cast in terms of acting ability are not in the same league as Grant, Stewart, Hepburn, and Hussey. But folks it is a musical. I doubt those stars could have carried off the Cole Porter score.
You can't miss with a cast like this, in either film for that matter.
- bkoganbing
- Jun 5, 2005
- Permalink
- JamesHitchcock
- Nov 11, 2008
- Permalink
This film at first glance might seem to have all the makings of a great film, with its main stars (Sinatra, Kelly, Crosby), as well as Louis Armstrong's singing, Cole Porter's songs, and Nelson Riddle's scoring. Which was why I wondered what in the world made this movie fail. It came nowhere near as close to the brilliance of "The Philadelphia Story," as well as failing to even be a good musical.
The script was not as tight as in the original. It came off as being far too contrived and an overall horrible redo of the original. They seemed to stretch the script a bit thin in an attempt to make the musical aspect of it seem logical, and fell flat on its face doing so.
The songs were not really that good in my opinion. I think a good musical leaves you humming the song after you hear it, or maybe even singing along of you know the song. The songs had no such effect on me this time, unlike a great musical like "The Sound of Music" or "My Fair Lady."
Perhaps the greatest disappointment was just how poor everyone's acting was in this movie. For one, there was absolutely no chemistry whatsoever between Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra or between Kelly and Bing Crosby. To use my previous terminology, everyone's acting seemed far too contrived. The rest of the supporting cast was also highly disappointing, especially when compared to the original "Philadelphia Story Cast"
Grace Kelly's acting was outright horrible. She was excellent in "Rear Window" and in "High Noon," so I expected much out of her in this movie. Was I ever let down. Sinatra was great in "The Manchurian Candidate" and fairly good in "From Here to Eternity," but gave a horrible acting performance in this film (I also think his acting sucks in "Guys and Dolls"). I think the fault must be the director's fault, since I know all of the actors could have and have elsewhere done excellent jobs.
I gave this movie a 4 out of 10. I'd say stick to the original "Philadelphia Story," and look for a good musical elsewhere.
The script was not as tight as in the original. It came off as being far too contrived and an overall horrible redo of the original. They seemed to stretch the script a bit thin in an attempt to make the musical aspect of it seem logical, and fell flat on its face doing so.
The songs were not really that good in my opinion. I think a good musical leaves you humming the song after you hear it, or maybe even singing along of you know the song. The songs had no such effect on me this time, unlike a great musical like "The Sound of Music" or "My Fair Lady."
Perhaps the greatest disappointment was just how poor everyone's acting was in this movie. For one, there was absolutely no chemistry whatsoever between Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra or between Kelly and Bing Crosby. To use my previous terminology, everyone's acting seemed far too contrived. The rest of the supporting cast was also highly disappointing, especially when compared to the original "Philadelphia Story Cast"
Grace Kelly's acting was outright horrible. She was excellent in "Rear Window" and in "High Noon," so I expected much out of her in this movie. Was I ever let down. Sinatra was great in "The Manchurian Candidate" and fairly good in "From Here to Eternity," but gave a horrible acting performance in this film (I also think his acting sucks in "Guys and Dolls"). I think the fault must be the director's fault, since I know all of the actors could have and have elsewhere done excellent jobs.
I gave this movie a 4 out of 10. I'd say stick to the original "Philadelphia Story," and look for a good musical elsewhere.
- wwf_chickadee
- Mar 12, 2005
- Permalink
- vincentlynch-moonoi
- Nov 6, 2014
- Permalink
How could a movie with so much going for it be so bad?
The plot, such as there is one, is misogynist. Tracy Lord is very beautiful. She poses in glamorous costumes. People -- her little sister, her mother, her father, her ex-husband, her fiancé -- walk up to her and communicate to her what a failure as a human being she is.
Tracy is told she is hard, virginal, cold. Her father is really, really mad at her because he left his wife, her mother, for a much younger stripper, and Tracy didn't show him any "warmth." So, that makes her a -- well, you know the word.
It's all so icky.
The original play was purchased and tailored for Katharine Hepburn, at a time when she was considered box office poison. She was considered too haughty, too upper class, not warm enough.
So, Tracy Lord / Katharine Hepburn / Grace Kelly is really beautiful, and aristocratic, and we all envy her for that, and she is starred in a role where people give her a hard time for being beautiful and aristocratic. Ew!
Maybe any of this would be tolerable if "High Society" were not so starchy, dull, immobile, incomprehensible and dead on the screen. "High Society" is boringly staged. Actors pose flat on the screen, as if they were in a stage play. Action is slow and unbelievable.
"High Society" is meant to take place among multimillionaires. You could recreate the sets by shopping at a Salvation Army. They are simply tacky.
Bing Crosby, one of the greats, appears old enough to be Tracy's father, and this does nothing to add to the romance between them. His character makes no sense whatsoever. He's the millionaire grandson of a robber baron, and also, somehow, personal friends with Louis Armstrong, and a great jazz singer? This doesn't follow the logic of conventional musicals -- Crosby / Dexter-Haven performs on a stage in front of his fellow millionaires. I don't think so.
Frank Sinatra sings one good song, and that's fun, but they did something weird to his hair -- is that ... could it be ... SHOE POLISH???!!! Grace Kelly is a very beautiful woman, but she needs a good director -- Alfred Hitchcock, say -- to use her. Watching her pose in fabulous costumes gets a bit old.
Celeste Holm is utterly wasted. She and Sinatra have as much chemistry together as ... well ... as Celeste Holm and Frank Sinatra.
Tracy's father is one of the most unpleasant characters ever written, and he's played by a B movie actor who, after this, went back to his successful career as a crash test dummy.
Skip it. Not all films from the classic era and featuring classic stars are worth seeing.
The plot, such as there is one, is misogynist. Tracy Lord is very beautiful. She poses in glamorous costumes. People -- her little sister, her mother, her father, her ex-husband, her fiancé -- walk up to her and communicate to her what a failure as a human being she is.
Tracy is told she is hard, virginal, cold. Her father is really, really mad at her because he left his wife, her mother, for a much younger stripper, and Tracy didn't show him any "warmth." So, that makes her a -- well, you know the word.
It's all so icky.
The original play was purchased and tailored for Katharine Hepburn, at a time when she was considered box office poison. She was considered too haughty, too upper class, not warm enough.
So, Tracy Lord / Katharine Hepburn / Grace Kelly is really beautiful, and aristocratic, and we all envy her for that, and she is starred in a role where people give her a hard time for being beautiful and aristocratic. Ew!
Maybe any of this would be tolerable if "High Society" were not so starchy, dull, immobile, incomprehensible and dead on the screen. "High Society" is boringly staged. Actors pose flat on the screen, as if they were in a stage play. Action is slow and unbelievable.
"High Society" is meant to take place among multimillionaires. You could recreate the sets by shopping at a Salvation Army. They are simply tacky.
Bing Crosby, one of the greats, appears old enough to be Tracy's father, and this does nothing to add to the romance between them. His character makes no sense whatsoever. He's the millionaire grandson of a robber baron, and also, somehow, personal friends with Louis Armstrong, and a great jazz singer? This doesn't follow the logic of conventional musicals -- Crosby / Dexter-Haven performs on a stage in front of his fellow millionaires. I don't think so.
Frank Sinatra sings one good song, and that's fun, but they did something weird to his hair -- is that ... could it be ... SHOE POLISH???!!! Grace Kelly is a very beautiful woman, but she needs a good director -- Alfred Hitchcock, say -- to use her. Watching her pose in fabulous costumes gets a bit old.
Celeste Holm is utterly wasted. She and Sinatra have as much chemistry together as ... well ... as Celeste Holm and Frank Sinatra.
Tracy's father is one of the most unpleasant characters ever written, and he's played by a B movie actor who, after this, went back to his successful career as a crash test dummy.
Skip it. Not all films from the classic era and featuring classic stars are worth seeing.
- Danusha_Goska
- Sep 22, 2007
- Permalink
"If my wonderful, beautiful, marvelous virtue is still intact, it's no thanks to me, I assure you."
High Society is an irreverent, star-studded, music infused lite-romance set amongst the idle rich of Newport, Rhode Island. Quite funny and rarely serious for long, High Society revolves around wealthy and gorgeous Samantha Lord (Grace Kelly), and the three men competing for her affection as her wedding day draws near.
Bing Crosby stars as her ex-husband, John Lund as her current fiancé, and Frank Sinatra as a visiting reporter come to cover her wedding for a gossip rag. Most of the entertainment from the film comes from Sam bouncing around between the three men, as she goes from a frosty goddess to a warm, fun woman truly ready to marry. I'm sure her behavior in the movie seemed a bit risqué at the time, but it's all ultimately innocent in the end. And of course by the finale, (almost) everyone is happy.
There are quite a few songs sprinkled throughout the movie, with Crosby, Sinatra, Kelly, and Celeste Holm all getting a chance to belt out a tune or two. Louis Armstrong serves as something of an on-screen narrator, and also plays occasionally with his band. The songs are pleasant, with more than one or two likely to have you humming along.
Grace Kelly fans will be quite pleased with this, as she rarely looked more stunningly beautiful and gets to show off both her comedic skills and singing talents. She's quite funny, here, and carries a large share of the comedic burden as the movie goes on. Her chemistry with all the other leads is solid, and she carries off Samantha's mini- transformation quite well. Basically, if you weren't a fan of hers before seeing this, I'd be pretty amazed if you weren't smitten with her by the time the credits roll. This was her last role before leaving Hollywood for Monaco, and she definitely went out on a high note (pun not intended).
High Society is a charming, fun movie that should appeal to fans of classic films, musicals, or any of the cast. It's hard not to smile as you watch it, but why would you want to avoid it, anyway?
High Society is an irreverent, star-studded, music infused lite-romance set amongst the idle rich of Newport, Rhode Island. Quite funny and rarely serious for long, High Society revolves around wealthy and gorgeous Samantha Lord (Grace Kelly), and the three men competing for her affection as her wedding day draws near.
Bing Crosby stars as her ex-husband, John Lund as her current fiancé, and Frank Sinatra as a visiting reporter come to cover her wedding for a gossip rag. Most of the entertainment from the film comes from Sam bouncing around between the three men, as she goes from a frosty goddess to a warm, fun woman truly ready to marry. I'm sure her behavior in the movie seemed a bit risqué at the time, but it's all ultimately innocent in the end. And of course by the finale, (almost) everyone is happy.
There are quite a few songs sprinkled throughout the movie, with Crosby, Sinatra, Kelly, and Celeste Holm all getting a chance to belt out a tune or two. Louis Armstrong serves as something of an on-screen narrator, and also plays occasionally with his band. The songs are pleasant, with more than one or two likely to have you humming along.
Grace Kelly fans will be quite pleased with this, as she rarely looked more stunningly beautiful and gets to show off both her comedic skills and singing talents. She's quite funny, here, and carries a large share of the comedic burden as the movie goes on. Her chemistry with all the other leads is solid, and she carries off Samantha's mini- transformation quite well. Basically, if you weren't a fan of hers before seeing this, I'd be pretty amazed if you weren't smitten with her by the time the credits roll. This was her last role before leaving Hollywood for Monaco, and she definitely went out on a high note (pun not intended).
High Society is a charming, fun movie that should appeal to fans of classic films, musicals, or any of the cast. It's hard not to smile as you watch it, but why would you want to avoid it, anyway?
- lewiskendell
- Dec 1, 2010
- Permalink
I would have rated the movie lower if not for the talented supporting cast and the two songs: "True Love" and "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?" I never understood Frank Sinatra's popularity (at least as an actor) but did recognize his talent as a singer, and he paled in comparison to Jimmy Stewart as Mike Connor in the original "The Philadelphia Story." If you want to witness an absolutely painful performance by Sinatra, watch "Young at Heart." Additionally, in most of her movies, this one in particular, I found Grace Kelly's voice annoying and her mannerisms stilted, affected and unconvincing. And, getting back to Sinatra, he and Celeste Holm had absolutely no chemistry - Holm seeming more like his older sister. Sadly, I never appreciated Louis Armstrong's voice either and found it grating, like I wanted to clear my throat from the scratchiness of it. It's a shame to note that in this movie, the supporting players far outweighed the stars, except for Celeste Holm, who I found to be charming in this role, but not as good as Ruth Hussey was in the original film.
- Somesweetkid
- Apr 12, 2022
- Permalink
In "The Philadelphia Story", where Katherine Hepburn was red in tooth and claw and whose taming outdoes that of the shrew, Grace Kelly is a kitten. (She was an altogether sharper piece of work in "Rear Window"). It therefore comes as no surprise that she mellows sooner rather than later. On the other hand, she's sensational as Frank Sinatra reminds us in one of the scores many memorable songs. And she's absolutely lovely and who couldn't be smitten by her.
In the Cary Grant role of C K Dexter-Haven, Bing Crosby is blander, (he acts as if he's on holiday), but he does get to sing 'Now You Has Jazz' and duets with Sinatra on the magnificent 'Well, Did You Evah' so you are inclined to forgive him anything. As the reporters, Sinatra and Celeste Holm are quite the equal of James Stewart and Ruth Hussey, (and they get the great 'Who Wants To Be a Millionaire' number), and if the whole thing is rather like a large meringue with much the same consistency, it's still pretty irresistible. Almost sensational, in fact.
In the Cary Grant role of C K Dexter-Haven, Bing Crosby is blander, (he acts as if he's on holiday), but he does get to sing 'Now You Has Jazz' and duets with Sinatra on the magnificent 'Well, Did You Evah' so you are inclined to forgive him anything. As the reporters, Sinatra and Celeste Holm are quite the equal of James Stewart and Ruth Hussey, (and they get the great 'Who Wants To Be a Millionaire' number), and if the whole thing is rather like a large meringue with much the same consistency, it's still pretty irresistible. Almost sensational, in fact.
- MOscarbradley
- Feb 14, 2006
- Permalink
Aside from the Louie Armstrong performances - just a bad movie compared to The Philadelphia Story - Grace Kelly must have had her mind on her upcoming wedding, because it is surely the worst performance of her career. She tries to mimic Hepburn's performance but fails miserably. Crosby could be her grandfather, and is bored. Sinatra is OK, and actually has some chemistry with Kelly. All the supporting actors (except Louie) are miscast or just bad (and Louie is not given anything to do, there is a Newport Jazz Festival, but you'd never know it with this movie). The director uses mostly boring mid-shots, just terrible. Grace Kelly is beautiful, but you would not know it - where are the close ups?! Watching this after seeing The Philadelphia Story was painful. I like this when I saw it in the '60's, but it does not stand up, mainly due to the pathetic directing. Dull.
Tracy Lord is a society woman with an inflexible sense of propriety: not only has she divorced her socially liberal first husband C.K. Dexter-Haven, she has forced her mother to separate from her father over the latter's questionable behavior with a chorus girl. Now she plans to marry George Kittredge, a social climber with a sense of propriety as inflexible as her own--only to find her wedding suddenly beset by her first husband, two pesky reporters, the possibility of a paternal scandal, and a local jazz fest.
If all this sounds a bit familiar, it should be no surprise. Originally written for the stage by Philip Barry under the title THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, it proved a smash hit during the 1940s on both stage and screen, and this remake follows the original very closely, only fiddling with the story and characters to the extent of introducing and rationalizing Cole Porter's musical elements.
The original non-musical film cast included Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart--a hard act to follow, to say the least. But while they don't best that teaming, stars Grace Kelly (Tracy), Bing Crosby (C.K. Dexter-Haven), and Frank Sinatra (Mike Connor, one of the reporters) carry off the roles with considerable charm. But the real strength of this film is the guest appearance of Louis Armstrong and the Cole Porter score. Only Porter would be brazen enough to write lyrics that rhyme Circe with Mercy, and while this is one of his lesser efforts it is still pretty impressive stuff, including such memorable tunes as "True Love," the satirical "Well, Did You Ever?," and such throw-away charmers as "Little One." As for Louis Armstrong, his star quality is powerful enough to put even Sinatra in the shade.
The failure of the film is the fact that every one in the cast seems to play a bit too casually, and although they are all clearly having a good time they never really achieve the sparkle a truly great musical comedy requires. Even so, musical fans--particularly those of Cole Porter, Armstrong, Crosby, and Sinatra--will find it quite enjoyable, and Grace Kelly fans will find the actress as lovely as ever. Recommended.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
If all this sounds a bit familiar, it should be no surprise. Originally written for the stage by Philip Barry under the title THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, it proved a smash hit during the 1940s on both stage and screen, and this remake follows the original very closely, only fiddling with the story and characters to the extent of introducing and rationalizing Cole Porter's musical elements.
The original non-musical film cast included Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart--a hard act to follow, to say the least. But while they don't best that teaming, stars Grace Kelly (Tracy), Bing Crosby (C.K. Dexter-Haven), and Frank Sinatra (Mike Connor, one of the reporters) carry off the roles with considerable charm. But the real strength of this film is the guest appearance of Louis Armstrong and the Cole Porter score. Only Porter would be brazen enough to write lyrics that rhyme Circe with Mercy, and while this is one of his lesser efforts it is still pretty impressive stuff, including such memorable tunes as "True Love," the satirical "Well, Did You Ever?," and such throw-away charmers as "Little One." As for Louis Armstrong, his star quality is powerful enough to put even Sinatra in the shade.
The failure of the film is the fact that every one in the cast seems to play a bit too casually, and although they are all clearly having a good time they never really achieve the sparkle a truly great musical comedy requires. Even so, musical fans--particularly those of Cole Porter, Armstrong, Crosby, and Sinatra--will find it quite enjoyable, and Grace Kelly fans will find the actress as lovely as ever. Recommended.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
I'd give the movie an 8 out of 10 overall. The music is fabulous and deserves 10, but the movie has some serious rough spots. Grace Kelly is lovely, but absolutely useless - her almost acting reminded me of the character Nicole Kidman played in "To Die For". However, Grace Kelly's character was not meant to be a sociopath. Regardless, it's worth it just for the music. Classic.
It's as if Charles Walters took "The Philadelphia Story", broke it up into little tiny bits, lost a third of them, then hastily tried put the remainder back together again when he saw George Cukor walking up the driveway. The result is not just worse than the original, but improbably worse. For instance, not one actor - not even among the bit players - is as good as his or her predecessor. How likely is this to happen by chance? Off the top of my head I can count twelve roles; the likelihood of them all being performed worse the second time round is about 1 in 4096. -Yes, I'm aware of sampling bias; I know that the only reason I'm making the comparison in the first place is that the original performances were better than average, but adjust the figure to allow for this and it would still be impressive - besides, I'm sure that a scene by scene or plot point by plot point comparison would yield similar results.
ESPECIALLY the latter. If you've only seen "The Philadelphia Story" you simply won't be able to believe how idiotic the story has become as a result of the hundred or so nicks and scratches it has received after passing through the MGM mimeograph machine. Take, for example, Charles Dexter Haven. His marriage with Tracy hit the rocks because - and this is the central moral of BOTH films, not just the first - she was intolerant of human failings. What was Charles's failing? In the original, he was an alcoholic. This is a genuine failing, and it makes both him and Tracy more sympathetic than they would otherwise be. It means that Tracy had some reason to treat him badly, that he's bargaining from a position of weakness, that he has things to prove to himself as well as to other people, that in conquering his addiction he has achieved something, and that (this is a minor point) throughout the champagne-laced festivities he has an overwhelming reason to remain sober - he doesn't do so just because the plot requires it. Well and good. Now: what failing does Charles Dexter Haven have in the remake? None! (I mean, did you really think the studio would let Bing Crosby play an alcoholic?) Tracy left him because he wrote popular songs. Need I tell you what nonsense this makes of the story?
Lazily edited and flatly shot in uninspired Technicolor, "High Society" has nothing going for it but some Cole Porter songs. They're wonderful, but they're not enough. ...Are you thinking, perhaps, that I should just forget the original and think of the remake as a stand-alone work? If I could I would. I'm sure this goes for everyone here who has seen "The Philadelphia Story". If "High Society" had any energy or life of its own we could easily forgive it its failings and judge it as an independent creation - but it doesn't, and we can't.
ESPECIALLY the latter. If you've only seen "The Philadelphia Story" you simply won't be able to believe how idiotic the story has become as a result of the hundred or so nicks and scratches it has received after passing through the MGM mimeograph machine. Take, for example, Charles Dexter Haven. His marriage with Tracy hit the rocks because - and this is the central moral of BOTH films, not just the first - she was intolerant of human failings. What was Charles's failing? In the original, he was an alcoholic. This is a genuine failing, and it makes both him and Tracy more sympathetic than they would otherwise be. It means that Tracy had some reason to treat him badly, that he's bargaining from a position of weakness, that he has things to prove to himself as well as to other people, that in conquering his addiction he has achieved something, and that (this is a minor point) throughout the champagne-laced festivities he has an overwhelming reason to remain sober - he doesn't do so just because the plot requires it. Well and good. Now: what failing does Charles Dexter Haven have in the remake? None! (I mean, did you really think the studio would let Bing Crosby play an alcoholic?) Tracy left him because he wrote popular songs. Need I tell you what nonsense this makes of the story?
Lazily edited and flatly shot in uninspired Technicolor, "High Society" has nothing going for it but some Cole Porter songs. They're wonderful, but they're not enough. ...Are you thinking, perhaps, that I should just forget the original and think of the remake as a stand-alone work? If I could I would. I'm sure this goes for everyone here who has seen "The Philadelphia Story". If "High Society" had any energy or life of its own we could easily forgive it its failings and judge it as an independent creation - but it doesn't, and we can't.