Dear Mark Steyn: I Love "The Philadelphia Story" (1940) and Hate "High Society (1956)"

Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, James Stewart and Ruth Hussey in 'The Philadelphia Story'

MGM took one of its best, most sophisticated movies (originally a great Broadway Play by Phillip Barry, who also wrote "Holiday") and turned it into a second class musical.
Don't get me wrong, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Cole Porter were great in other places, but not paired with Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Celeste Holme. Their chemistry together was a fizzle. The songs were not up to Cole Porter's standard (even the music in "The Philadelphia Story" was better), Bing boo-booed through his part, Sinatra just crooned, and the coolness of Grace Kelly turned icy. "High Society" was a low follow-up to "The Philadelphia Story." m/r

High Society: A SteynOnline Audio Special :: SteynOnline