The Philadelphia Story (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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Movie Reviews of The Philadelphia Story (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Movie Review: "Put me in your pocket, Mike!"
Summary: 5 Stars
"I thought all writers drank to excess and beat their wives. You know one time I secretly wanted to be a writer."
Tracy Samantha Lord (Katharine Hepburn) is getting married, and everyone is in a frenzy. Trazy is one of the elite rich, a woman who has experienced luxury and perfection in everything. She has been married before to CK Dexter Haven (Cary Grant), another member of the upper class. Their union was wrought with fights due to their conflicting personalities, but Dexter is still a strong presence in her life. In this her second marriage, Tracy wants something totally different. She has chosen a man who began as a lower class citizen but who has worked his way up to wealth (John Howard). Their union is the talk of the town, and although Tracy wants to keep thing private, Dexter can't help but throw a wrench her way by inviting the tabloid press. Macaulay Connor (Jimmy Stewart) and Elizabeth Imbrie (Ruth Hussey) spend their time snooping and rubbing elbows with thier subject. Everything culminates in
a fantastic drunken night where lovers are swapped, blows are delt, and general chaos sets in. However, all is done with class right down to the verbal assaults.
This movie gets better each time I watch it. It is easy to breeze by the enchanting dialogue on the first go-round, but once the story is understood, each line reveals itself to add another level of sophistication to the film. The actors are perfect in their roles. Hepburn is appropriately regal, but later soft and vulnerable when Tracy has her epiphany. Grant is smart, sypathetic, and all around wonderful. He makes acting seem effortless. Stewart won an Oscar for his role, and it was well deserved. He embodies the jaded writer and makes the character incredibly dynamic. His drunken scene is the highlight of the film. He is both uproariously funny and disarmingly attractive in a short span of time. The little looks he shoots his costars throughout his scenes are so telling and add another level to this wonderful cast. Even Virginia Weidler turns in a fine performance as Tracy's young sister.
Also included in this special edition DVD is a documentary about Hepburn called All About Me. Although brief and not totally in-depth, it is worth seeing because it is narrated by Hepburn herself. She is endearing in it, even though she was certainly a tough woman. We also have a documentary about George Cukor and a commentary by historian Jeanine Basinger.
Movie Review: PAGING W. C. FIELDS
Summary: 1 Stars
Of all the famous "oldies", this one holds up least well in my opinion. Evidently a real classic in pre World War 2, one would bet that 95% of today's viewers couldn't withstand the two hours of viewing time. Still seen occasionally on P.B.S., the movie simply has no action; only gab and an amusing off the cuff one-liner at times. Stewart won his only Oscar here, but it's obviously Grant who's the male lead,rescuing Stewart on at least one occasion from his usual bumbling. Multi Oscar winner Hepburn is reputed to have "jump started" her career here, but this reviewer fails to see it, prefering "The African Queen" a decade later, if at all. Again,we go back to an old theme, wondering why Jean Arthur, Claude Rains, or Grant never bagged a single Oscar amongst them.Meanwhile, the picture must have once meant something; it was re-made as "High Society" in the 1950's. But, Tom Hanks' "Philadephia", unthinkable in 1940, will now carry the cinematic banner for this city,perhaps forever.Movie Review: Great Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
LOVE LOVE LOVE this movie! Carey Grant is one of my favorites and this movie has him and a great cast! Very funny and charming.Movie Review: One of the best
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the best ever. The first 3 minutes alone are worth the price.Movie Review: Fantastic Leading Lady
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is all about Kathern Hepburn. She carries the movie from beginning to end with her endearing charm and wit. She is so much fun to watch and never disappoints. You can see why she was such a big star. Of course the movie wouldn't be what it was without its leading men. Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart play opposite her with such ease, charm, and sex appeal and the result is a highly entertaining film that is fun to watch all the way through. This is one of the great fulms of all time that features some of the greatest actors to ever grace the screen.