IMDb > The Philadelphia Story (1940)
The Philadelphia Story
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The Philadelphia Story (1940) More at IMDbPro »

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The Philadelphia Story (1940) -- 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.
The Philadelphia Story (1940) -- AllTrailers.net - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Donald Ogden Stewart (screenplay)
Philip Barry (play)
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Philadelphia Story on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
26 December 1940 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Uncle Leo's bedtime story for you older tots! The things they do among the playful rich - Oh, boy! more
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. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(15 articles)
SPhilip French's Screen Legend: Grace Kelly
 (From The Guardian - Film News. 12 December 2009, 4:05 PM, PST)

TV Bites: Silver Dreams For Entourage
 (From Movieline. 4 December 2009, 6:30 AM, PST)

User Comments:
Plays your heart strings in a masterful glissando. more (148 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Additional Details

Runtime:
112 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
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)
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The original play was written specifically for Katharine Hepburn. Playwright Philip Barry wanted to woo the actress back to the stage after she had received disastrous reviews for the play "The Lake" on Broadway. more
Goofs:
Boom mic visible: As Connor and Tracy exit the library, the boom mic is reflected on the windshield of Tracy's car. more
Quotes:
Macaulay Connor: Look, who's doing the interviewing here?
Elizabeth (Liz) Imbrie: Do you think she caught on somehow?
Macaulay Connor: No, she was born like that, don't let her throw you.
Elizabeth (Liz) Imbrie: Do you want to take over?
Macaulay Connor: I want to go home!
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The 76th Annual Academy Awards (2004) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Sobre las olas (Over the Waves) more

FAQ

A Note Regarding Spoilers
What song was playing during the ball? It sounds like a Cole Porter tune.
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
more
34 out of 43 people found the following comment useful.
Plays your heart strings in a masterful glissando., 5 October 2003
10/10
Author: budmassey (cyberbarrister@gmail.com) from Indianapolis, IN

That this brilliant story originated on stage is obvious. The stage requires personas of epic and electric beauty. Philadelphia Story boasts three of the brightest stars that ever burned to occupy these personas, which they do with miraculous luminance.

The play, of course, was written for Hepburn by Phillip Barry, and after over 400 performances on Broadway she cleverly bought the film rights right out from under the noses of Hollywood moguls who fancied themselves smarter than Dear Kate. This came at a time when Hepburn was tops on the list of stars who had been labeled box office poison by producers.

The dynamics between the stars are legendary. Finer actors never lived, and these are the performances of a lifetime for each of them. Stewart is funny, smoldering, passionate and moving and he has moments, many of them, of stunning brilliance in each of those emotions. Grant is his typical stilted and elegant self, funny, gracious, urbane and, yes, beautiful. And then there is Hepburn. She is breathtaking to look at, and she plays your heart strings in a masterful glissando plucking at every emotion as she moves effortlessly across her entire unmatched range.

The supporting cast is worthy of the surplus of talent that surrounds them, and offer a few unforgettable moments of their own. And the presence of George Cukor, the greatest director of women in history, and the best director of Hepburn as well, coaxes every brilliant word of the script to its full potential.

You must not miss this treasure simply because it is from another era. It depicts that era with insight and irreverence that expose it, and the rarified world of old Philadelphia Money (yes, with a capital "M") like few films of its time, or any time, could. Every time I watch this movie, and the frequency would embarrass me if I were honest about it, I love it more.

Watch it. Study it. Assimilate every second of it and your understanding and appreciation of cinema will be enriched for it. And you'll have a great time doing it!

Was the above comment useful to you?
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Did anyone else think that Jimmy Stewart was really beautiful here? rosecp01
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Tracey's Divorce laptow
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