High Society (1956)

C.K. Dexter-Haven, a successful popular jazz musician, lives in a mansion near his ex-wife's Tracy Lord's family estate. She is on the verge of marrying a man blander and safer than Dex, ... See full summary »

Director:

Charles Walters

Writers:

John Patrick (screenplay), Philip Barry (play)

Stars:

Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bing Crosby	...	C.K. Dexter-Haven
Grace Kelly	...	Tracy Lord
Frank Sinatra	...	Mike Connor
Celeste Holm	...	Liz Imbrie
John Lund	...	George Kittredge
Louis Calhern	...	Uncle Willie
Sidney Blackmer	...	Seth Lord
Louis Armstrong	...	Louis Armstrong
Margalo Gillmore	...	Mrs. Seth Lord
Lydia Reed	...	Caroline Lord
Gordon Richards	...	Dexter-Haven's Butler
Richard Garrick	...	Lords' Butler
Louis Armstrong and His Band	...	Themselves

Storyline

C.K. Dexter-Haven, a successful popular jazz musician, lives in a mansion near his ex-wife's Tracy Lord's family estate. She is on the verge of marrying a man blander and safer than Dex, who tries to win Tracy's heart again. Mike Connor, an undercover tabloid reporter, also falls for Tracy while covering the nuptials for Spy magazine. Tracy must choose between the three men as she discovers that "safe" can mean "deadly dull" when it comes to husbands and life.

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Plot Keywords:

reporter | musician | marriage | wedding | tabloid reporter | 

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Taglines:

The Hilarious Low-Down on High Life!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 July 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alta Sociedade

Filming Locations:

750 Bel Air Road, Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,700,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Sol C. Siegel Productions, Bing Crosby Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Perspecta Stereo (as Perspecta Sound®) (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song True Love, written by Cole Porter especially for the movie, was a million seller and both Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby were awarded platinum records for the song. This is the only platinum record ever given to sitting royalty as Grace Kelly had become Princess Grace by the time it was awarded.

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Goofs

When he says to Tracy his father was a teacher in South Bend, Mike puts both his hands between his legs. In the next shot he has his hands leaning on the couch by his sides.

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Quotes

Mike: Would you have four footmen bring me a large ashtray.
Liz Imbrie: Mike, be careful what you say. We may be wired for sound.

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Connections

Featured in That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)

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Soundtracks

"Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"
(uncredited)
Written by Cole Porter
Sung by Frank Sinatra and Celeste Holm

User Reviews

Mildy Pleasant Musical Remake Of A Classic Film

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