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:

They're all together for the first time!

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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

Musical adaptation of the play and movie The Philadelphia Story.

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Goofs

When her mother breaks the news about Spy magazine coming to her wedding, Tracy is telling her mother she really thinks her mother is sorry she ever let her father go. She drops her arms to her side and turns her back completely on her mother, her arms swinging. In the reverse angle, she is only half turned and her hands are coming up to her hips.

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Quotes

Dexter: [singing] You're my bon ami.
Mike: Hey, that's French

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Connections

Referenced in Gossip Girl: Hi, Society (2007)

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Soundtracks

"High Society Calypso"
(uncredited)
Written by Cole Porter
Performed by Louis Armstrong

User Reviews

The unbeatable talents of three legendary stars in a nice musical comedy…

"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."