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.

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

Donald Ogden Stewart (screen play), Philip Barry (based on the play by)

Stars:

Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart

Won 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Cary Grant	...	C. K. Dexter Haven
Katharine Hepburn	...	Tracy Lord
James Stewart	...	Macaulay Connor
Ruth Hussey	...	Elizabeth Imbrie
John Howard	...	George Kittredge
Roland Young	...	Uncle Willie
John Halliday	...	Seth Lord
Mary Nash	...	Margaret Lord
Virginia Weidler	...	Dinah Lord
Henry Daniell	...	Sidney Kidd
Lionel Pape	...	Edward
Rex Evans	...	Thomas

Storyline

Philadelphia socialites Tracy Lord and C.K. Dexter Haven married impulsively, with their marriage and subsequent divorce being equally passionate. They broke up when Dexter's drinking became excessive, it a mechanism to cope with Tracy's unforgiving manner to the imperfect, imperfections which Dexter admits he readily has. Two years after their break-up, Tracy is about to remarry, the ceremony to take place at the Lord mansion. Tracy's bridegroom is nouveau riche businessman and aspiring politician George Kittredge, who is otherwise a rather ordinary man and who idolizes Tracy. The day before the wedding, three unexpected guests show up at the Lord mansion: Macaulay Connor (Mike to his friends), Elizabeth Imbrie - the two who are friends of Tracy's absent brother, Junius- and Dexter himself. Dexter, an employee of the tabloid Spy magazine, made a deal with its publisher and editor Sidney Kidd to get a story on Tracy's wedding - the wedding of the year - in return for Kidd not ...

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Plot Keywords:

love triangle | wedding | reporter | socialite | national film registry | 

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Taglines:

Uncle Leo's bedtime story for you older tots! The things they do among the playful rich - Oh, boy!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

17 January 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Philadelphia Story

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Philadelphia Story is one of two classic movies, still well-known and widely available in multiple formats, in which Cary Grant and Roland Young both appeared, the other being Topper.

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Goofs

At around 1 hour 39 mins into the movie, Cary Grant gets a "stinger" for the Katherine Hepburn's character. It is to help her with her hangover. On his way he runs into Jimmy Stewart's character. The glass is very full, about 1 inch from the top. Jimmy wants it but Cary says it is for Katherine. As Cary walks out on the patio a large portion of the drink is gone and it is clearly down when Cary hands it to Katherine. No one ever takes a sip and it is never spilled.

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Quotes

Sidney Kidd: Anyway, presented for the first time, quote: A wedding day inside mainline society.
Macaulay Connor: Or what the kitchen maid saw through the keyhole. Unquote.

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Connections

Featured in Shirtless: Hollywood's Sexiest Men (2002)

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Soundtracks

Over the Rainbow
(1939) (uncredited)
Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
Music by Harold Arlen
Sung a cappella by James Stewart

User Reviews

The course of true love... Gathers no moss

You really cant beat the classics. Its lines such as these and the manner of delivery that crack me up.

This is comedy at its finest. James Stewart's delivery and expressions are laugh out loud. Katherine Hepburn is a beauty and the only thing that outshines her is her acting.

The is a well made movie and great fun to watch. And most surprisingly, its not dated at all.