Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersSundance Film FestivalIndependent Spirit AwardsBlack History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Philadelphia Story

  • 19401940
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 52m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
70K
YOUR RATING
Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart in The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Theatrical Trailer from MGM
Play trailer3:32
1 Video
99+ Photos
ComedyRomance
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.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.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.
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
70K
YOUR RATING
    • George Cukor
    • Donald Ogden Stewart(screen play)
    • Philip Barry(based on the play by)
    • Waldo Salt(contributing writer)
  • Stars
    • Cary Grant
    • Katharine Hepburn
    • James Stewart
    • George Cukor
    • Donald Ogden Stewart(screen play)
    • Philip Barry(based on the play by)
    • Waldo Salt(contributing writer)
  • Stars
    • Cary Grant
    • Katharine Hepburn
    • James Stewart
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 267User reviews
    • 79Critic reviews
    • 96Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 2 Oscars

    Videos1

    The Philadelphia Story
    Trailer 3:32
    Watch The Philadelphia Story

    Photos146

    Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story (1940)
    Cary Grant and James Stewart in The Philadelphia Story (1940)
    Cary Grant, James Stewart, and Ruth Hussey in The Philadelphia Story (1940)
    Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story (1940)
    Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart in The Philadelphia Story (1940)
    Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart, and Ruth Hussey in The Philadelphia Story (1940)
    Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart, John Howard, and Ruth Hussey in The Philadelphia Story (1940)
    Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart, and John Howard in The Philadelphia Story (1940)
    Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart in The Philadelphia Story (1940)
    722-1005 Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart in "The Philadelphia Story" 1940 MGM MPTV
    12011-1 James Stewart, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn in "The Philadelphia Story" 1940 MGM
    722-1007 Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart in "The Philadelphia Story" 1940 MGM

    Top cast

    Edit
    Cary Grant
    Cary Grant
    • C. K. Dexter Haven
    Katharine Hepburn
    Katharine Hepburn
    • Tracy Samantha Lord
    James Stewart
    James Stewart
    • Macaulay 'Mike' Connor
    Ruth Hussey
    Ruth Hussey
    • Elizabeth 'Liz' Imbrie
    John Howard
    John Howard
    • George Kittredge
    Roland Young
    Roland Young
    • Uncle Willie
    John Halliday
    John Halliday
    • Seth Lord
    Mary Nash
    Mary Nash
    • Margaret Lord
    Virginia Weidler
    Virginia Weidler
    • Dinah Lord
    Henry Daniell
    Henry Daniell
    • Sidney Kidd
    Lionel Pape
    Lionel Pape
    • Edward
    Rex Evans
    • Thomas
    King Baggot
    King Baggot
    • Wedding Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Hillary Brooke
    Hillary Brooke
    • Main Line Society Woman
    • (uncredited)
    Veda Buckland
    • Elsie
    • (uncredited)
    Lita Chevret
    Lita Chevret
    • Manicurist
    • (uncredited)
    Russ Clark
    Russ Clark
    • John - Chauffeur
    • (uncredited)
    Sally Cleaves
    • Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
      • George Cukor
      • Donald Ogden Stewart(screen play)
      • Philip Barry(based on the play by)
      • Waldo Salt(contributing writer) (uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Bringing Up Baby
    7.8
    Bringing Up Baby
    His Girl Friday
    7.8
    His Girl Friday
    Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
    8.1
    Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
    Arsenic and Old Lace
    7.9
    Arsenic and Old Lace
    The Shop Around the Corner
    8.0
    The Shop Around the Corner
    Anatomy of a Murder
    8.0
    Anatomy of a Murder
    Notorious
    7.9
    Notorious
    To Catch a Thief
    7.4
    To Catch a Thief
    Charade
    7.9
    Charade
    The Maltese Falcon
    8.0
    The Maltese Falcon
    Holiday
    7.7
    Holiday
    It Happened One Night
    8.1
    It Happened One Night

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film was shot in eight weeks, and required no retakes. During the scene where James Stewart hiccups when drunk, you can see Cary Grant looking down and grinning. Since the hiccup wasn't scripted, Grant was on the verge of breaking out laughing and had to compose himself quickly. Stewart (apparently spontaneously) thought of hiccuping in the drunk scene, without telling Grant. When he began hiccuping, Grant turned to Stewart, saying, "Excuse me." The scene required only one take.
    • Goofs
      When Mike has drunkenly woken Dexter up and barged into his home in the middle of the night, the top of Dexter's pajama shirt keeps changing from buttoned to unbuttoned.
    • Quotes

      Tracy Lord: The time to make up your mind about people is never.

    • Alternate versions
      Also available in a computer colorized version.
    • Connections
      Edited into Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972)
    • Soundtracks
      Lydia, the Tattooed Lady
      (1939) (uncredited)

      Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg

      Music by Harold Arlen

      Performed by Virginia Weidler (vocal and piano)

    User reviews267

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Overrated, Despite the Big Names
    If this is sophisticated comedy, I'll take the gaucheries of Airplane (1980) any day. Despite the celebrated cast, director, and screenwriter, the movie's not very amusing, unless you think drunks are automatically amusing. In fact, at times the antics are downright annoying, especially the shrill Hepburn character and Stewart's going way over the top as an inebriate reporter.

    At best, actress Hepburn is a matter of taste. Here director Cukor gives full reign to her most troublesome habit—sheer staginess. For Tracy (Hepburn), there's no such thing as a simple movement; instead, every inflection is an exaggeration of some sort. Just as bad for the movie, Grant is not allowed his usual superb comedic skills; instead, he gets to look on in a rather wooden manner, a not unreasonable reaction. Unfortunately, this is another example of MGM's Louis Mayer's infatuation with the idle rich and well-housed.

    One of the film's few positive notes are the many subtle innuendoes. In fact, the strategic use of such innuendoes as 'intact' made me wonder if the Grant-Hepburn marriage had ever been consummated. Then again, why any man would warm up to such a bitchy "goddess" remains perhaps the movie's biggest conundrum. On the other hand, the supporting cast, particularly Hussey and Weidler, furnish what there is of the movie's meager amusement. Too bad it's only in support.

    To me, the movie's exalted reputation is likely the result of Hollywood's promotional arm working overtime. After all, if the production's got this many illustrious names, it's got to be a classic. For a revealing contrast, catch the Grant-Hepburn-Hawks genuinely funny Bringing Up Baby, made only two years earlier. At least, Hawks knew how to edit a scene without letting it drone on and on. Here, Stewart's adaptation of the Barry play may have looked good on paper, but on screen it's quite a different matter, despite all the hoopla.
    helpful•44
    31
    • dougdoepke
    • Mar 2, 2014

    FAQ6

    • In what year or era is this Movie set? Was it considered a modern movie in it's day?
    • Is 'The Philadelphia Story' based on a book?
    • What song was playing during the ball? It sounds like a Cole Porter tune.

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 17, 1941 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 52 minutes
      • Black and White

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart in The Philadelphia Story (1940)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Philadelphia Story (1940) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.