Between the Pages

High Society was a musical adaptation of the play The Philadelphia Story, which had been adapted into a successful film, starring Katharine Hepburn as Tracy Lord, Cary Grant as C.K. Dexter Haven and James Stewart as Mike Connor, in 1940.  Here the respective roles are taken by Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, and the setting is moved from Philadelphia to Newport, RI, in order to incorporate the Newport Jazz Festival.

Briefly the storyline starts on the eve of Tracy Lord’s second marriage.  Her first husband, Dexter, is in attendance, and is still much loved by the rest of her family.  A seedy magazine is planning on publishing an expose about Tracy’s father, who has run off with a dancer, unless the Lord family allow the magazine access to the wedding.  Tracy baulks at the idea, but to save her family’s reputation, agrees to the deal.  Macauley ‘Mike’ Connor is the journalist sent to cover the event, and Liz Imbrie (Celeste Holm) is the photographer.

Matters are complicated when it becomes clear that not only is Dexter still in love with Tracy, but Mike also falls for her!  The events which take place cause Tracy to look at the reasons why her first marriage failed, and she learns some truths about herself along the way.

It is impossible not to compare this film with The Philadelphia Story, and there are so many reasons why I should prefer the earlier movie, but for some reason, High Society won my heart a lot more quickly than its predecessor did.  For my money, Cary Grant was a far better Dexter than Bing Crosby – nothing wrong with Bing’s acting, but Grant looked far more the part – and Katharine Hepburn was (for me anyway) a superior actress to Grace Kelly.  She did not possess Kelly’s warmth, but Tracy Lord is supposed to be a cold character anyway, especially at the beginning of the film.  James Stewart is just about a better Mike than Sinatra, although I always enjoy watching both men on screen.  But for all that, High Society seemed the funnier film.  The musical numbers were wonderful – many aided by the wonderful Louis Armstrong, playing himself, in town with his band for the Jazz Festival.  The Crosby/Sinatra duet ‘Well Did You Evah’ is an absolute delight, with two of the best loved voices of the time going head to head and seeming to love every moment of it.  Grace Kelly did a fine job as Tracy, and it was entirely believeable to see not two, but three – the third being her prospective new husband – men in love with her.  Celeste Holm never disappoints, and she certainly didn’t here.

The ending – which I’m not going to reveal – did seem to ‘jar’ a little more than it did in The Philadelphia Story, but I can accept that, because the rest o the film was so instantly enjoyable – the scenes were Mike and Liz first arrive at the house and are introduced to the family were a real hoot.

Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable film, with some terrific music, and lots of laughs.  Highly recommended.

Year of release: 1956

Director: Charles Walters

Producer: Sol C. Siegel

Writers: Philip Barry (play ‘The Philadelphia Story’), John Patrick

Main cast: Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, Celeste Holm, Louis Calhern

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Click here for my review of the 2012/2013 stage production of High Society.

Click here for my review of The Philadelphia Story.

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