"The Philadelphia Story" vs "High Society"

Musique - High Society Calypso by Louis Armstrong

Well, I might be biased, given that Grace Kelly is my favorite actress of all time, but I do believe High Society trumps The Philadelphia Story. I am usually more of a fan of originals than remakes, but in this case, it's definitely the opposite.

Now, of course, I've watched High Society multiple times over the past fifteen to twenty years and I only just watched The Philadelphia Story recently, but still. I just think that even though the scripts are almost identical, the way the actors deliver their lines in High Society is just waaaaay better and funnier. Grace Kelly as drunk Tracy Lord is hysterical.  Katharine Hepburn as drunk Tracy Lord is just meh. I'm not sure if Katharine Hepburn hated this role or if Grace Kelly was just more well suited to it, but I thought Grace nailed it and Katharine was, well, meh. I guess you could say that Katharine Hepburn is more understated and Grace Kelly is more over the top at times, but I think this story line and the character of Tracy Lord calls for more over the topness.

 

I love Cary Grant and I think he is a superb actor, but there were times in this movie where he'd look down, almost shiftily, and it made C.K. Dexter Haven come across as less than confident and secure. It was very un-Cary Grant-like. And, although I enjoy Virginia Weidler (her having been in The Women, one of my favorite movies ever), I felt that Lydia Reed did a better job as the little sister—especially in the scene where she's acting purposefully snobby and showing off for the reporters. There was also something about the pacing of this movie or something I can't quite put my finger on, but High Society seemed to flow so much better and make so much more sense. I could never quite figure out why a drunk Mike Connor would go to C.K. Dexter Haven's house (as in The Philadelphia Story), but it makes total sense how a drunk Mike Connor would bond with Dexter in the library of Uncle Willie's house during the party (as in High Society).

However, I will say that there are things about The Philadelphia Story that I like better than in High Society. James Stewart for one. Now, Frank Sinatra is great, but I personally don't find him very charming. James Stewart is 100% charming. Hence, I found his Mike Connor far superior to Frank Sinatra's. Also, while I am both a Bing Crosby and a Cary Grant fan, I think that in 1956, when High Society came out, Bing was getting kind of up there in years—almost too old to play a romantic lead, in my opinion. And to watch Bing during the Now You Has Jazz number is a little painful—it's like watching your dad try to be cool or something. However, Bing and Grace having once been in love in real life, their chemistry is totally believable. It wasn't until the end of The Philadelphia Story that I started to pick up on any chemistry between Hepburn's Tracy and Grant's Dexter.

All the nitpicking aside, I thought both were wonderful movies and perhaps next time, I should watch The Philadelphia Story at a time when I haven't just watched High Society a day or two before so I won't expect so much out of it and I might like it better.