The Philadelphia Story

George Cukor’s quick-witted, acid-tongued lampoon of the lavishly rich boasts an all-star cast at the top of its Hollywood game. Playboy ex-husband Dexter Haven (Cary Grant) and aggressive tabloid reporter (Jimmy Stewart) join forces to harass heiress and socialite Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn) on the eve of her second wedding. The sharp quips become a war of words as the two try to push Tracy get past her posh pretence and discover her true feelings about marrying painfully respectable George Kittredge (John Howard). Charming, stylish, and incredibly funny, the film, based on a hit stage play by Philip Barry, features inspired performances, with Cukor’s masterful direction ensuring perfect timing all around. The Philadelphia Story is a joy to watch — and won Jimmy Stewart a Best Actor Academy Award. Contemporary reviews of the day gushed, as well they might. “A sleek new custom-built comedy with fast lines and the very finest in Hollywood fittings” (New York Times, 1940). “A picture every suburban mamma and poppa must see . . . As sophisticated a picture as Mr. and Mrs. Know-what-it’s-all-about are likely to see . . . The film romps home a winner” (Variety, 1940). B&W, 35mm, 112mins.