Rating: NR
Genre:
Comedy
Release Date: 04/22/2003
SubTitles: English/French/Espanol
Dubbed: English/French
Sound: DD5.1/DD1
Run Time: 111 min
Distributor/Studio: Warner Home Video
High Society is a glossy Technicolor-and-
VistaVision musical remake of
Philip Barry's
The Philadelphia Story (1940), decked out with million-watt star power and a
Cole Porter score. Set amongst the rich and famous in Newport, RI, the story revolves around the wedding plans of socialite
Tracy Lord (
Grace Kelly).
Tracy is all set to marry stuffy
George Kittridge (
John Lund), while magazine writer
Mike Connor (
Frank Sinatra) and photographer
Liz Imbrie (
Celeste Holm) intend to cover the ceremony. Meanwhile,
Tracy's ex-husband
C.K. Dexter-Haven (
Bing Crosby) also comes calling, ostensibly to the attend the annual Newport Jazz Festival, but actually for the purpose of winning
Tracy back. In the course of events,
Mike falls in love with
Tracy, and she with him. The Jazz Festival subplot allows scriptwriter
John Patrick to bring
Louis Armstrong into the proceedings, much to the delight of anyone who cares anything about music. The
Cole Porter tunes include the
Crosby-
Sinatra duet
"Well, Did You Evah?," the
Crosby-
Armstrong teaming
"Now You Has Jazz," the
Kelly-
Crosby romantic ballad "True Love," and the
Sinatra solo
"You're Sensational." Though it lacks the
satiric edge of the
Philip Barry original (
Barry, incidentally, is not given any screen credit),
High Society succeeds on its own lighthearted terms. The film represents
Grace Kelly's final acting assignment before her real-life wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco.
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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