The Philadelphia Story (1940)
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A socialite's wedding plans are thrown into chaos by the unexpected arrival of her ex-husband and a tabloid journalist.
The story
Tracy Lord, a wealthy Philadelphia socialite, is preparing to marry George Kittredge. However, her plans are complicated when her ex-husband, C.K. Dexter Haven, arrives in New York along with a tabloid magazine reporter and a photographer. To protect her family's reputation from a scandalous article regarding her father's infidelity, Tracy agrees to let the reporter cover the wedding. As the date approaches, Tracy finds herself caught in a complicated emotional triangle between her fiancé George, her ex-husband Dexter, and the charming reporter Mike Connor.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Tracy Lord, a wealthy Philadelphia socialite, is set to marry George Kittredge. Her plans are disrupted by the arrival of her ex-husband, C.K. Dexter Haven, and a tabloid reporter, Mike Connor, who is assigned to cover the wedding. Dexter reveals that the magazine publisher has threatened to expose her father's affair with a dancer unless they are allowed to cover the event. To save her family's reputation, Tracy allows them to stay. During the preparations, Tracy discovers Mike's admirable qualities and finds herself torn between her three suitors. The night before the wedding, Tracy drinks and kisses Mike, leading to a midnight swim. When George discovers them, he feels betrayed and demands an explanation, leading Tracy to realize he loves an idealized version of her rather than who she truly is. She cancels the engagement. When the guests arrive, Mike offers to marry her, but she declines out of respect for Liz. Finally, Dexter offers to remarry her, and she accepts.
- First release year
- 1940
- Runtime (minutes)
- 112
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- George Cukor
- Writers
- Donald Ogden Stewart · screenplay; Waldo Salt · uncredited screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Cary Grant · C.K. Dexter Haven; Katharine Hepburn · Tracy Lord; James Stewart · Mike Connor; Ruth Hussey · Liz Imbrie; John Howard · George Kittredge; Roland Young · Junius; John Halliday · none; Mary Nash · none
- Genres
- romantic comedy; comedy of remarriage; screwball comedy
- Themes
- social class; infidelity; marriage and divorce; reputation
- Tone and mood
- witty; elegant; romantic
- Premise and plot tags
- romance; comedy; socialite; wedding; tabloid journalism
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1939 Broadway play by Philip Barry
- Reception
- The film was highly acclaimed, described as an 'unqualified classic' and 'among the best funny pictures' of the year. It was a box-office success, breaking records at Radio City Music Hall and being ranked as the best romantic comedy of all time by Rotten Tomatoes.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 100% · review count: 103
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Actor · Won; Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · Won
- Production trivia
- MGM remade the film in 1956 as the musical High Society.; The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1995.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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