Review of The Philadelphia Story (1940) by Fong K — 02 Sep 2017

A work that stands squarely on a wonderfully witty script that nearly redefines the word bouncy, and a thing of beauty to see performed. The work for me has one niggling flaw and I hesitate even to mention it, but here goes: Kate Hepburn as desirable? Every male in the film literally falls all over themselves over her, but I am struck speechless.

Am I the only one scratching his head over that? I kept wishing that she had exchanged roles with Ruth Hussey (Grant and she share only one brief scene together but I get more heat from that exchange than anything else in the whole film) but nobody's listening to me anyway.

Hepburn, I understand, grabbed the rights of the piece and made sure it was made especially for her, but I alone wonder what type of woman were the words originally intended for, and how it would have played - I can't believe it was for Hepburn's type.

Cukor outdoes himself again, despite the handicap.