Review of The Philadelphia Story (1940) by Kevin N — 26 Apr 2008

"I'm going crazy. I'm standing here solidly on my own two hands and going crazy.".

The Philadelphia Story is a classic, enchanting romantic comedy that has gone down in history as one of the much-loved romantic comedies of all time.

I will admit that because the film is decades old it has lost some of its charm and appeal, but the abilities of the actors is what truly carries this movie.

Based on a Broadway play, The Philadelphia Story is about a spoiled young woman named Tracy (Hepburn) who is engaged to marry stuffy upper class executive George (Howard). But soon Tracy's ex-husband Dexter (Grant) enters the picture as the wedding day approaches, as well as a charismatic newspaper spy (Stewart) who is hired to take pictures and grab an interesting scoop on the wedding. The wedding attracts a lot of attention from the media, and Dexter invites journalists from Spy magazine into Tracy's estate to record events leading up to the wedding in an attempt to get revenge on Tracy for their break-up many years ago.

For a classic, this love triangle in a romantic comedy is quite sophisticated. The snappy dialogue flows fantastically from scene to scene, accompanied by classy direction from George Cukor.

My only complaint: the film didn't have enough to keep my interest throughout the running time. There just wasn't enough substance to sustain interest in the viewer for the full 110 minutes.

One of the film's strengths is its tendency to steer away from conventions and predictability, but maybe a few of these thrown in could have made the film a bit more entertaining. But don't think I'm looking for some mindless Hollywood romantic comedy - most of which I detest - but I'd much prefer a bit more substance to keep my interest. Even after saying that, I will admit laughing at some of the witty dialogue delivered by some talented actors.

Cary Grant is at his usual high standard here, as is Katharine Hepburn. James Stewart, in his Oscar-winning role, plays a very fascinating fast-talking (!) reporter.

Overall, I found The Philadelphia Story to be pure classic cinema from the golden age of MGM studios. It's appealing, albeit dated, and very well crafted. A must for film buffs.