The rich in Philadelphia
are set to attend the wedding of divorcee Tracey Lord (Katharine
Hepburn) to a nice but unsuitable guy. Tracey's ex, C.K. Dexter
Haven (Cary Grant), helps a tabloid reporter, Macauley Connor
(Jimmy Stewart), and a photographer (Ruth Hussey) gain entrance to
the estate for a few days. Through what ensues, Tracey learns to
melt away her icy exterior and finds out which man really knows
and loves her.
CRITIQUE
Anyone who has read my favorites column knows how much I love this
film. I'd like to take this chance, though, to articulate more about
why. With a classic film such as this one, I think something perhaps a
bit subconscious clicks with us in the audience. We can tell of course
that the performances are good but also that there is something
amazing happening in front of us, even though we may not be able to
exactly express it. And we want to watch it over and over again,
glowing every minute.
In The Philadelphia Story, I think the reason for this
intangible appeal is threefold: script, direction, and performance.
The script may be the most responsible for creating a classic film and
the one here is quite outstanding. This was an era when comedy meant
literate, dry commentary on class and specific characters, not the
puerile, juvenile gross-out type most tossed at us today. The dialogue
here just sings and is at its most hilarious when characters are
drunk. Look for the one in which inebriated Connor visits Haven! Let's
not forget the romance, either. Stewart's "hearthfires and holocausts"
speech will do it every time.
George Cukor the director shows more skill than might at first be
evident with blocking and editing when you consider this is based on a
play. As Basinger's commentary points out, for example, Stewart's
reaction shots during Hepburn and Grant's argument in the poolhouse
are perfectly timed as punctuation and the audience relates to him.
Also, the editing in the final scene adds the dimension of Hussey and
Grant's reactions when Stewart proposes that was necessarily lacking
in the stage play.
Now, the real gem. Do I really even need to write any praise for
Hepburn, Grant and Stewart? The first is the only four-time Oscar
winner, the second is such an icon of suaveness and breeding that he
may be the perfect male lead, and the third has the talent (and
surprisingly good looks) that make up the Everyman. Together? Forget
about it! I'm just going to stop writing so you can watch the movie!
THE VIDEO
The glorious black and white cinematography is excellently preserved
in this standard format 2-disc edition.
THE AUDIO
The original soundtrack comes through well in Dolby Digital. There are
also English, French and Spanish subtitles offered.
THE EXTRAS
Disc One:
Audio Commentary: Film historian Jeannine Basinger provides
an audio commentary track that is fairly good. She keeps silences to a
minimum but she repeats some things quite a bit. She also often reads
from other sources for comments where the stars commented on the
director or their costars and things like that. The track is at its
best when Basinger is commenting on the talents behind the scenes like
the cinematographer or screenwriter, or pointing out the nuances of a
performance. She's interesting when she talks about how Cukor used
editing to open up the original staging from the play.
Trailers: Trailers for The Philadelphia Story and nine
other Cukor films are included. A really nice array and it's a kick to
see what '40s trailers looked like.
Disc Two:
Katharine Hepburn: All About Me- A Self-Portrait: A nice,
personal documentary with Hepburn discussing a lot of her films in a
little over an hour. She's actually more revealing than one might
think and footage of the aged Hepburn doing daily things offers a nice
contrast to the legend we're accustomed to. She seems very much the
independent, level-headed person others describe her as. She spends a
good amount of time talking about Spencer, revealing again more than
expected.
The Men Who Made the Movies: George Cukor: This hour-long
documentary is a great addition, focusing on the director, with
extensive film clips and an interview with Cukor, narrated by Sydney
Pollack. Cukor's comments about his
films are mostly about performances which are usually insightful
remarks, and you realize how often he worked with Hepburn.
"That Inferior Feeling": A short film from the same era as the
film, it features a man in situations where he feels inferior. It is
very cute and actually quite funny, all in about 10 minutes.
"The Homeless Flea": A cartoon also from the classic era, in
which a flea tries to move onto a dog. It’s nice animation for the
time and funny as well.
Radio Broadcasts: Two are included, one from Victory Theater,
one from the Lady Esther Screen Guild Playhouse. All three leads
return for both and its cool to hear just their voices while each
performance is just a bit different from the film. Hearing other
support, mostly in the second one, is a bit jarring.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Philadelphia Story would be reason in itself to recommend
this DVD but the extras enrich the viewing experience so much that
there's no question this is priority viewing for film fans. This film
is not a classic because it was made so long ago but because of its
witty, romantic script and the unequaled star power of Hepburn, Grant
and Stewart; this DVD does it justice.
