Just released on DVD format, Charles Walters’ fabulous musical remake of George Cukor’s The Philadelphia Story (1940) sees Grace Kelly in her last ever film role before crossing the pond to marry into the Monaco monarchy (she even wore her actual engagement ring in the movie).

Kelly plays the spoilt heiress Tracy Samantha Lord, a rather icy perfectionist (this generation would say ‘control freak’), who is due to marry the stuffy George Kitteridge (John Lund) when her ex-husband C K Dexter-Haven (Bing Crosby), unexpectedly turns up… Still in love with her, he puts in place a subtle plan to win back her heart. Throw in an incorrigible little sister, a playboy dad, a couple of snoops from Spy magazine, Louis Armstrong (as himself) and buckets of champagne… and now you has jazz!

With a witty script and quite the line-up (it was the first time Crosby and Frank Sinatra, playing Spy magazine reporter, appeared on screen together), the romantic comedy is carried by one of Cole Porter’s best ‘ and one of his last ‘ musical scores which includes Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Well, Did You Evah?, Now You Has Jazz, and Kelly and Crosby’s moving duet True Love.

Rarely are remakes a patch on the original but in this case High Society is an exception. That said, however, The Philadelphia Story ‘ with an equally strong cast that includes Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewart ‘ is just as good and well worth watching.

Like most rereleases of older movies onto DVD, what actually makes you update your video copy are the bonus features. This version includes a short documentary on ‘the making of…’, narrated by Celeste Holm (born 1919, who played Spy magazine photographer). Although it makes for entertaining viewing (throwing up little snippets such as how Kelly’s father warned Prince Rainier of Monaco before they got married she was a crap driver), one can’t help thinking that someone cruelly substituted Holm’s oxygen tank with helium. Which is slightly distracting. Other special features are a nostalgic newsreel of the film’s 1956 premi’re, the original theater trailer and, rather bizarrely, Millionaire Droopy, a five-minute cartoon about two dogs (Spike and Droopy) battling over an inheritance, which uh… has absolutely no relevance to High Society at all.

Overall verdict? Thoroughly entertaining and an absolute must for fans of classic musicals and all that jazz…

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