I just watched “High Society” (1956) for, I think, the first time. If I’ve ever seen it before I’ve forgotten.
First, the music: this was Cole Porter at his worst. The only good song was “Well, Did You Evah!” which was actually written back in 1939. The other songs were boring and forgettable, especially the hit “True Love.” I know this score was late in Porter’s career, but he did write better ones in later projects.
Grace Kelly was gorgeous, especially in the early pool scene. But I was constantly distracted by the fact that this was her last movie, and at that time she was preparing for her marriage to Prince Ranier, later that spring. I never got a handle on her character; she was just Grace Kelly. And I’m not sure she was entirely convincing in a comedic role. Katharine Hepburn was much better in the non-musical version, “The Philadelphia story.”
But the worst thing in the movie was Bing Crosby. He was about 25 years to old for the part. They obviously cast him so he could sing a duet with Frank Sinatra. I guess there were people who saw the movie just for that.
I have the soundtrack album for this movie; the library was discarding it some twenty years ago and I took it. I think I played the grooves off it, singing aloud to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? You didn’t mention the awesome Celeste Holm, who improves every movie she appears in. Another thing that was better in The Philadelphia Story was Virginia Weidler banging out Lydia, the Tattooed Lady, a song that should be on everyone’s lips.
Bing got his way with the chyx well into his 50s, despite his rug, hollered-out face, ears like a hound dog, and increasingly fusty image. He had the pipes - and more importantly, he had that certain easy hardness. Y’know? What John Wayne and Sinatra had, and Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant didn’t.
Anyway, it wasn’t William Holden that Grace Kelly hooked up with while they were shooting Country Girl.
I always much preferred The Philadelphia Story to High Society, which is unusual because I’m a musical theater nut. But the story really doesn’t lend itself to a musical, I don’t think, and Hepburn just beats Grace Kelly to pieces.
I love High Society, mainly for the reason that it is set in my home town. It is always a thrill to see the opening credits, with the bus driving down Bellevue Ave, a street I drove down twice daily for most of my early life.
Also for the part where Grace Kelly drives Frank Sinatra around Ocean Drive, (Why do some many of her movies have her driving recklessly? Its kind of creepy, considering how she died…) and showing him the mansions that were abandoned and about to be torn down. Most of those houses were gone by the time I was born.
I do agree that *The Philadelphia Story *was a better movie, but *High Society *will always have a place in my heart
The mansion that is shown as the setting for the movie became rather notorious. I believe that it’s still standing. Certainly it was for decades after the film was made. It was the residence of Claus and Sunny Von Bulow.
At some point in the movie you can see Grace Kelly polishing her actual engagement ring. (It’s a big one!) She holds her finger to her mouth, “huffs” on the ring, and then polishes it against her dress, if I recall correctly.
“True Love” was a big hit back when the movie was released. Kelly did her own singing.
She does better with her comedic gifts in “To Catch A Thief.”
“Lydia the Tattooed Lady” was indeed missed in this version. That’s also a Groucho Marx specialty. I’ve been thinking of it lately while watching Big Brother.
Clarendon Court is still standing. It is still privately owned and not open to the public, though. But many of the houses on Ocean Drive (where Kelly takes Sinatra for their drive) were torn down (sometimes with the furnishings and chandeliers still inside).
