Wendy's Films of 2010 #16: High Society (1956)

I'm often weary of watching remakes, this one being of George Cukor's The Philadelphia Story (1940), with Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewart, a film that I found particularly wonderful. Yet, High Society, turning Story into a musical, has the velvety voice of Bing Crosby, the magnificent Louis Armstrong, his band, Frank Sinatra, and Cole Porter's great score.

Many have expressed their dislike of this film, but to me it was like watching an old favourite, only with a new, just as talented cast. I must say, however, that I don't know if anyone will ever have the same chemistry as Hepburn and Grant, but I look forward to watching The Philadelphia Story again to see how the two really compare. The film emphasizes the importance of making mistakes and having fun, rather than attempting to keep up an impossible guise of elegance and poise. I do find it quite... ironic, that this would be Grace Kelly's last film before marrying Prince Rainier III of Monaco, heading toward a future filled with the constant pressure to be the image of grace and perfection. Ah well, what can you do? Enjoy Satchmo I guess!