While I have seen a production of the play upon which the film is based, I had never seen The Philadelphia Story until it was screened yesterday as part of the TCM Big Screen Classics series. I'm not sure why I had never seen it before because Cary Grant is one of my very favorite actors and who doesn't love Jimmy Stewart and Katharine Hepburn? I absolutely loved this lively drawing room comedy! Socialite Tracy Lord (Hepburn) is about to marry George Kitterage (John Howard), a respectable if boring self-made man. On the eve of her wedding her ne'er-do-well ex-husband Dexter Haven (Grant) shows up with a reporter, Macauley "Mike" Connor (Stewart), and photographer, Liz Imbrie (Ruth Hussey), to disrupt the proceedings. Tracy eventually finds herself torn between Dexter, Mike, and George but first she must figure out who she is before she can figure out who she should marry! Grant, Hepburn, and Stewart are so well-suited for their roles and give wonderful and engaging performances but, in my opinion, Virginia Weidler steals the show as Tracy's teenage sister Dinah, especially during the scene when she is showing off for Mike and Liz. The beautiful interiors and elegant costumes are perfect for a fun bit of escapism. The script is incredibly intelligent, sophisticated, and witty, filled with one-liners delivered at lightening speed. I'm not a huge fan of romantic comedies but there were many times when I laughed out loud, as did many people in my screening. In my opinion this film is just about perfect and I am so glad that I was able to see it on the big screen!
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