Alta Sociedade

High Society (1956)

You can see this movie as one of the last of the great silver screen musicals —and running out of originality and verve. Or you can enjoy Cole Porter brought down to a middle class sensibility (never mind the wealth of the characters here). Or you can just marvel at some great footage of Louis Armstrong, and at the inclusion a black jazz band as a centerpiece in a big budget movie.

So there are reasons to give this movie a try, even though it is fairly slow going, and a pale shadow of the original, the truly great 1940 "Philadelphia Story." Grace Kelly plays the leading woman about to be married, and she lacks the cool stony quality that Hitchcock wisely taps and instead tries to be a lively, witty, physically lithe leading lady. Just like Katherine Hepburn? Yes, except she's no Katherine Hepburn, and it all feels a bit striving.

Likewise for Bing Crosby, who plays a laid back guy who happens to have a jazz band (and who does a good swinging song with Louis and crew alongside). He isn't quite screen magic—that is, he's no Cary Grant. Frank Sinatra is fine, but he has a smaller role. Alas.

And so it goes. Brightly lit, with big flashy Technicolor set design, the mood throughout is upbeat and fun and funny. And so it's not a bad thing to view.

But if you take at all seriously the contention of one man interceding on the groom for his ex-bride, whatever the Hays Code strategy, it just lacks edge and conviction. Cole Porter doesn't let us down, so there's always that!

High Society is a terrific film. If you are the type of movie fan who doesn't comprehend the ENTERTAIN part of entertainment and is eager and willing to flaunt that ignorance in film reviews, you will hate it. But if you don't mind it when movies may not end up with deep psychological messages or everybody dead or doomed to a life of misery, you'll agree.

I'm the first to admit that this musical may not be DRAMATICALLY up to standard with The Philadelpia Story, but what musical could be, or should be, for that matter. The cast, however, is another thing entirely. As you probably know, the first cast was nearly incomparable. Suave and tremendously charming Cary Grant, the magnificent Katherine Hepburn, and, of course, Jimmy, who won an Oscar for his work and is never less than adorable.

NEARLY incomparable.But if anyone can do it, it's gotta be Bing,Satchmo,Gracie,and the Voice. I find it hard to believe anyone in the world could possibly contest that, but since there are such unlikely specimens out there, I'd better explain.

If there's a more magnificent marriage than that of Frank Sinatra and a Cole Porter masterpiece, I'd like to hear about it. But even perfection can be improved, when you add Bing Crosby, a witty little tune,and some hilarious ad libs, all courtesy of a few too many drinks.That makes up heaven, which can also go under the heading of '' Well, Did you Evah,'' without a doubt the best song ,and scene, in this film. But never fear, there are other gems as well.

Grace Kelly is terrific in High Society. The not quite yet Princess of Monaco is not only breathtakingly beautiful, but adorable as well. Her drunken warbling of ''You're Sensational,'' as her stiffly embarrassed fiancé drags her through a crowd of very proper guests is hilarious, and I can never keep from laughing during the scene when she meets Mike Connor and Liz Embrie, also known as Frank Sinatra and Celeste Holm.

Louis Armstrong doesn't have much to do in the picture, but what he does do is great. He introduces the film with a cute calypso number, sings a marvelous duet with Bing, and the way he say's,'' End of song, beginin' of the storyyy,'' is enough to make him unforgettable.

Bing, of course, can NEVER be anything but magnificent. He remains an American icon, and all his talent, charm, and timeless quality are well displayed.He makes his easy-going way through some magical songs,too, including, two marvelous duets with his singing co-stars, and, of course, that little #1 record he did with Grace.

Personally, I like Celeste Holm even more in High Society than I liked Ruth Hussey,who played the Liz Embrie role in Philadelphia Story.She's funny, charming,works well with Sinatra, sings a hilarious duet with The Voice, and has a beautiful smile. ( Not that the last thing mentioned matters, but it helps.)

And now-the best for last. I have been a Sinatra adorer for years, so I'm more than a little biased, but I absolutely love Mr.Sinatra in this movie. His singing is flawless and incomparable, ( especially in ''You're Sensational,'') his charm and charisma even more evident than the considerable amount displayed by Mr.Crosby, and he's pure style and ring-a-ding ding.( Those blue eyes ain't bad either!)

Oh, one complaint I've found about High Society is that it's outdated and it aged badly. I am 14 years old, so, if there WERE any reason to believe that, I'd be one of the first to know it. It is NOT outdated, has NOT aged badly, and it's one of the most entertaining and simply fun movies I've ever seen. And that is, as Satchmo says, the...'' End of storyyy!!''

"High Society" unites the unbeatable talents of three legendary stars Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong with the beautiful and talented Grace Kelly in her final role before she becomes the loving Princess of Monaco…

Spoiled Tracy (Kelly) is about to marry a boring businessman John Lund, but on the eve of her nuptials, her ex-husband Crosby, who still calls her Sam, returns to try and put a stop to the wedding…

On hand to cover her upcoming nuptials for a spy magazine are journalists Celeste Holm) and Sinatra, with the greatest American jazz musician Louis Armstrong providing with Crosby a musical jazz called "Now You Has Jazz."

Armstrong opens the film from the back of the blue bus shared with his band, with a calypso song, while the classic "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" is lively sung by Sinatra and Holm alone in a big room filled with Kelly's many extravagant wedding gifts…

Kelly is lovely as the refined woman flirting with three men… In scenes that required the softening of her unyielding nature, she seems so reserved and cold in manner…

Sinatra sings to her "You're Sensational" and "Mind if I Make Love to You? Crosby sings "True Love."

Something wrong happened as MGM tried to update the much more original "The Philadelphia Story". Some of the blame should go to the uninspired direction of Walter Charles, who can't overcome what the great George Cukor achieved in the original movie version. Part of the blame is shared with John Patrick's screen play that might have been based on the Philip Barry play, but what one sees on the screen is a dull attempt of movie making. Donald Ogden Stewart, who adapted the original play gave that film a light and fun touch, which in Mr. Cukor's hands and brilliant direction came alive throughout the picture.

It's not fair to make comparisons, but unfortunately, the creators of "High Society" leave themselves wide open for it. Right off the start, these stars can't compare with the magnificent performances by Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, James Stewart, Ruth Hussey and the irresistible Virginia Weidler.

Grace Kelly was an elegant actress who as Tracy Lord gives the role another interpretation but doesn't capture the spirit of the no-nonsense socialite she is supposed to be. Bing Crosby, as Dexter, has some good moments, especially in the "True Love" segment in the yacht with Tracy. Frank Sinatra's Mike Connors is all right, although we can't just imagine how he can be in love with Liz Imbrie. Celeste Holm who appears as Liz gave a tamed reading of her character.

The best thing in the film is the prologue and the finale with the incomparable Louis Armstrong, whose presence would have been used to put some sparkle in this subdued version of Philip Barry's wonderful play.

Plush MGM musical remake of "The Philadelphia Story" (with a switch in locale to Newport, Rhode island) looks great but falls flat--and is miscast to boot! Grace Kelly stars as a society beauty and divorcée who is planning to remarry but gets mixed up again with ex-husband and neighbor Bing Crosby, who is in the middle of organizing a jazz festival (!). Meanwhile, tabloid reporter Frank Sinatra and photographer Celeste Holm arrive to cover the impending nuptials--and to get the scoop on Kelly's misbehaving father. A by-the-numbers fantasy-version of romantic interplay, one requiring principals who match up well and sparkle with chemistry. Unfortunately, Crosby and Kelly are more like brother and sister, while journalist Sinatra gives an aw shucks-styled, loner performance (his eventual love-match with Holm is yet another mistake). The good-natured Cole Porter songs are jovial, but director Charles Walters seems afraid to deviate from the story's stage origins, presenting this whole thing as if it were a play. The action is so encumbered, one spends much of the running time admiring the sets; elsewhere, the starchy wisecracks have been preconceived to tickle theater audiences in need of a guffaw and a yawn. Two Oscar nominations, both in the music department: Porter for Best Original Song, "True Love", and Johnny Green and Saul Chaplin for Best Scoring of a Musical.