The Philadelphia Story (1940)

kbroer
Apr 21, 2023
2 min read

Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, James Stewart

Directed by George Cukor

Available to stream on Amazon Prime

Pop the champagne and enjoy three of the greatest actors of the classic movie era in the glamorous pre-war world of our dreams. In this classic film, upper class Philadelphian Katharine Hepburn encounters her ex-husband Cary Grant and reporter Jimmy Stewart on the eve of her wedding to dull John Howard.

ree — John Howard, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and Jimmy Stewart in The Philadelphia Story

Why we love it: Although officially copyrighted in 1940, this is the quintessential twilight of the glamorous 30's movie. It has everything -- young and beautiful Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart -- there's romance, glamour, wealth, humor, and a great supporting cast (including Roland Young as Uncle Willie, who you should recognize from last week's film, Topper!)

Fun facts:

This film was based on a play written for Katharine Hepburn by Philip Barry. In 1938 Katharine Hepburn had been included on the "box-office poison" list -- an ad taken out in The Hollywood Reporter by the Independent Theater Owners Association which named several actors who had no draw at the box office. The Philadelphia Story's success marked Hepburn's return to popularity and earned her an Oscar nomination.
Katharine Hepburn originally wanted Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy as costars.
Cary Grant, concerned about the news of the London Blitz and the beginning of World War II, donated his entire salary from the film to British war relief and The Red Cross.
Jimmy Stewart won the Academy Award for Best Actor.