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High Society | 
 enlarge | Actor: Frank Sinatra
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $12.97
Buy New: $5.89
You Save: $7.08 (55%)
New (28) Used (11) from $5.89
Rating:  37 reviews
Sales Rank: 6409
Format: Full Screen, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 1
Running Time: 111 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 1000036354
UPC: 883929005963
EAN: 0883929005963
ASIN: B0015FGCI8
Theatrical Release Date: July 17, 1956
Release Date: May 13, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
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Product Description
Heiress Tracy Lord (Grace Kelly) is engaged to one man (John Lund) attracted to another (Frank Sinatra) and just maybe in love again with her ex-husband (Bing Crosby) in this efferevescent musical reinvention of Philip Barry's play The Philadelphia Story featuring an endlessly delightful Cole Porter score. Among High Society's high points: Sinatra and Celeste Holm ask Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Crosby and Kelly share True Love Der Bingle and Ol' Blue Eyes swing-swing-swingle Well Did You Evah? and Crosby and Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong jive with Now You Has Jazz. Yes indeedy we has!Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY/CLASSICS UPC: 883929005963 Manufacturer No: 1000036354
Amazon.com essential video
MGM's bold idea to remake George Cukor's Oscar-winning upperclass romantic farce, The Philadelphia Story, into a star-studded, Technicolor musical with Cole Porter tunes somehow works splendidly and remains an underrated gem. Even the plot and character names--and some bits of dialogue--all remain the same as the original. Crooning Bing Crosby replaces Cary Grant as the wealthy ex-husband trying to win back his soon-to-be-remarried ex-wife, spoiled ice queen Tracy Lord (Grace Kelly, stunning and aloof in her last film role, originated in the earlier comedy by Katherine Hepburn). Unlike Grant, however, Crosby has jazz great Louis Armstrong, playing himself, in his corner for quixotic persuasion. Frank Sinatra (cocky in James Stewart's former role) and Celeste Holm add support as the nosy reporters covering, and subsequently complicating, the upcoming wedding. Sure, High Society lacks the original's witty satire, sarcasm, and character complexity; but it's assuredly paced and wonderfully acted, and contains enough romantic chemistry to keep the plot engaging. And then there's the music. Unlike the grandiose production numbers of many '40s and '50s musicals, High Society's musical sequences are considerably low-key and intimate, focusing on Porter's lyrical content, and the style in which it's delivered by the charismatic performers. Armstrong kicks the film off in telling style: he sings the title track, a calypso tune outlining the plot like a Greek chorus, not as an elaborately choreographed song-and-dance number, but instead stuffed claustrophobically in the back of a limousine with his jazz band. Other musical standouts include Sinatra and Crosby playfully tossing barbs during "Well, Did You Evah?"; Crosby and Armstrong teaming up for an energetic clash of styles in "Now You Has Jazz"; the two soaring, archetypal ballads by the leads--Crosby's "I Love You, Samantha" and Sinatra's superior "You're Sensational"; and, finally, the satirical Sinatra/Holm duet, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?," the closest High Society ever comes to social or class commentary. --Dave McCoy
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| Customer Reviews: Read 32 more reviews...
The unbeatable talents of three legendary stars in a nice musical comedy... August 7, 2008
Roberto Frangie (Leon, Gto. Mexico)
"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."
 Thanks for the Memories June 25, 2008
Tandy (CA)
This is one of my favorite childhood movies and I'm delighted to have it now preserved on DVD. It came through the mail in great shape and with all due speed.
 Dreadful! April 24, 2004
3 out of 16 found this review helpful
This movie may stand on its own, but unfortunately it is painful to watch for anyone who knows The Philadelphia Story. Bing Crosby is too old, is unbelievable and is miscast. Frank Sinatra is passable, but pales in comparison to Jimmy Stewart in the original. Celeste Holm is fine when she is singing, but she seems unduly matronly and lacks the charm and spark of Ruth Hussey, also from the original. Then there is the problem of Grace Kelley. She is convincing as a rich ice princess, but ( in this film, at least) she posseses none of the charm, aristocratic strength, or appeal that Katherine Hepburn gave to the original Tracy Lord.Whereas the original was quick and dynamic, the pacing of this one is slow and ponderous. The side trip to Newport and commentary on "the end of a way of life" adds nothing to the film. And Louis Armstrong's appearance, while perhaps noteworthy in its day, now seems embarrasingly buffoonish. One has the sense that the directors and producers are trying to create a joke at Armstrong's expense by placing him in a mileau where they clearly find him out of place. As a kid, I liked this movie when I saw it on tv. Now, however, I see it and cringe. Truth be told, I can't even sit through it all. Bad, bad, bad!
High Sociey December 3, 2003
Simone (Australia)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Absolutely one of the best movies of its ilk of all time! Great fun, light, fabulous to look at, super catchy songs, and the best collection of great actors! I LOVE High Society!!!!
Grace is Great! May 25, 2003
0 out of 5 found this review helpful
If you're "holed up" for a long weekend (of rain, as it turns out this Memorial Day), and haven't seen it, "High Society" is a great diversion, almost as good as a Memorial Day barbecue, and maybe better.I raaaally liked the original Philadelphia Story, being a huge Katharine Hepburn fan, but I must say, Grace Kelly is just fantastic in this role and to me, even better than Kate. Probably because, Grace is Tracy, the central character in the story. Otherwise, except for the sets, including the great collection of 50's classic cars, Newport mansions, women's dresses, and the dancing, this is a lesser film than the originial. But it's worth watching for Grace Kelly alone. I didn't realize she was such a talented comedienne. The movie gets better as it goes along, stick with it. Grace Kelly makes the best tipsy, goofy, adorable woman I've ever seen! ---Wow. This alone is worth the price of a DVD. My feeling is, and this is not being a Kelly fan at all before, that the U.S. should have done something to prevent her from moving to Monaco. I was too young to follow that story as it happened, but it seems a crying shame for America's entertainment and film industry and us people. She's got something that, say, Gwyneth Paltrow tries for but doesn't have to the same degree. I now understand why people made such a big fuss about her, and this movie will help you do the same. If you don't like musicals, which I don't, you can fast forward through the frankly mediocre, ill-timed, and happily not-too-frequent musical numbers. (Sorry, I beg to differ with the other reviewers.) Even Louis Armstrong is forgettable in this. Not every movie's a musical, for Godsake. (Besides, Grace doesn't sing!!!) Except, the most enjoyable singing in the movie, to me, was Grace Kelly's drunk amateur singing! It was terrific! The great Sinatra and also Bing Crosby (whom I admit to not liking either as an actor or a ba ba ba boom singer), don't get very good songs to sing in this movie, compared to the timeless and great songs Frank got in Pal Joey, say. They should develop a button that skips through singing in 50's and 60's musicals! Some of these films woulda been fine without the singin' and with the same performers anyway. As I said, if you're in the mood for watching a great female performer, WATCH THIS, folks! Grace is TIMELESS in this film.
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