The Philadelphia Story (1940)

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112 min – view video trailer

Director: George Cukor
Starrig: Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart

IMDB  8.1 / Amazon 4.7 / MRQE 86% / Decent Films A

Genres: Comedy, Romance

Oscars: nominated for 6, won 2 (Best Actor, Writing)

Ranked #40 Greatest Movies Through 1960, a Zagat Top Movie

When a rich woman’s ex-husband and a tabloid-type reporter turn up just before her planned remarriage, she begins to learn the truth about herself. IMDB 8.1 rating from over 34,558 users

Applying her impossibly high ideals to everyone but herself, Tracy Lord (Katarine Hepburn) is about to marry a stuffy executive when her congenial ex-husband (Cary Grant), arrives to protect his former father-in-law from a potentially scandalous tabloid exposé. In an Oscar-winning role, James Stewart is the scandal reporter who falls for Tracy as her wedding day arrives, throwing her into a dizzying state of premarital jitters. Amazon 4.7 stars from over 178 users

Its witty dialogue, romantic complications, and class-skewering satire are hallmarks of screwball comedy, but George Cukor’s classic The Philadelphia Story doesn’t turn on absurd situations, outlandish behavior, or unpredictable plot twists. Instead, it’s a more mature and humanistic social satire, a comedy of manners skewering every kind of snobbery: not only the class-based snobbery of the rich against the poor — and the poor against the rich — but also the intellectual snobbery of the literate against the popular, and above all the moral snobbery of the self-righteous against the imperfect. Read full Decent Films review (rated A, Superior artistic-entertainment for Teens & Up)

MRQE 86% from over 47 reviews

Madison Public Library

Holiday (1938)

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95 min – view video clips (did not find a trailer)

Director: George Cukor
Starring: Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Doris Nolan

Genres: Comedy, Romance

IMDB 7.8 / Amazon 4.7 / Decent Films A+ / Movie Mom A+

Oscars: nominated for 1, won 0

Ranked #69 Greatest Movies Through 1960, a Zagat Top Movie

A young man falls in love with a girl from a rich family. His unorthodox plan to go on holiday for the early years of his life is met with skepticism by everyone except for his fiancée’s eccentric sister and long suffering brother. IMDB 7.8 rating from over 6,696 users

This absolutely charming, wholly engaging romantic comedy is the hidden gem of the four collaborations of Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Most everyone’s seen The Philadelphia Story, but few know of this unorthodox, hilarious comedy of life among the rich and privileged. Amazon 4.7 stars from over 106 users

Dialogue and characterizations are note-perfect, and the story never missteps. This is one of the great ones. Decent Films A+ , superior artistic/entertainment value

Cary Grant began in show business as an acrobat, and you can see him show off some of that prowess in this movie. BeliefNet Movie Mom A+

MRQE links to over 28 reviews

Madison Public Library