High Society (1956)

Director:

Charles Walters

Writers:

Philip Barry (play)
John Patrick (writer)

Release Date:

17 July 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

They're all together for the first time!

Plot:

C.K. Dexter-Haven, a successful popular jazz musician, lives in a mansion near his ex-wife's Tracy Lord's family estate...

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Musician | Tabloid Reporter | Wedding | Marriage

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Bing Crosby	...	C.K. Dexter-Haven
Grace Kelly	...	Tracy Samantha Lord
Frank Sinatra	...	Mike Connor
Celeste Holm	...	Liz Imbrie
John Lund	...	George Kittredge
Louis Calhern	...	Uncle Willie
Sidney Blackmer	...	Seth Lord
Louis Armstrong and His Band	...	Themselves
Margalo Gillmore	...	Mrs. Seth Lord
Lydia Reed	...	Caroline Lord
Gordon Richards	...	Dexter-Haven's butler
Richard Garrick	...	Lords' Butler
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hugh Boswell	...	The Parson (uncredited)
Barrett Deems	...	Louis' drummer (uncredited)
Edmond Hall	...	Louis' clarinetist (uncredited)
Paul Keast	...	Editor (uncredited)
Richard Keene	...	Mac (uncredited)
Billy Kyle	...	Louis' pianist (uncredited)
Ruth Lee	...	Ruth (Jazz Festival organizer) (uncredited)
Arvell Shaw	...	Louis' bassist (uncredited)
Reginald Simpson	...	Lawrence (Uncle Willie's butler) (uncredited)
Helen Spring	...	Helen (Jazz Festival organizer) (uncredited)
Florence Wix	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
James Young	...	Louis' trombonist (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Walters

Writing credits
Philip Barry		(play "The Philadelphia Story")
John Patrick		(writer)

Produced by
Sol C. Siegel	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Cole Porter

Cinematography by
Paul Vogel		(director of photography) (as Paul C. Vogel)

Film Editing by
Ralph E. Winters

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons
Hans Peters

Set Decoration by
Richard Pefferle
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Helen Rose

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Dave Friedman	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arvid Griffen	....	assistant director
Hank Moonjean	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Wesley C. Miller	....	recording supervisor (as Dr. Wesley C. Miller)
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects

Editorial Department
Charles K. Hagedon	....	color consultant: Technicolor

Music Department
Saul Chaplin	....	music adaptor
Saul Chaplin	....	music supervisor
Johnny Green	....	music adaptor
Johnny Green	....	music supervisor
Nelson Riddle	....	orchestrator
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestrator
Charles Walters	....	stager: musical numbers

Production Companies

• Bing Crosby Productions (in association with)
• Sol C. Siegel Productions (for)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (VHS)
• Vídeo Arte (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Perspecta Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | South Korea:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Australia:G (original rating) | Australia:PG (alternate rating) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Filming Locations:

750 Bel Air Road, Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Bing Crosby Productions

Trivia:

Grace Kelly's last feature film before retiring from acting.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Tracy introduces George to Mike and Liz, George pours drinks for everybody. From one shot to another, Dexter-Haven's drink appears in his hand without his picking it up. Mike picks up his drink twice. Margaret's drink also appears in her hand without her picking it up.

Quotes:

Dexter: [hits Mike, turns to George] She's not your wife yet and she *was* mine you know.
[George stalks off, Dexter turns to Mike]
Dexter: Thought I'd better get in first, he's in much better shape.
Mike: You'll do.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Frank in the Fifties (2008) (V)

Soundtrack:

Well, Did You Evah

A brilliant musical feist, with some underlying social commentary.

To see a movie more than once is rare for me, and I've watched this movie with great enjoyment a few times. What is the role of a movie? There are many. When I'm feeling blue this kind of movie always makes me feel happy; how can that be a bad thing? The music is simply wonderful, and I'm not really a "musical" fan; its just the sheer talent of Porter, Sinatra, Crosby, and of course Louis; a combination of such talent which you will rarely find. The music is also very skillfully and effortlessly placed into the story line, that you hardly realize it is a "musical". Some social commentary is relevant today, such as the "privileges" of the rich and superficiality of such, and the eternal problem of making bad decisions in marriage. I have a spirited creative friend who is involved with a "stable" secure guy, but remains uncertain and confused as to her reasons for marrying him, apart from the fact that she wants to make him happy, I gather for reasons of guilt about her self-confessed selfishness and need for absolution; Grace Kelly in her role has the same doubts and motives I think and is willing to go through with it for no obvious reason; just because "its there", and the guy is stable but absolutely lacking in spirit and soul. I have another friend who has never considered marriage because she is surrounded by "privileged" people or guys obsessed with money; she believes in 'True Love" and would marry for no other reason no matter the class or financial status of the guy...so these dilemmas are real in the 21st century, so I found the understated attitudes in the film relevant. Of course in those days the films had to have a happy ending; not so in reality, so the escapist element is good for the soul too, especially for a romantic and eternal optimist like myself. The music makes the film, but look for understated social commentary even in those supposedly lightweight plots common in those days.