High Society Review

High Society
Ex-husband of rich and beautiful socialite tries to win her back on the eve of her wedding.

by Kim Newman |
Published on
Release Date:

31 May 2002

Running Time:

106 minutes

Certificate:

U

Original Title:

High Society

As a remake of The Philadelphia Story, High Society has problems. Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly are wonderful, but look more like father and daughter than a divorced couple; and plodder Charles Walters isn't up to George Cukor when it comes to mixing the sweet and tart ingredients of a great screwball comedy.

But, chances are you won't care because, as a Cole Porter musical, High Society is nigh-unbeatable. It matches Bing with Frank Sinatra in Well, Did You Evah, establishes what everyone in 1956 would think of as 'our song' in Crosby's True Love, allows Celeste Holm a shot at immortality duetting with Frankie on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and hauls in Louis Armstrong to act as singing Greek chorus on the title song and Now You Has Jazz. It's sensational.

A terrific musical, although it doesn't do well to compare it to its source material. But when the boys sing, it swings!
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