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The Guardian
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
By the 30s, Katharine Hepburn was box office poison. Then she made The Philadelphia Story
These days, Katharine Hepburn is revered as a progressive icon of Hollywood's golden age, an androgynous (and possibly queer) fashion rebel whose seven best actress awards have yet to be topped at the Oscars. But back in 1938, only six years into her illustrious career, she was branded as 'box office poison'. She was a star ahead of her time, her domineering screen presence registering as shrill and petulant by the tail end of the 1930s. After the box office disappointments of Bringing up Baby and Holiday – both now canonised romcom classics – she retreated from Hollywood and signed on to a new play penned by her friend Philip Barry: The Philadelphia Story. Like its film adaptation, Barry's script centres on Tracy Lord, a stuck-up socialite (easily read as a stand-in for Hepburn herself) set to marry a wealthy politician, only for the wedding to be upended by the arrival of two competing romantic prospects: her ex-husband, CK Dexter Haven, and tabloid reporter Mike Connor. The production was a runaway success on Broadway, and Hepburn soon took the reins of a film version, for which she brought on her trusted collaborator George Cukor (A Star is Born, My Fair Lady and countless more) as director. Her initial choice of co-leads – Clark Gable (Gone with the Wind) and Spencer Tracy (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner) were vetoed. But it's hard to imagine a more dazzling collision of stars than the eventual casting of Cary Grant (Charade) and James Stewart (It's a Wonderful Life) as Dexter and Mike respectively. Across their four collaborations, which culminated in The Philadelphia Story, Hepburn and Grant would continually redefine one of the finest pairings in romcom history. The former's strong-willed, fast-talking women bulldozed over lesser leading men, but were perfectly parried by the slinky yet similarly imposing Grant. As embittered, sniping exes, they effortlessly locate each other's pressure points – Dexter's alcoholism, Tracy's performance of invulnerability – but they share a private camaraderie. It's James Stewart's Mike, though, who guides the film's sweeping romantic moments (and sets the benchmark for drunk acting). The night before the wedding, he shares a poolside flirtation with the bride-to-be that evolves into an exhilarating declaration of love, powered by Stewart's earnest intensity. 'You're lit from within, Tracy. You've got fires banked down in you, hearth fires and holocausts,' he beseeches. Cukor's rapturous direction presses into both actors until they're framed in glazed, moonlit closeups, Hepburn's eyes and beaded gown twinkling irresistibly. She's every bit the goddess that he sees. But the film doesn't allow her to bask in the image for long. The Philadelphia Story's success hinges on Tracy's humbling. She lowers herself from her own lofty esteem to eventually find love among other mere mortals, catering to the public's desire to see Hepburn taken down a peg. There's maybe some truth to Kazuo Ishiguro's dismissal of the film as 'a really nasty piece of work', especially considering how the screwball comedy traditionally revolved around stories of men being cut down to size. I think the screenplay deserves more credit for its intricacies: at each corner of the love triangle is a deeply fallible character who hides behind various defence mechanisms. Tracy's eventual happiness is entirely her own choice; she only submits to love upon finding the one person who can recognise and accept her faults. In a subgenre defined by its memorable female leads, Tracy Lord offers one of the more nuanced takes on the screwball heroine. She's a spoilt brat, an arrogant intellectual, an impervious fortress – and under Hepburn's command, you can't help but fall in love. The Philadelphia Story is available to stream on HBO Max in Australia and available to rent in the UK and US. For more recommendations of what to stream in Australia, click here
Wall Street Journal
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
Cary Grant's Reimagined Beverly Hills Estate Hits the Market for $77.5 Million
When 26-year-old Barbara Harris met Cary Grant in the 1970s, the legendary actor was already in the middle of renovating his longtime home in Beverly Hills, Calif. Even after the couple married in 1981, she took a back seat when it came to the project. 'The design was already in process,' said Barbara, now 74. The couple shared the home until 'The Philadelphia Story' actor died in 1986, when she inherited it.
Buzz Feed
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
35 Movies From Before 1975 That Everyone Needs To Watch At Least Once In Their Lifetime
Recently, I asked the BuzzFeed Community which classic movies from before 1975 everyone should watch at least once. There were 100+ comments from fans sharing their favorites. So, here are 35 of the most popular: 1. "First, without a doubt, To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) is an essential movie. From acting to soundtrack." 2. "One of my favorite movies of all time is All About Eve (1950)." 3. " The Philadelphia Story (1940). Just a spot-on comedy, and Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and Jimmy Stewart have never been better!" 4. " Sunset Boulevard (1950) is a masterpiece of the film noir genre." 5. " Vertigo (1958)! The music by Bernard Herrmann in the scene when Jimmy Stewart ascends the bell tower is the best in any Hitchcock movie, including Psycho." 6. " Rebel Without a Cause (1955) is essential viewing." "First, James Dean — duh. His performance is equal parts charming and absolutely gutting. He is so beautifully vulnerable and yet unbelievably cool. Everyone should watch this to understand why his legend lingers. Second, it tells an American story that anyone can relate to. There's just something traumatizing about being a teenager, and this movie really captures the challenges of being an outsider and not relating to an older generation that wants to buy you happiness but not sit down and get to know you. It might be set in the '50s but the themes resonate still." — dreaminmom 7. "There are SO many great movies to choose from, but I'm going to pick what I think is the most classic horror that is The Exorcist (1973)." "The reasons why to watch it are that it is known as one of the scariest films ever made, it has a deep, disturbing, and true representation of demonic possession, and it also dives into the topics of faith, doubt, and the human psyche. All of that together makes it way more than just your typical jump-scare horror movie. All of these things together leave a big impact on the viewers, making them think about this film decades after it has been made or even possibly them seeing it. Every time I bring it up, my Mom always mentions how scary of a movie it is." — klb215 8. " The Apartment (1960) with Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon." 9. " The Shop Around The Corner (1940). Fans of You've Got Mail will recognize it." 10. " The African Queen (1951)! It is one of my all-time favorite adventure films with Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn." 11. " Singin' in the Rain (1952). It's one of my favorite movies of all time, and this is coming from a Gen Z'er. Truly a feel-good movie with so much to offer." "The musical numbers are so impressive and exuberant. Every scene is so pitch-perfect that it's incredibly hard to choose a favorite moment. However, the scenes that stand out to me the most are 'Moses' (the tap dancing in that is astounding!), 'Make 'Em Laugh' (Incredible tricks and flips), 'Singin' in the Rain' (the title song that's so beautifully performed in the rain), and the ballet scene where Gene Kelly dances with Cyd Charisse (I've had dreams about this scene, it is so magnificent and spellbinding). I mean, the whole movie is really pitch-perfect from beginning to end, and the premise is timelessly funny and heartfelt." — isabellalshulman 12. " A Clockwork Orange (1972). Disturbing as heck but oh so worthy of the watch!" 13. " Bringing Up Baby (1938). Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant magic." 14. " The Sound of Music (1965)!" 15. " Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)! Another Judy Garland film. My cousins and I always watched it whenever we went to our grandmother's house." 16. "I never get tired of watching Now, Voyager (1942). My all-time favorite. A classic and inspirational film for any age." 17. " Some Like It Hot (1959) is a great movie. It showed Marilyn Monroe's comedic talent and brought drag into the movies." United Artists / Via 19. " National Velvet (1944) with Mickey Rooney and Elizabeth Taylor." Metro Goldwyn Mayer / Via "This movie portrays so much about how life should be. The parents in this movie are phenomenal!! Mr. and Mrs. Brown are the parents I always wished I had. The story is great, the actors superb, and overall, a heartwarming experience." — emopony665 20. " The Sting (1973). One of the first and best heist movies. Paul Newman as a mentor to Robert Redford." Universal Pictures / Via "Their chemistry, the music, and the rest of the cast all enhance the super smart heist shenanigans. I rewatch it every year!" — d4bbf3190d 21. " Freebie and the Bean. The 1974 film with James Caan and Alan Arkin." Warner Bros / Via "This is the movie that's the forerunner to all the cop 'buddy' films that followed. True, it has a gay villain who wouldn't be portrayed today the way he was back then, but don't let that scare you off. The chemistry between Caan and Arkin is compelling, and the car chases are hilarious. With a solid supporting cast, two of whom were legitimate television stars at the time, this movie is an overlooked gem well worth the watch!" — tropicanafilmstudios 22. " Stage Door (1937). This has some of the sharpest, wittiest, and smartest dialog of any movie ever." RKO Radio Pictures / Via "Plus, the chemistry between Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers is unlike anything seen in most movies since." — scoobylovesgoofy 23. " Ben-Hur (1959). There's a reason why it was the first movie to win 11 Oscars." Metro Goldwyn Mayer / Via — jungumper 24. " Wings (1927). It won the first Oscar for Best Picture!" Paramount / Via — slycan58 25. "My fav? The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)." Warner Bros / Via — witchypepper71 26. " Lawrence of Arabia (1962)." Columbia Pictures / Via — cleverchair463 27. "Anything by the Marx Brothers, but especially Duck Soup (1933)." Paramount Pictures / Via "Their work is still influencing comedy today and is funny AF!" — lraine06492 28. " Double Indemnity (1944)." Paramount Pictures / Via — indy1989 29. "I want to suggest 12 Angry Men (1957). It is an amazing character study. You have to watch the classics! They crawled so we could walk!" United Artists / Via — sparklysalt40 30. " Portrait of Jennie (1948). I don't normally go for romantic movies, but this one was done exceptionally well." Vanguard Films / Via — battery126 31. " Cool Hand Luke from 1967." Warner Bros / Via "Paul Newman is a prisoner who refuses to submit to authority, especially when the punishment doesn't fit the crime." — stephaniep461d11578 32. " Harvey (1950) is an amazing and under-watched Jimmy Stewart movie!" Universal Pictures / Via — acinorevyenwod 33. " M*A*S*H from 1970. Directed by Robert Altman and starring Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, and Sally Kellerman, amongst others." 20th Century Fox / Via "The way Altman was able to create a movie set during the Korean War and bring humor and satire to a serious situation, all while addressing many of the social issues of the Vietnam War era, is absolutely brilliant." — markh63 34. " Rear Window (1954)." Paramount Pictures / Via — kaelanolsen 35. And finally: " Spartacus (1960). Directed by Stanley Kubrick." Universal / Via "With Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, and Tony Curtis. I watch it every year or two. Still an amazing movie." — chaz2013 We can't fit every film into one post, so which other classic Hollywood movies do YOU think are essential viewing? Tell us in the comments below! Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity. Also, if you're a Letterboxd user, you can find the list of these movies here. If you're wondering where to watch these classic films, many of them can be streamed, so make sure to check out your go-to streaming services for these movies.
