I don’t find Katherine Hepburn attractive, so it’s hard to watch her in films where she is a romantic lead. This is an early romantic comedy, a genre which was quite popular in the early days of film. Light-hearted, goofy tales that would leave an audience perked up a bit was essential during the 30s, as America struggled to get through the Great Depression. While I can acknowledge the wit and humor in The Philadelphia Story, I thought it was on the boring side.
Again, as happens when watching old films, there was a nagging sense that I had seen this sort of thing before. With her wedding day fast approaching, Hepburn is bombarded by other would-be suitors, including her ex-husband (Cary Grant) and a magazine reporter (Jimmy Stewart). Hilarity is supposed to ensue when she starts wondering whether she wants to marry who she’s supposed to and all sorts of wrong perceptions lead us to her ultimate decision.
Perhaps the film is dated, and perhaps it’s just because I’ve seen too much that is similar (in terms of the comedy, not so much the plot). Whatever it is, it kept me from caring too much about The Philadelphia Story. A good “classic” comedy, but not my cup of tea.
I don’t find Katherine Hepburn attractive, so it’s hard to watch her in films where she is a romantic lead. This is an early romantic comedy, a genre which was quite popular in the early days of film. Light-hearted, goofy tales that would leave an audience perked up a bit was essential during the 30s, as America struggled to get through the Great Depression. While I can acknowledge the wit and humor in The Philadelphia Story, I thought it was on the boring side.
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