They just don’t make films like The Philadelphia Story anymore, do they? A comedy that does not rely on gross-out humour, an enormously ambitious concept or visual flair, just an extremely strong story, featuring well-developed, interesting characters portrayed by magnificent actors at the very top of their game. There are very few films that fully deserve a place in the hallowed halls of grand cinematic achievements, but I’d be a fool if I said The Philadelphia Story is not one of them. How a film manages to be this effortlessly charming, deeply meaningful and strangely relevant, nearly eighty years after its initial relief, is not a mystery, but rather a testament to the brilliance that George Cukor and everyone involved managed to convey in the true masterpiece that is The Philadelphia Story.

Katharine Hepburn is Tracy Samantha Lord, a wealthy Philadelphia socialite who thinks quite a bit about herself. She thinks so much of herself, that her first husband, C.K. Dexter Haven, played to utter perfection by the enchantingly brilliant Cary Grant, left her when he was unable to meet her wild demands as a spouse. Two years later, Tracy is set to be married, this time to George Kitteridge, a “new money” man of the people who seems to be a lot more grounded that Tracy’s previous beau. Meanwhile, Spy Magazine, a tabloid publication obsessed with exposing the lives of the rich and famous, and sets their sights on Tracy’s wedding, bound to be the biggest event of the year in Philadelphian social circles. In order to cover this wedding, the demagogic publisher of the magazine sends two of his employees to cover it – author Macauley “Mike” Connor, played by the endearing James Stewart, Liz Imbrie, Ruth Hussey giving an absolutely tremendous performance, an artist who has to bear the daily grind of a tabloid photographer in order to pay the bills. Neither particularly wants to be there, yet they are forced to by the powers that be. What transpires over the course of roughly two days involves a journey into the limitations of romance, as the ghosts of Tracy’s future and potential past swoop down on the house to haunt her, making her reconsider her present decisions, and the question at the centre of The Philadelphia Story remains: who will Tracy walk down the aisle with on the day of the wedding?

The Philadelphia Story succeeds on its magnificent cast, and as I said before, everyone involved is at their very peak, and I can’t recall a film where any of the major stars were any better than they were here. The figure at the centre of this film is Katharine Hepburn, who is undeniably one of the greatest actors of all time, if not the greatest. I normally associate Hepburn with the stern, maternal but majestic roles that she played in the more mature years of her career, namely Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? and The Lion in Winter. However, I first fell in love with Hepburn’s magnificent talents in Bringing Up Baby, which I would name the greatest screwball comedy of all time if it wasn’t for the masterpiece that was It Happened One Night. The Philadelphia Story is Hepburn at her best – scathingly honest, brutally sarcastic and as quick-witted as they come. Her performance as Lord is an absolutely historically-significant performance, and only Hepburn could make a character that is essentially a bitter, self-obsessed elitist daughter of the bourgeoisie society so beguiling, prepossessing and enchantingly fascinating. The way Hepburn navigates through the nuances of the character, ranging from overt arrogance to heartbreaking vulnerability, is absolutely astonishing, and she gives the character so much complexity, the likes of which is very rarely seen. Lord is one of the original romantic comedy heroines, but unlike those that would come after her (and apparently were inspired by her groundbreaking performance in The Philadelphia Story), Tracy Lord is not a bundle of feminine stereotypes. She is not the archetypal “helpless maiden” who is saved by a male protagonist – she is a strong, willful and intricately-constructed character, who has clear flaws, none of which are reliant on stereotypes or assumptions. I credit this to Hepburn, as well as George Cukor, a filmmaker who often showed his keen sense in developing female characters beyond mere cliche. Hepburn finds the perfect balance between comedy and drama in The Philadelphia Story, and it is always a joy to watch her perform, especially when it is so clear that she was truly enjoying the experience herself. After watching a performance like hers in The Philadelphia Story, it is difficult to argue with the idea that she is the greatest actress of all time.

There have been many great cinematic pairings over the years – Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, Abbott and Costello and many others. However, there was no pairing greater than that between Hepburn and Cary Grant. Despite appearing with Spencer Tracy in many films, and having remarkable chemistry with him, it was Cary Grant who brought out out the best in Hepburn, being able to match her in formidable charm. Over the course of only four films, the duo made cinematic history with their remarkable chemistry and absolutely astonishing ability to play against each other with such effortless skill. The Philadelphia Story offers Grant one of the finest performances of his career (although I am partial towards his terrific and hilarious performance in Bringing Up Baby), and as C.K. Dexter Haven, Grant is charismatic and fascinating, playing a tenacious character who will stop at absolutely nothing to win back the woman who he left years before. Grant, for the most part, serves as a catalyst for the somewhat catastrophic events that transpire, but towards the end of the second act, he is finally given some incredible material, developing Haven into a good-hearted, albeit extremely morally-ambiguous, individual. Grant is an actor who can elevate nearly any material, and The Philadelphia Story gives him something tremendous to do. He may have one of the more subdued roles in the film, but he is still fantastic, especially in the sporadic moments he shares with Hepburn or Stewart, where he truly is given the opportunity to give a nuanced and dedicated performance as a man whose steadfast tenacity is the only element more extensive than his great wealth.

James Stewart is an actor who I have always found unbelievably endearing – whether it is his passionate performance in Mr Smith Goes to Washington, or his iconic performance in the seminal classic It’s a Wonderful Life, to Harvey and countless other tremendous films over a prolific and wonderful career. Stewart was a true cinematic treasure, and he would often prove himself to be one of the most fascinating actors of his generation. The Philadelphia Story features one of Stewart’s greatest performances. It is a performance that allows him to navigate a bevvy of different emotions, on one hand, a virtuous, well-spoken intellectual, and then on the other, an adorably drunken, foolish romantic. The Philadelphia Story is a film that subverts expectations, and one of its greatest achievements is leading the audience to believe that when faced with the dashing and wealthy George Kitteridge and C.K. Dexter Haven, there is very little chance that Tracy would choose the middle-class intellectual as her lover, yet by the third act, there is sufficient doubt in the audience’s mind that Connor may not stand much of a chance. Stewart gives a performance that, on the surface, appears straightforward and easy, but through some incredible development, he turns in perhaps the best performance in the film, with his characterization of Connor being suitably warm and captivating. It may not feature Stewart at his most passionate (and if there is an actor who is capable of conveying raw passion, its James Stewart), but he is consistently great throughout, and it is just a further example of the fact that James Stewart had magnificent chemistry with absolutely anyone, from Katharine Hepburn to John Wayne to an enormous imaginary rabbit. He was quite an actor, regardless of the film, and The Philadelphia Story is one of his very best.

The Philadelphia Story is a tremendous film, and it serves to be classic comedy at its very best. It is a sophisticated but entertaining film, a film that blends comedy and romance together in a way that is unparalleled. Cinema is constantly moving forward and becoming innovative, but one aspect that has unfortunately gotten lost in the passage of time is that of the classic romantic comedy, classy and elegant affairs such as The Philadelphia Story, a film that places emphasis on the characters, allowing the ensemble of talented actors to give meaningful performances. The writing is as sharp as one would expect, the actors are all terrific and the story is predictable but entertaining, and it takes a relentlessly vicious but loving look at the trials and tribulations of high society, showing the inherent flaws and foibles that are present, mocking their privilege without being too mean-spirited. It is a true definition of the word “classic”, and its influence persists to this very day, but while doubtlessly never come close to being matched. The Philadelphia Story is a simple film, but one that holds great significance as a piece of cinema, setting the groundwork for a cinematic movement that would be built upon its foundations. How a film so straightforward and humble managed to be this brilliant is a mystery to me, but if there was any doubt that The Philadelphia Story is worthy of its status as a cinematic masterwork in my mind before, it has been overcome, and I can confidently say that this film is one of the very best the Golden Age of Hollywood ever offered. Truly a magical, nearly-perfect film, and a prime example of why I absolutely adore cinema.