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Reviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
THE PHILADELPHIA STORY
The Philadelphia Story is a classic example of Katharine Hepburn’s
star quality. Funnily enough, it was James Stewart who won the one
acting Academy Award the film received. Hepburn plays Tracy
Lord, a divorced heiress preparing for her second wedding. Her first husband, C.K. Dexter Haven
(Cary Grant), returns to the Lord family estate days before the event with
two undercover journalists from “Spy” magazine in tow (Stewart and Ruth
Hussey). The romantic comedy observes the Lord family and their house guests in
the chaotic days leading up to the nuptials. With a cast made up of Hollywood royalty, The
Philadelphia Story is a DVD that belongs in your
collection, especially with the accompanying Hepburn documentary.
The informative commentary by Jeanine Basinger
includes background information on the cast and crew as well as scoops on
the money deals and ad-libs throughout the film. An admirer of any aspect of
the film will appreciate what Basinger has to offer. Of the two MGM shorts, the first comedically
explores how “That Inferior
Feeling” can cause one to become an object of suspicion. Cleverly written and depicted, it offers
little else to
the audience except maybe its short length. The same is true for “The
Homeless Flea,” an animated short about the relationship between a
flea and a dog (whose face inexplicably becomes fire engine red after
his bottom catches on fire). Finally, two radio adaptations from 1942 and ‘47
are a bit lengthy and of poor sound quality, but an interesting listen
nonetheless. Mallory Potosky
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DVD Extras:
The best is the
inspiring Katharine Hepburn: All
About Me - A Self Portrait (1992). Addressing the camera, Hepburn recalls her past with
humor
and pride. (“Adorable as always,” is how she describes herself.) It follows her at age 85, capturing
her playing tennis, weeding her
garden, and hauling wood. Included is a screen test made before she signed with RKO and another, in
Technicolor, with her as Joan of Arc, in a project which was not filmed. Hepburn disavows a
romantic relationship with director John Ford, but is candid about her 27-year affair with Spencer
Tracy. Among the home movies she shares is the only film of him she ever took. In The Men
Who Made Movies: George Cukor, an interview with the director reveals
inside information about his methods and uncovers his talent
for literary and theatrical adaptations. Generous clips are provided. Both of these programs were made
for the cable channel TCM.