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Useless, Awful Remake that Falls Flat on Every Count

posted 9 years ago by mmitsos-1
9 replies | jump to latest

I was enchanted by Katharine Hepburn the first time I took note of her, at about the age of 15, watching "Alice Adams". Then I saw "The Philadelphia Story", and was completely hooked...on her, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart. She became my all-time idol among actors, and a woman I've admired and very much looked up to off-screen as well. The witty, urbane banter of "The Philadelphia Story" and how those three gems of acting pulled it off made the film spectacular. The role, of course, was tailor-made for Hepburn. The whole film was sublime.

So, why they made a remake at all was ridiculous in the first place. And making it into a musical?? I love Cole Porter, usually. But the songs here all fall flat. Simply boring....I don't know what happened, but not one of them is memorable. But the WORST fault of this film is the CASTING!!!

BIG-EARED, LIGHTBULB-SHAPED-HEAD BING CROSBY to replace CARY GRANT??????? Granted, I have NEVER been a fan of sleepy Bing Crosby nor his voice. But to replace the ever-debonair Cary Grant....what in the world were they thinking???

And flat-toned, one-note actress Grace Kelly??? It's painful to watch her.

The pairing of Sinatra with Celeste Holmes???? Nothing in this film works at all. I knew it wouldn't work 30 years ago when I first learned it existed. That's why I've avoided it all this time, until tonight. I'm watching it as I write this opinion. My suspicions were spot-on. I would avoid this film altogether and use the time to watch the unquestionably superior original.

[–] QueenBeez 9 years ago

I quite agree with you, mmitsos-1!!! Why anyone would even want to try to do a remake of a superb movie like "The Philadelphia Story" is beyond me, too! Hollywood never seems to learn to leave well enough alone.

I just watched this via Netflix and as every scene would droll by, I kept hearing Katherine Hepburn in the voice of a very over-acted, unfeeling Grace Kelly. Bing was just horrible in the part of C K Dexter-Haven (he'd have been better off playing her Dad), he and most of the cast really just seemed to be reading the lines - word for word from the original movie.

I don't care that Crosby and Kelly were having an affair at that time, shame on them for thinking just because they were in lust with each other, that the audience would be to. To me personally, I did not see or feel any chemistry from anyone in this film.

Even her sister, the once was Dinah Lord now turned into Caroline Lord was such a bore and completely flat in her performance. Even John Lund's performance was over acted and he had absolutely no feeling at all - just words spoken loud.
I kept praying that even Ole Blue Eyes(Frank Sinatra) would pull this sham around, but sadly he too, fell flat.

I highly recommend anyone who "pops in" on this one thread to go and watch "The Philadelphia Story", you will be way more entertained and you will root for the people you should and it will be performed with feeling!

Fasten your seat belts. Its going to be a bumpy night!
~Bette Davis in All About Eve

[–] EllisFowler 8 years ago

I don't care that Crosby and Kelly were having an affair at that time, shame on them for thinking just because they were in lust with each other, that the audience would be to.

They weren't having an affair at that time or, according to Kelly, ever, although they'd dated during and a bit after The Country Girl (I realize there are dissenting opinions on this). High Society was her farewell to Hollywood as she was already engaged to Rainier when shooting commenced and in fact, wore her own engagement ring. Although I usually find her enchanting, I thought she was awful in this, a petulant, out-of-her-depth foot-stamper as opposed to Hepburn's intimidating force of Nature. With the exception of Louis Armstrong, everyone else was strained and non-believable as well. I realize there are many who love this picture but I agree with others here that it's pointless. I have a hard time watching it.

[–] ajm64 9 years ago

Sorry you didn't like it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but the millions of folks who bought the soundtrack might disagree with your assessment of the songs.

[–] Altho73 8 years ago

I totally agree with the original poster, this is a really awful movie, one of the worst I have ever seen and will certainly never watch again.

[–] PussyCrusher_Principal 8 years ago

Without knowing the specifics of each case, I get the impression that when Color, Technicolor, etc. were perfected, 1950's Hollywood saw what seemed a golden opportunity to "Update" classic B&W (or more primitive early color) films with the new technology (TPS, The Women, House of Wax, Bachelor Mother, among others). off the top of my head I can't think of one that equaled the prior film (although I'm pretty sure there was at least one). 30's Hollywood did a lot of things right with the best of the best films of that decade, anybody would be hard pressed to top truly classic films. None of three I mentioned managed.

[–] EllisFowler 8 years ago

Without knowing the specifics of each case, I get the impression that when Color, Technicolor, etc. were perfected, 1950's Hollywood saw what seemed a golden opportunity to "Update" classic B&W (or more primitive early color) films with the new technology

With the exception of Mystery of the Wax Museum, which was shot in the early two-color process in 1933, Technicolor was very much perfected by the time the other titles you mentioned were shot (e.g. the fashion scene in The Women). It was, however, a lot more expensive in its earlier days and cameras and film stock were in short supply, especially during WWII. True, the technology eventually evolved to a single strip rather than three but early Technicolor remains gorgeous. And yes, with the possible exception of House of Wax, which I like almost as much as its predecessor, I agree with you that the older versions trump the remakes.

[–] atucci-1 8 years ago

Different strokes... I loved the movie, the lovely score, and the casting. The music advances & embellishes the storyline. What is all this about Bing being too old for Grace? In real life, Bing married a very beautiful actress 4 years younger than Grace! I think it all works beautifully.

[–] lynnrnsd 8 years ago

I enjoyed it, although I much prefer the original. I didn't get the pairing of Celeste Holm and Frank Sinatra either, but they were also paired in "The Tender Trap". She seems older than him, but she's not. And she definitely doesn't seem like a struggling artist. I have to admit, I love Sinatra singing those songs. When I watch it, I try not to think of the original. It definitely suffers by comparison.

[–] liscarkat (16692) 5 years ago

Great remake that surpasses "The Philadelphia Story" on every count. The casting is perfect, especially Celeste Holm (not "Holmes"). The songs are good, and a few of them are memorable. Terrific movie! Don't let the knuckleheads talk you out of seeing it.