High Society (1956)

Director:

Charles Walters

Writers:

Philip Barry (play)
John Patrick (writer)

Release Date:

17 July 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

They're all together for the first time!

Plot:

C.K. Dexter-Haven, a successful popular jazz musician, lives in a mansion near his ex-wife's Tracy Lord's family estate...

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Musician | Tabloid Reporter | Wedding | Marriage

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Bing Crosby	...	C.K. Dexter-Haven
Grace Kelly	...	Tracy Samantha Lord
Frank Sinatra	...	Mike Connor
Celeste Holm	...	Liz Imbrie
John Lund	...	George Kittredge
Louis Calhern	...	Uncle Willie
Sidney Blackmer	...	Seth Lord
Louis Armstrong and His Band	...	Themselves
Margalo Gillmore	...	Mrs. Seth Lord
Lydia Reed	...	Caroline Lord
Gordon Richards	...	Dexter-Haven's butler
Richard Garrick	...	Lords' Butler
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hugh Boswell	...	The Parson (uncredited)
Barrett Deems	...	Louis' drummer (uncredited)
Edmond Hall	...	Louis' clarinetist (uncredited)
Paul Keast	...	Editor (uncredited)
Richard Keene	...	Mac (uncredited)
Billy Kyle	...	Louis' pianist (uncredited)
Ruth Lee	...	Ruth (Jazz Festival organizer) (uncredited)
Arvell Shaw	...	Louis' bassist (uncredited)
Reginald Simpson	...	Lawrence (Uncle Willie's butler) (uncredited)
Helen Spring	...	Helen (Jazz Festival organizer) (uncredited)
Florence Wix	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
James Young	...	Louis' trombonist (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Walters

Writing credits
Philip Barry		(play "The Philadelphia Story")
John Patrick		(writer)

Produced by
Sol C. Siegel	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Cole Porter

Cinematography by
Paul Vogel		(director of photography) (as Paul C. Vogel)

Film Editing by
Ralph E. Winters

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons
Hans Peters

Set Decoration by
Richard Pefferle
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Helen Rose

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Dave Friedman	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arvid Griffen	....	assistant director
Hank Moonjean	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Wesley C. Miller	....	recording supervisor (as Dr. Wesley C. Miller)
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects

Editorial Department
Charles K. Hagedon	....	color consultant: Technicolor

Music Department
Saul Chaplin	....	music adaptor
Saul Chaplin	....	music supervisor
Johnny Green	....	music adaptor
Johnny Green	....	music supervisor
Nelson Riddle	....	orchestrator
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestrator
Charles Walters	....	stager: musical numbers

Production Companies

• Bing Crosby Productions (in association with)
• Sol C. Siegel Productions (for)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (VHS)
• Vídeo Arte (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Perspecta Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | South Korea:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Australia:G (original rating) | Australia:PG (alternate rating) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Filming Locations:

750 Bel Air Road, Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Bing Crosby Productions

Trivia:

The song "Well, Did You Evah?" (from a previous Cole Porter musical) was added at the last minute when it was realized that there wasn't a song for Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra to sing together.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Tracy introduces George to Mike and Liz, George pours drinks for everybody. From one shot to another, Dexter-Haven's drink appears in his hand without his picking it up. Mike picks up his drink twice. Margaret's drink also appears in her hand without her picking it up.

Quotes:

Mike: Would you have four footmen bring me a large ashtray.
Liz Imbrie: Mike, be careful what you say. We may be wired for sound.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Red Hot and Blue (1990) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Now You Has Jazz

The unbeatable talents of three legendary stars in a nice musical comedy…

"High Society" unites the unbeatable talents of three legendary stars Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong with the beautiful and talented Grace Kelly in her final role before she becomes the loving Princess of Monaco…

Spoiled Tracy (Kelly) is about to marry a boring businessman John Lund, but on the eve of her nuptials, her ex-husband Crosby, who still calls her Sam, returns to try and put a stop to the wedding…

On hand to cover her upcoming nuptials for a spy magazine are journalists Celeste Holm) and Sinatra, with the greatest American jazz musician Louis Armstrong providing with Crosby a musical jazz called "Now You Has Jazz."

Armstrong opens the film from the back of the blue bus shared with his band, with a calypso song, while the classic "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" is lively sung by Sinatra and Holm alone in a big room filled with Kelly's many extravagant wedding gifts…

Kelly is lovely as the refined woman flirting with three men… In scenes that required the softening of her unyielding nature, she seems so reserved and cold in manner…

Sinatra sings to her "You're Sensational" and "Mind if I Make Love to You? Crosby sings "True Love."