''The Philadelphia Story'' is a 1939 American comic play by Philip Barry. It tells the story of a socialite whose wedding plans are complicated by the simultaneous arrival of her ex-husband and an attractive journalist. Written as a vehicle for Katharine Hepburn, its success marked a reversal of fortunes for the actress, who was one of the film stars deemed " box office poison" in 1938.

Production

The character of Tracy Lord was inspired by Helen Hope Montgomery Scott, a Philadelphia socialite known for her hijinks, who married a friend of playwright Philip Barry. Barry wrote ''The Philadelphia Story'' specifically for Katharine Hepburn, who ended up not only starring in but also financially backing the play, forgoing a salary in return for a percentage of the play's profits. The play was a great success on Broadway, and was Hepburn's first great triumph after a number of Hollywood failures had led the Independent Theatre Owners of America to publicly deem her and a number of other film stars " box office poison". Produced by the

Theatre Guild The Theatre Guild is a theatrical society founded in New York City in 1918 by Lawrence Langner, Philip Moeller, Helen Westley and Theresa Helburn. Langner's wife, Armina Marshall, then served as a co-director. It evolved out of the work of th ...

, ''The Philadelphia Story'' opened on March 28, 1939, at the Shubert Theatre in New York City, and closed on March 30, 1940. The three-act comedy was directed by

Robert B. Sinclair Robert Bruce Sinclair (May 24, 1905 – January 3, 1970) was an American director who worked in film, Theatre, theater and Television show, television. Early years Robert Bruce Sinclair was born in Toledo, Ohio, the son of an insurance agent. ...

, with lighting and scenery by Robert Edmond Jones. File:Philadelphia-Story-Stage-1.jpg, Katharine Hepburn File:Philadelphia-Story-Stage-2.jpg, Vera Allen,

Dan Tobin Daniel Malloy Tobin (October 19, 1910 – November 26, 1982) was an American supporting actor on the stage, in films and on television. He generally played gentle, urbane, rather fussy, sometimes obsequious and shifty characters, often with a c ...

, Katharine Hepburn and Lenore Lonergan File:Philadelphia-Story-Stage-3.jpg, Katharine Hepburn File:Philadelphia-Story-Stage-4.jpg, Katharine Hepburn File:Philadelphia-Story-Stage-5.jpg,

Joseph Cotten Joseph Cheshire Cotten Jr. (May 15, 1905 – February 6, 1994) was an American film, stage, radio and television actor. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original stage productions of '' The Philadelphia Story'' and '' Sab ...

and Katharine Hepburn

Cast

* Lenore Lonergan as Dinah Lord * Vera Allen as Margaret Lord * Katharine Hepburn as Tracy Lord *

as Alexander "Sandy" Lord * Owen Coll as Thomas * Forrest Orr as William Tracy * Shirley Booth as Elizabeth Imbrie * Van Heflin as Macauley Connor * Frank Fenton as George Kittredge *

as C. K. Dexter Haven * Nicholas Joy as Seth Lord * Myrtle Tannahill as May * Lorraine Bate as Elsie *

Hayden Rorke William Henry Rorke (October 23, 1910 – August 19, 1987), known professionally as Hayden Rorke, was an American actor best known for playing Colonel Alfred E. Bellows on the 1960s American sitcom ''I Dream of Jeannie''. Early life Rorke was ...

as Mac

Adaptations

Film

Hoping to create a film vehicle for herself which would erase the label, Hepburn accepted the film rights to the play from

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...

, who had purchased them as a gift for her. She then convinced

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

Louis B. Mayer Louis Burt Mayer (; born Lazar Meir; July 12, 1882 or 1884 or 1885 – October 29, 1957) was a Canadian-American film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios (MGM) in 1924. Under Mayer's management, MGM became the film industr ...

to buy them from her for only $250,000 in return for Hepburn having veto over producer, director, screenwriter, and cast.Melear, Mary Ann
"The Philadelphia Story" (TCM article)
/ref>TC
Notes
/ref> In 1940 the play was adapted to film, in a

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

picture directed by

George Cukor George Dewey Cukor (; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO when David O. Selznick, the studio's Head ...

with Hepburn as the star, and starring

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

as C.K. Dexter Haven and James Stewart as Macaulay Connor. In 1956, it was adapted to a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical film version, ''

High Society High society, sometimes simply society, is the behavior and lifestyle of people with the highest levels of wealth and social status. It includes their related affiliations, social events and practices. Upscale social clubs were open to men based ...

'' with

Grace Kelly Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956. Kelly ...

in the Tracy Lord role, Bing Crosby as C.K. Dexter Haven and Frank Sinatra as Macaulay Connor.

Radio

Radio adaptations of ''The Philadelphia Story'' include a half-hour presentation on ''The Prudential Family Hour of Stars'' (February 26, 1950), starring Sarah Churchill,

Norma Jean Nilsson Norma Jean Nilsson (born January 1, 1938) is a former child actress in old-time radio and films.DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. ...

Gerald Mohr Gerald Mohr (June 11, 1914 – November 9, 1968) was an American radio, film, and television character actor and frequent leading man, who appeared in more than 500 radio plays, 73 films, and over 100 television shows. Early years Mohr wa ...

and Gene Kelly. An hour-long adaptation was broadcast August 17, 1952, on ''Best Plays'', with a cast including

Joan Alexander Joan Alexander (born Louise Abrass; April 16, 1915 – May 21, 2009)
''

Betty Furness Elizabeth Mary Furness (January 3, 1916 – April 2, 1994) was an American actress, consumer advocate, and current affairs commentator. Early years Furness was born in Manhattan, the daughter of wealthy business executive George Choate Furness ...

Myron McCormick Myron McCormick (February 8, 1908 – July 30, 1962) was an American actor of stage, radio and film. Early life and education Born in Albany, Indiana, in 1908, Walter Myron McCormick was the middle child of Walter P. and Bessie M. McCormick ...

and Vera Allen.

Television

''The Philadelphia Story'' was adapted for the second season of the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

-TV series, ''

Robert Montgomery Presents ''Robert Montgomery Presents'' is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950, until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its eight-year run, and the title was altered to feature the ...

''. Starring Barbara Bel Geddes (Tracy Lord),

Richard Derr Richard Derr (June 15, 1917 – May 8, 1992) was an American actor who worked on stage, screen, and television, performing in both starring and supporting roles. Early years Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, Derr graduated from Norristown High ...

(Macauley Connor) and

Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen (11 February 192628 November 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. Nielsen was bo ...

(C. K. Dexter Haven), the one-hour live program aired December 4, 1950. On December 8, 1954, a live 60-minute adaptation of the play was broadcast on the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

-TV series, '' The Best of Broadway''. The cast included

Mary Astor Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American actress. Although her career spanned several decades, she may be best remembered for her performance as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in '' The Maltese ...

(Margaret Lord),

Dorothy McGuire Dorothy Hackett McGuire (June 14, 1916 – September 13, 2001) was an American actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for '' Gentleman's Agreement'' (1947) and won the National Board of Review Award for Best Actre ...

(Tracy Lord), Charles Winninger (Uncle Willie),

Neva Patterson Neva Louise Patterson (February 10, 1920 – December 14, 2010) was an American actress. Early years Born on a farm near Nevada, Iowa, Patterson was the daughter of mailman George Patterson and seamstress Marjorie Byers Patterson. After gradu ...

(Liz Imbrie), Richard Carlson (Mike Connor),

Dick Foran John Nicholas "Dick" Foran (June 18, 1910 – August 10, 1979) was an American actor, known for his performances in Western musicals and for playing supporting roles in dramatic pictures. Early years Foran was born in Flemington, New Jer ...

(George Kittredge), John Payne (C.K. Dexter Haven) and Herbert Marshall (Seth Lord). A two-hour adaptation aired on

-TV on December 7, 1959, directed by

Fielder Cook Fielder Cook (March 9, 1923 – June 20, 2003) was an American television and film director, producer, and writer whose 1971 television film ''The Homecoming: A Christmas Story'' spawned the series ''The Waltons''. Biography and career Born in ...

and starring

Gig Young Gig Young (born Byron Elsworth Barr; November 4, 1913 – October 19, 1978) was an American actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in ''Come Fill the Cup'' (1952) and '' Teacher's Pet'' ...

(C.K. Dexter Haven),

Diana Lynn Diana Marie Lynn (born Dolores Eartha Loehr, July 5, 1926 – December 18, 1971) was an American actress. Early years Lynn was born in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Louis Loehr, was an oil supply executive, and her mother, Martha Loe ...

(Tracy Lord),

Christopher Plummer Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer (December 13, 1929 – February 5, 2021) was a Canadian actor. His career spanned seven decades, gaining him recognition for his performances in film, stage, and television. He received multiple accolades, inc ...

(Mike Connor), Ruth Roman (Liz Imbrie),

(Margaret Lord),

Don DeFore Donald John DeFore (August 25, 1913 – December 22, 1993) was an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the sitcom ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'' from 1952 to 1957 and the sitcom ''Hazel'' from 1961 to 1965, the former of w ...

(George Kittredge), Alan Webb (Seth Lord), and

Leon Janney Leon Janney (April 1, 1917 – October 28, 1980) was an American actor and radio personality from 1920 to 1980. Career Leon Elbert Janney was born in Ogden, Utah, to Nathan Haines Janney and Bernice Rebecca Kohn. The names of his parents are co ...

(Sidney Kidd). The instrumental theme for this version, " Tracy's Theme", was released as a single by Robert Mersey under the name "Spencer Ross" and became a Top 20 hit.

Copyright

Copyright for ''The Philadelphia Story'' was registered in 1939 by Barry and his wife, portrait artist Ellen Semple Barry, and was renewed by her in 1967. Her estate retains copyright to the play.

References

External links

* *
1952 ''Best Plays'' radio adaptation
at

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Philadelphia Story Plays by Philip Barry 1939 plays Broadway plays Comedy plays Plays set in Pennsylvania American plays adapted into films