High Society (DVD)

~~ High Society~~ I have although, slowly been going through my collection of musicals, they needed an airing, some are still unopened. I am a bit naughty I buy these movies with the intentions of sitting down to watch them, but life takes over and the moment has gone, they end up being filed to watch one day. So my film for this month is High Society, which is a comedy musical that opened at the Pantages Theatre, Hollywood on 1st August 1956. The film boasted nominations for Best Song and Best score at the 1956 Oscars. High Society was the musical version of Philip Barry's comedy play The ... more

Please don't misunderstand my title for this review - High Society is a wonderful film, with a warm, feel-good atmosphere, but while it's nice to have on DVD, this movie could have supported a special edition, much like the recent SE of 'Singin' in the Rain'. The movie begins with the Lord family gathered at their Newport estate to celebrate the forthcoming wedding of Tracy, the ice-goddess daughter of the clan (the stunning Grace Kelly). The problem is, Tracy's father, Seth Lord, has been caught in flagrante with a ballet dancer and Tracy's ex-huband lives right next door. CK Dexter Haven ... more

High Society needs to be seen even if its just for the timeless 'what a swell party' scene with the legends that are Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. It is not often these two greats sing together "we sing so rare." The great characters are my favourite element of the film, the music comes second and the script which includes some great lines comes third, for instance "shut up you fool" (Louis Calhern with a hangover talking to a bird singing in a tree.) High society is by far my favourite musical as I watched it over and over again as a kid showing that it is pure family entertainment. From ... more

This is one of my favourite films ever made, and is a must-see for families. It must be considered one of the best musicals to come out of the 1940s and 1950s! The all-star cast of Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Celeste Holm are absolutely fantastic, and the quality of the singing is extremely high. The comedic turns from the cast are hilarious, and it's great to see such big stars looking like they are having fun. The inclusion of the film reel of the premiere is a nice addition to the dvd, but more could have been made of the special features of the film- some ... more