My Intro to Film

Humor, I find, is so generational. The comedy of Shakespeare’s time is different from our parents’ comedy is different from our comedy. That’s why we often see movies or television shows from the past and wonder at the absurdity of the humor. We laugh, but it’s not always at the jokes the writers created for their audiences. It’s at any and everyone who thought that this could be solid humor. Admit it, you find the humor of Leave it to Beaver, The Honeymooners, and even the beloved I Love Lucy a little over-the-top and ridiculous.

That’s the beauty of The Philadelphia Story (1940, directed by George Cukor)– it’s got some humor that makes you wonder about the writers’ sanity, but then there’s also something else. The film is riddled with humor and jokes that we, today, can and do enjoy in modern comedies, be it “smarter” humor or dirty humor that seems to be so popular these days. The witty banter is filled with hilarious one liners that you don’t really expect. Humor pours out in the not-too-outrageous slapstick humor of drunken people trying to sustain their upper-class dignity at all hours of the night. You can’t help but laugh knowingly and relate as the hung over elite try to nurse their ailments while sorting out their personal matters. For a film made in 1940 to retain its humor throughout the years is no easy feat. That’s wh it’s easy to understand why AFI would include this in its life of top films.

So I suppose you’ve guessed: I really liked it. It was so weird to see Cary Grant and James Steward so young. I am so used to those two in their respective Hitchcock films. Grants tan from To Catch a Thief is only a mere base coat of sun, and Stewart looked like he had just hit puberty only a few years prior to this film. The age difference showed in their acting abilities too. Don’t get me wrong; they were good. But you could tell these two were fresh on the Hollywood scene at this point.

You know, I realize that Grant was generally the preferred of the two leading males, but there’s something about James Stewart, both young and old, that appeals to me more. I think it might be the roles that I know them from best. In both The Philadelphia Story and To Catch a Thief, Grant plays an upper-class stud who bathes in the lap of luxury — he wants to retire to the French Riviera and has a highly publicized marriage and divorce in either movies. Stewart, on the other hand, chose roles as artists of some sort: a photographer who’s gained notoriety for his great eye and willingness to do anything for a shot and a writer who wants to express himself through poetic prose but is stuck making ends meet at a tabloid. Doesn’t Steward sound more substantial? I think so.

Katherine Hepburn was good, though I didn’t quite understand her character very well. It seemed she was supposed to play a rather strong-headed young woman who wouldn’t accept her place as a woman in society. But then she also seemed like a young romantic who had been scorned by love. Or was she an snotty upper-class brat? But then she seemed like she wasn’t so snobby and would prefer a quieter life. Sure these aren’t really conflicting ideas (except maybe the last two), but it was difficult to get a read on her. Her personality would change from scene to scene to accommodate each character. Hepburn did a fantastic job doing each role. Hrm, maybe not? Maybe she should have more expertly fused each potential together to create the complex character? I don’t really think the writing allowed for that.

One gripe I do have is with the character Liz Imbrie (Ruth Hussey). Despite being part of the main cast, Liz is not nearly as developed as the others. Her few lines do not give the audience much chance to get to know her. I barely caught on that she was in love with another character. She sort of gets a happy ending… I think? I don’t know. She ends up getting what she wants only because what she wants can’t get what he wants. It almost seems like her main purpose in the film is to serve as a consolation prize for the one guy. I would feel bad for her if her character was better developed.

Actually, now that I’m thinking about it, I have to wonder if this film was loosely based on A Midsummer’s Night Dream. I mean there are four main characters. Everyone’s in love with someone else. But hilariously, alcohol plays the part of Puck.

I strongly recommend you check this film out. It might be old, but the humor you find in it won’t seem dated at all. The acting, which doesn’t make the movie, is still really good. And the plot is humorous enough to keep you entertained, interested, and even laughing.