The Philadelphia Story (play)


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 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, with lighting and scenery by Robert Edmond Jones.

Cast

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, who had purchased them as a gift for her. She then convinced MGM's Louis B. Mayer to buy them from her for only $250,000 in return for Hepburn having veto over producer, director, screenwriter, and cast.
In 1940 the play was adapted to film, in a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture directed by George Cukor with Hepburn as the star, and starring Cary Grant 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 with Grace 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, starring Sarah Churchill, Norma Jean Nilsson, Gerald Mohr and Gene Kelly. An hour-long adaptation was broadcast 17 August 1952, on Best Plays, with a cast including Joan Alexander, Betty Furness, Myron McCormick and Vera Allen.

Television

The Philadelphia Story was adapted for the second season of the NBC-TV series, Robert Montgomery Presents. Starring Barbara Bel Geddes, Richard Derr and Leslie Nielsen, the one-hour live program aired 4 December 1950.
On 8 December 1954, a live 60-minute adaptation of the play was broadcast on the CBS-TV series, The Best of Broadway. The cast included Mary Astor, Dorothy McGuire, Charles Winninger, Neva Patterson, Richard Carlson, Dick Foran, John Payne and Herbert Marshall.
A two-hour adaptation aired on NBC-TV on 7 December 1959, directed by Fielder Cook and starring Gig Young, Diana Lynn, Christopher Plummer, Ruth Roman, Mary Astor, Don DeFore, Alan Webb, and Leon Janney. 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.