I love my Jade who is 15 and still loves, loves, loves. It's June which means there are weddings galore, followed by a new home, new baby, more debt, and....divorce. lol I am such a romantic. There are so many movies about weddings I could do a part 2...maybe. Here are my 3...
1. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY-1940
This is a great comedy with Katherine Hepburn, who held the rights to the story having starred on Broadway, Cary Grant and Jommy Stewart in an Oscar winning role ax a reporter who falls for the haughty socialite, played by Hepburn. You see, this rich gal is going to marry a dull moron but her ex husband, Grant, decides to come to the wedding to see her off. Her ditzy mother, alcoholic father and wise-ass younger sister all are viewers to the antics of their snotty loved one and Stewart and Ruth Hussey are sent by their Newspaper ( remember those?) to document the whole affair. This is funny, witty and intelligent.. a real gem.
2. FATHER OF THE BRIDE-1950
I like Steve Martin but, with due respect, forget his remake of this classic comedy that stars Spencer Tracy as the father having to foot the bill, his home and his soul for his daughter, bride to be Elizabeth Taylor. We witness when she gets engaged to the time she actually marries the man she loves( this is fiction because she will love only this one guy and stay married unlike the real Liz who married 8 times). We see everything mainly through the eyes of her dad who is not happy with any of it. His wife, played by the wonderful Joan Bennett, does her best to keep her husband calm while she enjoys planning the wedding. This film actually coincides with Liz’s first marriage to Nicky Hilton( of the famous hotel chain and Paris Hilton’s great Uncle or Uncle..who cares) in a gown that looks similar to the one she wore on camera. Too bad Nicky was an abusive, alcoholic a-hole dooming that marriage in less than a year.
3. HIGH SOCIETY-1956
This is a musical remake of The Philadelphia Story starring Grace Kelly in the Hepburn role, Bing Crosby in the Cary Grant role and Frank Sinatra in the Stewart role. It s a pretty good remake and fun to watch especially the number with Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong and Crosby when they sing about Jazz. Kelly was perfect in this role since she was a socialite and was destined to become a Princess. No one talked about Kelly loving just about every co-star she starred with from Crosby, Gary Cooper to Clark Gable and William Holden. I don’t know if she had fun with Sinatra, but the only 2 men she did not bed down with was James Stewart and Cary Grant. She was young and her dad was not a nice person so she was looking for love which, I think, adds to her acting in this fun movie…strangely enough.
What wedding movies come into your mind?
Hi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteAwww... I love your kitty Jade. Makes me miss my Bootsie-Wootsie.
This is my curtain call, dear friend, my last visit to any blog until November. I enjoyed your trailers and reviews.
Grant and Stewart are my two favorite old school actors, yet I have not yet watched The Philadelphia Story, probably because I am not a big fan of Kate Hepburn. The dialogue does indeed seem snappy and the three screen giants are clearly at the top of their game in the 1940 romantic comedy. I pledge to watch the film soon.
I have seen Father Of The Bride, having watched it to get a gander of young Liz. (In real life, I was her hubby #2, #5 and #7.)
I have also seen High Society, having watched it to get a gander of young Grace. (In real life, I was her lover #6, #24 and #88.) The trailer offers a rare treat: hearing Ed Sullivan speak his lines without stumbling. The Binger invented relaxed and casual demeanor, and I enjoy listening to him deliver dialogue even more than singing.
Along with most musicals, I shy away from films about weddings and films about babies. The only wedding film that immediately comes to my demented mind in the pre-dawn darkness is Bride Of Frankenstein. :)
So this is Shady signing-off. Please stay safe and well, dear friend BB. Tickle my buddy Harley's belly and smooch him on the lips three times a day until I see you again in November. Bye-bye!
Enjoyed all three of your choices. What came to mind when I read your intro was an exam question on a college exam for a Social Problems class. Q: What is the primary cause of divorce? A: Marriage.
ReplyDeleteFirst movie: Five Weddings and a Funeral
The Philadelphia Story and High Society are so similar and yet vastly different in their ways but both highly enjoyable. Grace being a Philly girl would seem even more ideally cast than Kate if they hadn’t changed the location to Newport, RI to take advantage of the jazz festival. Be that as it may both are expertly cast and played, though Jimmy Stewart’s Oscar win is a consolation prize. There are checks and balances to both-Virginia Weidler is so memorable in the first, but the music is so great in the second among so many other things.
ReplyDeleteThe first Steve Martin/Diane Keaton remake of Father of the Bride is a charmer, but I also come down on the side of this original. Spence is inimitable and teenage Elizabeth Taylor is near impossible to better.
I simplified mine by having wedding in all three titles.
The first-A Wedding (1978)-is one of Robert Altman many faceted character comedy/dramas. It’s one of his more middling films but what a cast! Carol Burnett, Lillian Gish, Vivica Lindfors, Dina Merrill, Mia Farrow and Geraldine Chaplin just for starters.
Next is another imperfect but pleasant comedy-the Alan Alda directed and starring Betsy’s Wedding (1990) with the iconic Madeline Kahn stealing the show, although she shares honors with Anthony LaPaglia.
The last served as Ang Lee’s breakthrough in the States-The Wedding Banquet (1993). A lovely film of expectations, changing times, hopes both new and dashed with beautiful performances and wonderful direction.
Sweet Jade. Philadelphia Story sounds fun.
ReplyDeleteHope you're feeling great.
Sandra sandracox.blogspot.com
BIRGIT ~
ReplyDeleteI've never seen 'High Society', but I have seen and do like your other two choices.
It is exceedingly rare for me to enjoy a remake *more* than the original movie (that's only happened maybe 3 times), but that was the case with Steve Martin's remake of 'Father Of The Bride'. I really liked the original also (especially that Dali-esque nightmare scene), but I'll take the remake by a nose.
Another wedding movie I enjoyed - and WAY MORE than I anticipated - was the original 'My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding'. I even bought the DVD of that movie. At one point the DVD wasn't playing properly but I managed to fix it by spraying some Windex on it.
~ D-FensDogG
I know the first. I like Hepburn :D
ReplyDeleteYes there are so many films that include weddings and once again it's hard for me to think of any. You mentioned some excellent ones.
ReplyDeleteLet's see. There was the "jump the broom" ceremony in Roots but that was a TV movie so I don't know that it counts. Dang! I'm seeing wedding sequences in my mind but I can't recall the films. Darn memory!
Lee
The Philadelphia Story is one of the best-written films ever, period. Ruth Hussey gets all the best lines and in that movie, that's saying something. That said, the story can be difficult to stomach. The sexual politics are appalling.
ReplyDeleteFather of the Bride: I know it's sacrilege but I prefer the Steve Martin remake.
High Society: I love The Philadelphia Story so much that I've never been able to watch the musical remake. I suppose I should some day...
Four Weddings and a Funeral is a fantastic movie, until the last terrible line.
Jade is a gorgeous girl. Such a sweet face.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen any of the films you shared, but I have one I will recommend, even though I have never seen it either! It's called Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and was surely put out before either of us was born!
I enjoyed these, but preferred The Philadelphia Story to High Society. (Not really a fan of musicals, unless Gene Kelly is involved.) There are so many movies that fit this prompt, it's hard to choose! How about The Graduate or Who's Coming to Dinner? A fun one was My Big Fat Greek Wedding. They made a sequel, and I read a third is coming up as well.
ReplyDeleteBirgit,
ReplyDeleteI had no clue "Father of the Bride" with Steve Martin is a remake. Now, I'm curious to see the original. The other two old films I think we watched and liked. The trailers look familiar. Thanks for sharing your film picks!
Father of the Bride was definitely a fun movie. Spencer Tracy was great, wasn't he?:) Hope your week is productive and pain free.
ReplyDeleteSandra sandracox.blogspot.com
Both interesting and sad information on Grace Kelly.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a pain-free day.
Sandra sandracox.blogspot.com