High Society

Musical remake of The Philadelphia Story which scores over the original only in its score. Crosby (especially) and Sinatra are miscast in the Cary Grant/James Stewart roles, and Grace Kelly only really catches the icy class of Tracy Lord, whereas Katharine Hepburn made her a complex comic creation. But despite many commentators' thumbs-down to one of Cole Porter's best late scores, the numbers are good, particularly the lesser-known ballads (like Bing's archetypal note-bending 'Samantha'). And there's not much gainsaying 'Well Did You Evah' (the only song not written for the movie, and it looks an intrusion) or 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' (with the undervalued Celeste Holm). A slightly misbegotten musical, but with many pleasures and Louis Armstrong, growing into sweet avuncularity.