The Philadelphia Story

The Philadelphia Story is a comic play by Philip Barry.

The original text

It tells the story of a socialite whose wedding plans are complicated by the simultaneous arrival of her ex-husband and an attractive journalist. Barry wrote The Philadelphia Story specifically for Katharine Hepburn.

Translations and adaptations

High Society is a musical version of The Philadelphia Story (1941), which was based on a 1939 play by Philip Barry. He wrote it with Katharine Hepburn in mind, which was great timing for the actress. In 1938, Hepburn was labeled “box office poison” because her last few films had flopped. For more on that, head over to Bringing Up Baby (1938) or Holiday (1938).

Since Hepburn’s film career wasn’t going well, she bought out her contract with RKO and went back to the stage to star in Barry’s play. Fortunately for her, The Philadelphia Story was a hit!

1946: In South Africa it was presented by the Munro-Inglis Company, produced by Margaret Inglis in the Standard Theatre, 1946. The cast consisted of Doreen Hamshaw, Gordon Mulholland, Nan Munro, Will Jamieson, Frank Secker, Brigid Gibbings, Frank Wise. In the Alhambra Theatre in Cape Town the cast were Nan Munro, Joan Pritchard, Rayne Kruger, Will Jamieson, Brigid Gibbings, Frank Wise, Henry Gilbert, Gordon Mulholland, Doreen Hamshaw, with sets by Len Grossett. It was their last production in South Africa.

Sources

South African Opinion, 3(6):22, 1946; 3(11):21, 1947.

Trek, 11(7):18, 1946.

Brooke 1978. 142.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Philadelphia_Story_(play)

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