Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

The Philadelphia Story

  • 1940
  • Approved
  • 1h 52m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
75K
YOUR RATING
Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart in The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Theatrical Trailer from MGM
Play trailer3:32
2 Videos
99+ Photos
FarceScrewball ComedyComedyRomance

After a rich woman's ex-husband and a tabloid-type reporter turn up just before her planned remarriage, she begins to learn the truth about herself.After a rich woman's ex-husband and a tabloid-type reporter turn up just before her planned remarriage, she begins to learn the truth about herself.After a rich woman's ex-husband and a tabloid-type reporter turn up just before her planned remarriage, she begins to learn the truth about herself.

  • Director
    • George Cukor
  • Writers
    • Donald Ogden Stewart
    • Philip Barry
    • Waldo Salt
  • Stars
    • Cary Grant
    • Katharine Hepburn
    • James Stewart
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.8/10
    75K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • George Cukor
    • Writers
      • Donald Ogden Stewart
      • Philip Barry
      • Waldo Salt
    • Stars
      • Cary Grant
      • Katharine Hepburn
      • James Stewart
    • 290User reviews
    • 84Critic reviews
    • 96Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 2 Oscars
      • 5 wins & 5 nominations total

    Videos2

    The Philadelphia Story
    Trailer 3:32
    The Philadelphia Story
    The Philadelphia Story: They Grew Up Together
    Clip 1:25
    The Philadelphia Story: They Grew Up Together
    The Philadelphia Story: They Grew Up Together
    Clip 1:25
    The Philadelphia Story: They Grew Up Together

    Photos141

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 134
    View Poster

    Top cast37

    Edit
    Cary Grant
    Cary Grant
    • C.K. Dexter Haven
    Katharine Hepburn
    Katharine Hepburn
    • Tracy Lord
    James Stewart
    James Stewart
    • Macaulay Connor
    Ruth Hussey
    Ruth Hussey
    • Elizabeth Imbrie
    John Howard
    John Howard
    • George Kittredge
    Roland Young
    Roland Young
    • Uncle Willie
    John Halliday
    John Halliday
    • Seth Lord
    Mary Nash
    Mary Nash
    • Margaret Lord
    Virginia Weidler
    Virginia Weidler
    • Dinah Lord
    Henry Daniell
    Henry Daniell
    • Sidney Kidd
    Lionel Pape
    Lionel Pape
    • Edward
    Rex Evans
    Rex Evans
    • Thomas
    King Baggot
    King Baggot
    • Wedding Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Hillary Brooke
    Hillary Brooke
    • Main Line Society Woman
    • (uncredited)
    Veda Buckland
    • Elsie
    • (uncredited)
    Lita Chevret
    Lita Chevret
    • Manicurist
    • (uncredited)
    Russ Clark
    • John
    • (uncredited)
    Sally Cleaves
    • Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • George Cukor
    • Writers
      • Donald Ogden Stewart
      • Philip Barry
      • Waldo Salt
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Bringing Up Baby
    7.8
    Bringing Up Baby
    His Girl Friday
    7.8
    His Girl Friday
    The Shop Around the Corner
    8.0
    The Shop Around the Corner
    Holiday
    7.7
    Holiday
    Arsenic and Old Lace
    7.9
    Arsenic and Old Lace
    It Happened One Night
    8.1
    It Happened One Night
    Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
    8.1
    Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
    Notorious
    7.9
    Notorious
    To Catch a Thief
    7.4
    To Catch a Thief
    Charade
    7.8
    Charade
    Anatomy of a Murder
    8.0
    Anatomy of a Murder
    Roman Holiday
    8.0
    Roman Holiday

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film was shot in eight weeks, and required very few retakes. During the scene where James Stewart hiccups when drunk, you can see Cary Grant looking down and grinning. Since the hiccup wasn't scripted, Grant was on the verge of breaking out laughing and had to compose himself quickly. Stewart (apparently spontaneously) thought of hiccuping in the drunk scene, without telling Grant. When he began hiccuping, Grant turned to Stewart, saying, "Excuse me." The scene required only one take.
    • Goofs
      After Dexter reveals Kidd's blackmailing scheme to Tracy, he accidentally calls her Dinah. Correction: Dexter is not calling her Dinah. When he says "Quiet, Dinah" his implied meaning is "Quiet, Dinah will hear you."
    • Quotes

      Tracy Lord: The time to make up your mind about people is never.

    • Alternate versions
      Also available in a computer colorized version.
    • Connections
      Edited into Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972)
    • Soundtracks
      Lydia, the Tattooed Lady
      (1939) (uncredited)
      Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
      Music by Harold Arlen
      Performed by Virginia Weidler (vocal and piano)

    User reviews290

    Review
    Review
    Featured review

    The story nearly gave me a headache,but Grant,Hepburn,and Stewart made it fun to watch.

    I really wasn't so much wowed by The Philadelphia Story's "story",as it were,as I was mesmerized by three of the big screen's strongest ever screen presences' interaction with one another.Katherine Hepburn,Cary Grant,and James Stewart were great (if that is even a strong enough word) individually,but together here in this film,they were absolutely out of this world.The story,quite frankly,gave me a headache overall,but I did find the ever famous "hiccup" improvisation between Stewart and Grant hysterical as it was obvious both men could barely compose themselves,but being the professionals that they were,they got it together and moved on,and that's what made the scene so entertaining.I had a great time watching.
    • SmileysWorld
    • Sep 16, 2011
    • Permalink

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ24

    • How long is The Philadelphia Story?Powered by Alexa
    • In what year or era is this Movie set? Was it considered a modern movie in it's day?
    • Is 'The Philadelphia Story' based on a book?
    • What song was playing during the ball? It sounds like a Cole Porter tune.

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 17, 1941 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Die Nacht vor der Hochzeit
    • Filming locations
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Loew's
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $944,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $404,524
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $258,994
      • Feb 18, 2018
    • Gross worldwide
      • $413,654
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 52 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart in The Philadelphia Story (1940)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Philadelphia Story (1940) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2024 by IMDb.com, Inc.