High Society - Warner Archive Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Dozens of dramatic and comedic movies and plays have been turned into musicals over the past century. Some, like My Fair Lady, The Phantom of the Opera, and West Side Story, were instant hits and became bona fide classics. Others, like Pretty Woman, Rocky, and Big, laid massive eggs. High Society, a musical adaptation of the beloved 1940 film The Philadelphia Story, falls somewhere in between. A delightful Cole Porter score, the star power of Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and Frank Sinatra, the eye candy of VistaVision and Technicolor, and the strength of the original material infuse this tuneful remake with plenty of joie de vivre, but while watching High Society it's hard not to wish you were watching The Philadelphia Story instead.

That's because for all their immense musical talent, neither Crosby nor Sinatra can compete with Cary Grant or James Stewart dramatically. (Remember, Stewart won a Best Actor Oscar for the part Sinatra plays.) And though Kelly's breathtaking beauty radiates throughout, her performance is often a carbon copy of Katharine Hepburn's iconic turn as the arrogant, headstrong socialite Tracy Lord. John Patrick's screenplay also sticks too closely to the original, often quoting it verbatim, which makes it impossible not to compare the two movies. That said, Crosby, Kelly, and Sinatra make a pleasant enough triumvirate, but High Society only really comes alive - and separates itself from The Philadelphia Story - during its musical numbers.

High Society cleverly switches the story's locale from Philly to the coastal town of Newport, Rhode Island and a rarefied enclave of over-the-top mansions...or "cottages," as the Vanderbilts and Astors who resided there used to call them. The setting also allows the film to showcase the fledgling Newport Jazz Festival and provide a good excuse as to why trumpeter extraordinaire Louis Armstrong shows up in a featured role. Armstrong is a buddy of C.K. Dexter Haven (Crosby), a successful songwriter who's promoting the festival. Dex is still in love with his ex-wife Tracy (Kelly), who lives in the mansion next door and is preparing to marry stuffy industrialist George Kittredge (John Lund) the next day...if Dex can't somehow worm his way back into Tracy's heart.

Tracy believes Dex is using the jazz festival to sabotage her wedding, but she soon has more pressing matters to confront. She learns from her Uncle Willie (Louis Calhern) that a gossipy scandal sheet called Spy Magazine plans to expose her estranged father's tawdry affair with a Broadway chorus girl and thus disgrace her family...unless she allows reporter Mike Connor (Sinatra) and his photographer/girlfriend Liz Imbrie (Celeste Holm) to cover her hoity-toity wedding. Tracy puts on plenty of airs for the nonplussed journalists, who try their best to focus on their assignment, but become embroiled in the topsy-turvy lives of Tracy and her dysfunctional family instead.

Part of what makes The Philadelphia Story so much fun is the way it cleverly skewers the idle wealthy and delivers pointed jabs at America's social and cultural divides. Sadly, High Society softens that arch tone and even tries to make us feel sorry for the rich folk who can no longer afford their extravagant lifestyles and must sell their mansions to alleviate their tax burdens. That makes sense, though, because High Society revels in its opulence, boasting lavish sets, elegant gowns, and one huge diamond. Kelly, who would leave Hollywood forever after shooting High Society to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco, wears her actual engagement ring in the film, and it just might be the only thing capable of upstaging the gorgeous actress.

And like that diamond ring, Porter's wonderful score upstages the narrative. When Crosby, Sinatra, and Armstrong start to sing - and swing - any pining for The Philadelphia Story evaporates. The tunes and talent buoy the film, and the inimitable Armstrong sets the tone with "High Society Calypso," a spritely musical prologue that sets up the plot. A fairly long song draught follows, interrupted only by a weak ballad that Crosby sings to Tracy's little sister Caroline (Lydia Reed, who's a very poor substitute for the delightfully precocious Virginia Weidler in The Philadelphia Story), but things perk up considerably when Sinatra and Holm duet on the charming, humorous "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" as they sneeringly peruse Tracy's extravagant wedding gifts. (Interestingly, the famous TV quiz show reportedly got its title from that song.)

The most recognizable - and best - tunes follow. The lilting, romantic "True Love," sung by Crosby and Kelly aboard the boat of the same name, would top the charts and sell a million copies, making Kelly the only princess ever to receive a platinum record. Soon after, Sinatra serenades Kelly with "You're Sensational," a worshipful ode to her palpable allure, and then comes my favorite number in the film - and according to a radio promo in the disc extras, it's Crosby's, too. "Now You Has Jazz" gives Crosby the chance to strut his stuff and team up with Armstrong in a high-spirited, free-wheeling, very memorable duet that celebrates jazz and the talented musicians in Armstrong's band. (You might recall seeing a clip of it in That's Entertainment, Part 2.)

Ironically, the best-known song from High Society isn't part of the original score. "Well, Did You Evah?", a bitingly clever and sarcastic send-up of the veddy-veddy rich, was plucked from the score of another Porter musical, Du Barry Was a Lady, to provide a showcase duet for Crosby and Sinatra, who had never performed together on screen. (The song did not make it into the film version of Du Barry Was a Lady, which is why many  believe it was written for High Society.) The two pros perform the hell out of it, crooning and clowning and having a grand old time. Their lofty mutual regard is quite evident (Crosby was reportedly Sinatra's childhood idol) and their camaraderie makes the number even more exhilarating.

All the men romancing the 26-year-old Kelly in the film are at least 15 years older than she. (Crosby is a whopping 27 years her senior!) That lends a slightly creepy tone to the proceedings, but to be fair, May-December pairings were quite common in Hollywood pictures during the 1950s. Grant, Hepburn, and Stewart were all around the same age in The Philadelphia Story...one more reason that movie has a truer ring to it.

Of course, if you've never seen The Philadelphia Story, there's no reason why High Society won't tickle your fancy. Director Charles Walters (Easter Parade, Lili) crafts another breezy musical, the story holds up well, the stars light up the screen, and Cole Porter delivers a fine score. All that and VistaVision, too! High Society may not be sensational, but when the music's playing and Crosby, Sinatra, and Armstrong are swinging, what a swell party it is!

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
High Society arrives on 4K UHD packaged in a standard case inside a sleeve. A 1080p Blu-ray disc is tucked inside the front cover. Video codec is 2160p/HEVC H.265 and default audio is Dolby Atmos. (A DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track is also included to replicate the movie's original theatrical audio.) Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu with music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.

Warner Archive's second 4K UHD release certainly rivals its first, John Ford's The Searchers, in terms of picture quality. Shot in VistaVision, a high definition format that enhanced many widescreen movies in the mid-1950s, High Society is a natural for Ultra HD and Warner Archive maximizes its visual impact with an eye-popping 2160p/HEVC H.265 transfer. The brand-new 4K UHD HDR Dolby Vision master was struck from 13.5k scans of the original VistaVision negative and delivers a crystal-clear, spotless image that fairly bursts with fine detail, exceptional vibrancy, and brilliant color. Faint grain provides a film-like feel that preserves the integrity of the cinematography by Paul Vogel, who won an Oscar a few years before for Battleground.

The wider color spectrum of Dolby Vision is on full display, with blazing hot reds, deep blues, and sunny yellows all vying for attention. (The colorful backgrounds on the opening credits are especially striking.) But it's the greens that really steal the show. Sea greens, pea greens, leafy greens...every hue imaginable is impeccably rendered, as are such subtle pastels as lavender, powder blue, and pink. Blacks are about as inky as they can get, whites are crisp and stable, and flesh tones appear natural throughout. Details in costumes, like pinstripes and prints, are vivid, Kelly's rock on her engagement ring sparkles, and razor-sharp close-ups showcase pores, facial hair, and - most of all - Kelly's breathtaking beauty.

The aerial and atmospheric shots of Newport were surely not filmed in VistaVision, and as a result they exude excessive grain and some fuzziness in Ultra HD. Car and bus scenes that feature rear projection also struggle to achieve a cohesive look, but these are (very) minor quibbles. This is an absolutely stunning 4K UHD presentation and only makes us hanker for more Warner Archvie classics in the same vein. (Sadly, no other titles seems to be in the offing at the moment.)

A brief sampling of the 1080p Blu-ray made me appreciate the 4K UHD disc all the more. Don't get me wrong; the Blu-ray transfer, which is struck from a 4K scan of the original VistaVision negative, is very satisfying, The picture just looks duller and flatter than its Ultra HD counterpart and the colors lack the snap, crackle, and pop that make the 4K UHD disc such a delight. The Blu-ray is miles ahead of the 2003 DVD and the 4K UHD disc not only leaves that DVD in the dust; it relegates it to the scrap heap.

Warner Archive's video transfers usually grab all the attention, but their remastered audio tracks are often just as impressive, and I try to sing their praises as much as possible. This one deserves plenty of accolades. A brand-new Dolby Atmos track mixed from original magnetic stereo sources produces lush, nuanced sound that fills every corner of the room. No, there isn't any overhead action (did anyone really think there would be?), but every other channel gets a nice workout. Noticeable stereo separation across the front channels nicely expands the soundscape, and even the rears become engaged now and then. Excellent fidelity and tonal depth, palpable bass, and a wide dynamic scale make the music sound sublime, from buh-buh-buh-Bing's beautiful baritone to Satchmo's blaring trumpet. The drums, bass, clarinet, and trombone in the jazz combo make their presence known, Sinatra's crooning is extra silky, and the elegant orchestrations by Nelson Riddle and Conrad Salinger fit Porter's tunes like a glove and complement the narrative. All the dialogue and song lyrics are easy to comprehend and any age-related surface noise has been erased.

Purists will appreciate the inclusion of the original 1956 theatrical mono optical track presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono, but this Atmos track is so good there's no reason to step back in time.

All the extras from the 2003 DVD have been ported over to this 4K UHD release, but Warner Archive has remastered all of them in high definition.

• Featurette: "Cole Porter in Hollywood: True Love" (HD, 9 minutes) - The late Celeste Holm hosts this slick 2003 featurette that chronicles the film's production and premiere. With warmth and humor, Holm shares her memories of the shoot and some fun trivia and anecdotes. Rare photos and some film clips complement her remarks.
• Vintage Newsreel (HD, 1 minute) - Cole Porter, Bob Hope, Ann Miller, and newlyweds Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher are among the celebrities attending the High Society Hollywood premiere.
• Audio Promo Spots featuring Bing Crosby with Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra (16 minutes) - Crosby waxes poetic about High Society in seven promotional radio spots, the last of which also includes scripted comments by Sinatra. The eighth spot features Kelly offering a few remarks of her own.
• Vintage CinemaScope Cartoon: Millionaire Droopy (HD. 7 minutes) - When hang-dog Droopy is named the sole beneficiary of his master's estate, his canine rival Spike plots to bump him off so he can inherit the spoils instead.
• Theatrical Trailers (HD, 9 minutes) - Two full-length trailers (one of which includes scripted banter between Crosby and impresario Ed Sullivan) and one teaser trailer complete the extras package.

What a swell party it is! High Society may not eclipse The Philadelphia Story, but it's a lively, entertaining musical buoyed by a memorable Cole Porter score. A spectacular Dolby Vision transfer struck from a 13.5k scan of the original VistaVision negative and a dynamite Dolby Atmos track distinguish Warner Archive's scrumptious 4K UHD presentation that will dazzle MGM musical enthusiasts. Highly Recommended.