high society

the year: 1956

the genre: musical



the cast: Bing Crosby (C. K. Dexter-Haven); Grace Kelly (Tracy Lord); Frank Sinatra (Mike Connor); Celeste Holm (Liz Imbrie); Louis Armstrong (himself)


the plot: C.K. Dexter-Haven, a successful popular jazz musician, lives in a mansion near his ex-wife Tracy Lord's family estate. Holier-than-thou Tracy is on the verge of marrying a man blander and safer than Dex, who incidentally is still in love with Tracy. Spy magazine blackmails Tracy’s family by threatening to reveal her playboy father's exploits if not allowed to cover the wedding. Mike Connor, covering the nuptials for Spy magazine, of course, also falls for Tracy. Tracy must choose between the three men and realize that it’s okay to get down off her high horse.



don’t miss: Uncle Willy. He pinches.



listen for: “Uncle Willy, this morning you look like a tree full of owls.”


count: the wedding presents.


did you know: Grace Kelly, recently engaged to Prince Rainier of Monaco at the time filming began, wore her actual engagement ring as Tracy’s engagement ring.



check out: Bing and Frank hiding out in the library (bar) singing “Did You Evah”. The song was late addition so that the two crooners would have a chance to sing together.


also listen for: “Oh, class my…” “Grandmother!”



extra bonus points: if you know what can be found “under Harvard Classics. Just give Darwin a little nudge.”

bits and pieces

No need to watch the whole movie, but you might enjoy this scene…

Gene Kelly dancing on rollerskates in It’s Always Fair Weather – complete with French subtitles -



Mitzi and Donald on deck in Anything Goes –



Fred and Ginger in The Berkleys of Broadway –



Dancing in the Dark from The Bandwagon –



Frank and Debbie in The Tender Trap –

i wanna...

dance on the penthouse balcony with Fred Astaire (from Daddy Long Legs).


have Dana Andrews fall asleep on my shoulder (from The Best Years of Our Lives).


attend Juliette Binoche's dinner party in Chocolat.


have dinner with Cary Grant (from The Bachelor and the Bobby-soxer).


have Frank Sinatra sing to me (from High Society).


What do you wanna?

on the town

the year: 1949

the genre: musical


the cast: Gene Kelly (Gabey); Frank Sinatra (Chip); Jules Munshin (Ozzie); Vera-Ellen (Ivy Smith); Ann Miller (Claire Huddesen); Betty Carrett (Brunhilde Esterhazy)



the plot: Three sailors - Gabey, Chip and Ozzie – are let loose on a 24-hour pass in New York and the Big Apple will never be the same! Gabey falls head over heels for "Miss Turnstiles of the Month" (he thinks she's a high society deb when she's really a dancer at Coney Island); innocent Chip gets hijacked (literally) by a lady cab driver; and Ozzie becomes the object of interest of a gorgeous anthropologist who thinks he's the perfect example of a "prehistoric man".



did you know: this was the first musical feature film to be shot on location. At the end of "New York, New York", as the camera tilts up at Rockefeller Plaza, you can see the skating rink lined with spectators watching Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly.


don’t miss: Chip’s thwarted attempts to see the sights of NYC. My favorite scene is "You're Awful" atop the Empire State Building.


check out: Ozzie hanging around the Empire State Building.


listen for: “You oughta feel proud that three sailors from the United States Navy got off the ship for one day, and what did they do? Were they thirsty for hard liquor? No. They were thirsty for culture. Were they running after girls? No. They came running to the museum to see your dinosaur. For months out at sea they were dreaming about your dinosaur.”

great videos here, here, and my favorite here.

extra bonus points: if you can name the other two movies where Frank and Gene co-starred together.

guys and dolls

the year: 1955

the genre: musical


the cast: Frank Sinatra (Nathan Detroit); Vivian Blaine (Miss Adelaide); Marlon Brando (Sky Masterson); Jean Simmons (Sarah Brown); Stubby Kaye (Nicely-Nicely Johnson)


the plot: All the hot gamblers are in town, and they're all depending on Nathan Detroit to set up his floating crap game. The only problem is, he needs $1000 to get the place. Throw in Sarah Brown, who's short on sinners at the mission she runs; Sky Masterson, who accepts Nathan's $1000 bet that he can't get Sarah Brown to go with him to Havana; Miss Adelaide, who wants Nathan to marry her; and Police Lieutenant Brannigan, who always seems to appear at the wrong time and you've got quite a show.


count: the number of times Miss Adelaide sneezes


don’t miss: Benny Southstreet pleading the 5th Commandment.


check out: the fantastic gambler names (Harry the Horse, Society Max, Big Jule, Angie the Ox, and Liverlips Louie)


listen for: "These dice ain't got no spots!"



extra bonus points: if you know Sky Masterson's real name.