THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)
Saturday, June 10, 2023, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles Theatre, downtown L.A.
Black and white/35 mm
1 hour 52 minutes

Screening hosted by film and fashion historian Kimberly Truhler.

A free Q&A session about the historic Los Angeles Theatre will follow the screening. Stay in your seat to learn more about its history and architecture! 

About the Film

Superbly directed by George Cukor, The Philadelphia Story is a stylish romantic comedy starring Katharine Hepburn as the icy Philadelphia socialite Tracy Lord. She’s about to wed her boring second husband when two tabloid reporters from New York (James Stewart and Ruth Hussey) crash the party. Although determined to dish the Lord family dirt, things take a turn when the hardboiled Stewart finds himself falling for the spoiled heiress...much to the chagrin of his patient (and lovesick) co-conspirator. Add in the fact that Tracy's charming ex-husband (Cary Grant) is also on the scene, things quickly spiral out of control. The result is a love triangle for the ages that bubbles with champagne, moonlit swims, and white-hot wordplay.

As the wedding weekend approaches, Tracy’s willpower begins to thaw: Will she marry out of spite ... or love? The Philadelphia Story was a major triumph for Hepburn, whose film career in the 1930s was at an all-time low. Forever determined to succeed, she returned to the Broadway stage in The Philadelphia Story, written specifically for her. When it became a smash hit, she purchased the film rights and made one of the greatest comebacks in Hollywood history. The film also earned James Stewart an Academy Award and remains one of the most beloved romantic comedies of all time.

The films in this series are presented as originally created during a different time period and may contain negative attitudes, language, and depictions of people and/or cultures. The Los Angeles Conservancy does not condone these representations.