Hollywood keeps churning out new romantic comedies. Streamers are racing to produce them. But here is the thing: they still have not topped a movie that came out in 1940.
The Philadelphia Story just claimed the number one spot on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the 200 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time. It earned a perfect 100 percent Tomatometer rating and a 92 percent audience score from more than 25,000 reviews. Eighty-six years later, it is still the best.
If you have not seen it in a while, here is the story. Katharine Hepburn plays Tracy Lord, a Philadelphia socialite about to remarry after leaving her charming first husband (played by Cary Grant) over his drinking and demanding ways. A wealthy suitor named George Kittredge, played by John Howard, is waiting at the altar.
Then things get wonderfully complicated. Her ex-husband shows up at the family estate. Right behind him comes a gossip reporter played by Jimmy Stewart, there to cover the wedding of the year. By the end, Tracy has a very big decision to make about which man she truly loves.
The whole thing was filmed in just eight weeks, according to IMDb. The chemistry between the three leads was something special, and Hollywood agreed. The film earned six Oscar nominations in 1941, including Best Picture.
Stewart won Best Actor for his role. It was the only Oscar he ever won. The screenplay, written by Donald Ogden Stewart, also took home the award for Best Writing, Screenplay (Adapted).
Here is the best part. You can watch it tonight for free. The Philadelphia Story is available to stream at no cost on Tubi. It is also on Netflix. If you prefer to rent or buy, you can find it on Apple TV, Prime Video, and Fandango.
Some things really do get better with age. This is one of them.
