High Society (4K UHD Review)

• Reviewed by: Tim Salmons
• Review Date: Jul 28, 2025
• Format: 4K Ultra HD
• 

Director

Charles Walters

Release Date(s)

1956 (June 24, 2025)

Studio(s)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Warner Archive Collection)

• Film/Program Grade: B
• Video Grade: A+
• Audio Grade: A+
• Extras Grade: B-

Review

[Editor's Note: The Warner Archive Collection and their distribution partner Allied Vaughn have issued statements about aspects of this release. You'll find them below in the Additional Notes section.]

High Society isn’t just notable for being Grace Kelly’s final film before leaving Hollywood to become the Princess consort of Monaco. It’s also noteworthy for being the first onscreen pairing of Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, not to mention becoming a box office hit upon its original release in 1956. A lavish and entertaining MGM musical, as well as a remake of the 1940 version of The Philadelphia Story, it showcases some of the finest musical numbers of the era, courtesy of the great Cole Porter, as well as Louis Armstrong and His Band, who also take part in the film.

On the eve of her wedding, upper class Newport aristocrat Tracy Samantha Lord (Kelly) is troubled by the presence of her wayward ex-husband Dexter (Crosby), a successful song writer and singer who lives next door and continues to pine for her. Tracy’s mother and father are also recently separated, and the editor of “Spy” magazine forces Tracy and her family to allow a reporter and photographer to cover the wedding, in lieu of not printing a scandal involving the father. Mike (Sinatra) and Liz (Celeste Holm) soon arrive for the job as Tracy attempts to thwart them by giving them false information and appearing as an over-the-top socialite. But as the festivities begin and Tracy (Sam) has a little too much to drink, she finds herself questioning whether or not she wants to go through with the wedding, and where her heart truly belongs.

It’s true that some of the personal politics of High Society, mostly some misogynistic leanings, wouldn’t exactly fly today without hanging a metaphorical lantern on them. It’s also true that Sam’s character is also not one for pedestals, which is explicitly stated out loud by her potential future husband, George. She secretly longs for the intimacy of her former marriage, but has to learn that everyone makes mistakes. Some of that is a little problematical, especially when we discover that Sam’s father had an affair and is estranged from the family, with Sam holding a major grudge. But when she’s the potential philanderer, this changes her perspective. Reconciling the idea that the most ideal people can also be adulterous is an odd message, but this isn’t a story or a film concerned about the details. This is a story about a woman and three men, all of whom go on a journey of sorts before the film’s end, and in a romantic and lightly comedic way.

It goes without saying that Grace Kelly dazzles as Sam, the central object that the narrative revolves around. Bing Crosby not only croons mightily but charms his way through the picture as a sarcastic outsider, eager to see Sam back in his arms, but always at a respectful distance. Frank Sinatra slinks his way to and fro, ultimately falling for Sam’s charms, as well, not realizing that Liz has been patiently waiting for him to come around. Celeste Holm is somewhat restrained, but for good reason. She’s clearly one of the strongest women in the picture, seemingly putting up with Mike’s revolving door of partners in the hopes that he’ll see the light. The rest of the cast includes John Lund as the no-nonsense groom-to-be George, Margalo Gillmore as Sam’s doting mother, Lydia Reed as her impressionable younger sister Caroline, Sidney Blackmer as her somewhat vexed father Seth, and Louis Calhern as her nebulous but well-meaning uncle Willie.

And we can’t get much further without mentioning Cole Porter and Louis Armstrong and His Band, the latter of whom perform several numbers throughout the picture, including a show-stopping rendition of Now You Has Jazz with Bing Crosby. There’s also the excellent Sinatra-voiced You’re Sensational, the lovely Sinatra and Celeste Holm duet Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, the highly-publicized Crosby and Sinatra number Well, Did You Evah?, the jazz standard and Crosby-performed I Love You, Samantha, and the gorgeous duet between Crosby and Grace Kelly, which was also the film’s biggest hit, True Love. Cole Porter was the chief author of these tunes, and was even nominated for an Academy Award, but lost to Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) from The Man Who Knew Too Much.

Film fans might debate which was the better version of Philip Barry’s 1939 stage play, George Cukor’s The Philadelphia Story or Charles Walters’ High Society. They’re very much the same in terms of narrative, and both feature excellent performances. They key difference here is, of course, the musical numbers, but also the vivid color and detail provided by VistaVision and Technicolor. In truth, both films are cut from the same cloth, meaning that they’re both entertaining and well-made motion pictures sourced from the same material, but your mileage may vary on who did it better.

High Society was shot by cinematographer Paul C. Vogel in Technicolor on horizontal 8-perf 35mm film using VistaVision cameras, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The Warner Archive Collection debuts their second 4K Ultra HD release with a stunning new restoration. 13.5K scans of the original VistaVision camera negative were carried out and the results were graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and encoded by David Mackenzie of Fidelity in Motion to a triple-layered BD-100 disc. Aside from some lesser quality second unit photography, process shots, and a double exposure, all of which have always been a part of the film and simply cannot look any better, the vast majority of High Society is gorgeous, with well-managed grain and bitrates that frequently reach into the 90 to 100Mbps range. Detail is abundant in every frame, capturing the vast interior and exterior sets with cinematic precision. The HDR grades, especially the Dolby Vision pass, boost the Technicolor hues and deepen black levels with perfect contrast. The image is also consistently clean and stable from beginning to end, complete with an opening overture at the start, and on through to a rousing conclusion.

Audio is included in English Dolby Atmos (7.1 Dolby TrueHD compatible) and the original English 2.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio, with optional subtitles in English SDH. Though released theatrically in mono, MGM chose to record the music for the film with stereophonic sound anyway, which was only useful at the time for its soundtrack release since release prints of VistaVision films didn’t allow for stereo audio. It wasn’t until 1991 when the film was released on LaserDisc that the stereophonic magnetic tracks were used for a true stereo soundtrack, which was later remixed in 5.1 for a 2003 DVD release. For this release, we now have a new Dolby Atmos remix, which is a mostly outstanding experience all around the sound field, enveloping the listener in the amazing songs and score. A true stereo option mirroring the original LaserDisc audio would have been a fine addition, as well, but thankfully the original theatrical mono, thoroughly clean with excellent fidelity in its own right, is also included.

The Warner Archive Collection 2-Disc 4K Ultra HD release of High Society sits in a black Amaray case alongside a dual-layered BD-50 Blu-ray of the film in 1080p, which has also been encoded by David Mackenzie of Fidelity in Motion. The insert uses artwork from the theatrical one sheet with a yellow background while the slipcover uses the artwork from the theatrical three sheet with a blue background, but are otherwise identical in content. The following extras are included on both discs:

• Cole Porter in Hollywood: True Love (Upscaled SD – 8:59)
• Gala Hollywood Premiere Newsreel (Upscaled SD – 1:07)
• Radio Promo Spots (HD – 8 in all – 15:36)
• Millionaire Droopy (HD – 6:56)
• Original Theatrical Trailers:
  • Bing Meets a Friend at MGM (HD – 4:03)
  • High Comedy (HD – 4:13)
  • Together for the First Time (HD – :46)

In Cole in Porter in Hollywood: True Love, Celeste Holm details the history and release of the film, aided by a brief interview with associate musical director Saul Chaplin, but also delving into Cole Porter’s and Grace Kelly’s roles on the project. The Gala Hollywood Premiere Newsreel is an all too brief glimpse of the film’s star-studded world premiere at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre on August 1, 1956. Next are a set of extended Radio Promo Spots mostly featuring Bing Crosby, who introduces the film and the musical numbers, and answers a series of interview questions. Last are a pair of promotional spots, one by Frank Sinatra, and the other by Grace Kelly. Next is the Tex Avery-directed CinemaScope cartoon Millionaire Droopy, which appears to be a slightly older restoration, but still looks good for its age. Finally, there are three Theatrical Trailers for the film. In the first, Bing Crosby relays his experiences making the film to Ed Sullivan. The second is a more traditional extended trailer from that period, and the third a much shorter teaser trailer that highlights the stars of the film. One would have liked to have had a more thorough examination of the production via an audio commentary, but this is still a fine set of bonus materials.

High Society on 4K UHD is another knockout from the Warner Archive Collection, preserving the film in “sensational” quality that will certainly elevate the film for those who’ve seen it, and those who haven’t. Without a doubt, it’s a highly recommended release. In fact, it’s a must-own.

- Tim Salmons

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