High Society (1956) 4K Blu-ray Review – Classic Musical Sparkles in Ultra HD Restoration

In 1940 a trio of future Hollywood Legends would come together to put to screen a romantic comedy that would be forever regarded as one of the greatest romcoms ever. Of course I am talking about The Philadelphia Story.

Just a short 16 years later in 1956 MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) decided to remake the classic, but with an interesting twist. They decided to hire two of the most popular crooners and a future princess and rename the films High Society.

Now next year (2026) High Society will be celebrating the 70th anniversary. But before we get to that date Warner Archive Collection have restored and released this classic musical on 4k/Blu-ray combo pack.

Synopsis
: Legendary Louis Armstrong as himself, plays his trumpet and narrates in prose and song the peccadillos of his songwriter friend C.K. Dexter Haven (Crosby), his beautiful perfectionist ex-wife Tracy Samantha Lord (Kelly, in her final film role), and her stuffy fiancee George Kittredge (John Lund). Sinatra and wise-cracking Celeste Holm are a scandal sheet reporter and photographer who arrive to cover the wedding and complicate the tangled romances. Armstrong and his composer buddy conspire musically and by other devious means to stop Tracy's marriage. Dexter wants her back, but she takes off with the magazine writer -- all of which gives everybody wonderful excuses to break into the incomparable songs of Cole Porter.

Anytime a film is trying to remake a beloved classic, that is a tall task. High Society has big shoes to fill here. And while High Society may not hit the same crescendo as The Philadelphia Story, it still is an extremely entertaining musical, and is a classic in its own right. 

Grace Kelly had a brief career in Hollywood but starred in so many wonderful films. High Noon (1952), Dial M for Murder (1954), Rear Window (1954), The Country Girl (1954) and To Catch a Thief (1955). She received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards, and was ranked 13th on the American Film Institute's 25 Greatest Female Stars list. After her performance in High Society she would leave Hollywood behind and marry Prince Rainier III and become princess of Monaco. So High Society is her final film performance, and what a performance it was. 

High Society has been transferred to 4K UltraHD n 2160p and is presented in the original VistaVision 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio. There are two English audio tracks a Dolby Atmos TruHD and a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. There is also the option for English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Warner Bros. continues its impressive restoration efforts with the 4K Ultra HD release of High Society, the star-studded Technicolor musical really benefits from the 4K restoration. Between the picture and Cole Porter’s music this new 4k is a feast for the eyes and ears. But a stunning restoration is not all that this physical media release has going for it. Take a look at what is included.

Special Features:
* Cole Porter in Hollywood: A featurette of the making of High Society.
* Premiere Newsreel
* Radio Promos: several radio promotions with stars Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelly.
* Millionaire Droopy (1956) Droopy inherits a fortune from his late master, but if he passes the master's other dog Spike inherits the fortune.
* Trailers 
* Bonus Blu-ray disc

High Society shines in 4K with a stunning restoration that honors its Technicolor roots and timeless performances. While the bonus features are a bit underwhelming, the video upgrade alone makes this a must-own for classic film lovers. A sparkling gem from Hollywood's golden age, now looking better than ever. So, if you would like to add this 4k to your home video library head over to Amazon and order your copy today.


Out of 4 films (4 being the best) the Warner Archive 4k of High Society receives......

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