40 Secrets From 'Philadelphia Story' That Prove There's More To The Classic Than Meets The Eye

The Philadelphia Story is one of those timeless classics that every film fan should see at least once. The 1940 screwball comedy changed the fortunes of fading star Katharine Hepburn and reestablished her as a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. But how did she do it, and who did she bring along for the ride? Let’s find out.

40. Hepburn was “box office poison” before the film

Katherine Hepburn’s star was seriously on the wane before The Philadelphia Story came along. Her most recent string of films had been flops, leading the media to dub her “box office poison.” When George Cukor was announced in 1939 to be directing the unlucky actress, the Associated Press reported, “Cukor’s next job is Philadelphia Story. And that means his next problem is Katharine Hepburn.”

39. Hepburn owned the rights to the story

Hepburn first played the lead role of Tracy Lord on stage, helping to make The Philadelphia Story a big hit on Broadway. And as soon as she decided to take the story to the big screen, her famous and super-rich boyfriend Howard Hughes stepped in. He purchased the movie rights and gifted them to Hepburn, granting her full control of the production.

38. The costumes were “Hollywood-ized”

Costume designer Adrian Adolph Greenburg — usually known as just Adrian — was the man who translated the original play’s costume design to the big screen. And he added some sparkle and glitz to the outfits. Tracy’s pre-wedding party dress was supposed to be plain white, but Adrian gave it some gold sequins and created one of the best movie gowns of the era.

37. There’s a hidden Wizard of Oz reference

Before signing on for The Philadelphia Story, George Cukor was the third person to take on directing duties of The Wizard of Oz back in 1938. He created some of the now-iconic designs for characters including Dorothy and the Scarecrow. And he worked a little tribute to Oz into The Philadelphia Story as well. When Jimmy Stewart carries Katharine Hepburn in his arms, he sings the famous song “Over the Rainbow.”