Putting Women on Pedestals | Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story

"The Philadelphia Story" is a solid entry in the screwball comedy genre with a brilliant cast, and is one of my favourite films. However, as I've gotten older I've realised it has some of the most misogynistic language you'll find in a romantic comedy. Let's take a look at the film's treatment of women, through the main character Tracy Lord (played by Katharine Hepburn).
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MUSIC:
Sunday Stroll by Huma-Huma
Fragments by AERØHEAD
Batty McFadden - Slower by Kevin MacLeod
The Philadelphia Story Theme, Composed by Franz Waxman
SOURCES/RESEARCH:
Kathrina Glitre: Hollywood Romantic Comedy: States of Union, 1934-1965 (2006)
Andrew Bergman: We're in the Money (1971)
Caroline Siede: The Philadelphia Story delivered one of the most star-studded love triangles ever (2019) www.avclub.com...
TIME Magazine Review: web.archive.or...

[@picahudsoniaunflocked5426]

Thanks for rising up to the challenge of analyzing a smart, layered, witty film with the smart, layered, witty commentary it deserves, plus the comedic editing touches. Good stuff.

[@madebyspacecadet]

Thank you so much for the kind comment!

[@POR-fv7lw]

Good Video Essay!

[@madebyspacecadet]

Thank you!!

[@MoxieMcMurder]

Great video!!

[@madebyspacecadet]

Thank you!!

[@MoxieMcMurder]

@@madebyspacecadet Looking forward to your next video!

[@GrumpyYank26]

Great video.
The way you pronouce ‘film’ as ‘filim’ is different than how i say it. 😊
Thank you

[@romanclay1913]

I prefer HOLIDAY and BRINGING UP BABY.

[@MoxieMcMurder]

Bringing Up Baby is top tier.

[@seandarbe2521]

They're all great films, your preference is more of a matter of taste because all three movies are classics.

[@c.a.savage5689]

I'm sorry but l do not share your opinion about this film. I prefer to interpret the motivations and actions of the characters as complex individuals with good and bad traits, bumbling through life as best they can. Unless I'm very much mistaken, you would have us believe that ALL the men in the film are narcissistic, sexistic misogynists with a tendency to physical abuse. That's horrible. I would imagine that all the Pat and Mike films that Hepburn did with Spencer Tracy as well as Woman of the Year would also fall into this category.

[@bobbyokeefe4285]

What do you from her?these people are incapable of judging a film from that era without the modern lens of identity politics,everything has to be sexist and racist all the time,they just can't help it,I think it's called presentism.

[@cccalhoun]

The intro reeks of progressive propaganda on the time period of the film.
12:30 is just wrong. Dexter never physically abused her. She WANTED him to so she could talk shit about him and so people wouldn't judge her own scolding failures in their relationship.
15:00 is just Dexter throwing this in her face. Just like in the opening scene when she taunted him and leaned in to the punch, he refused to actually hit her.