High Society 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

High Society 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Louis, C.K.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III June 17, 2025

Marking a rare and well-deserved jump directly from DVD to full-strength 4K, Warner Archive's brand-new domestic UHD release of Charles Walters' High Society is only the boutique label's second release in the format following their superb treatment of The Searchers last December. I ranked that disc as my personal pick for the best of 2024... and while High Society isn't a better film than John Ford's beloved epic in most circles, this disc is every bit as great as that release from an A/V standpoint. Built from an extensive new restoration at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging and WB Archival Mastering, all undertaken with the promotional support of The Film Foundation, this light and enjoyable 1956 VistaVision musical comedy now looks and sounds as if it were filmed yesterday.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

High Society is, of course, a remake of George Cukor's immortal 1940 non-musical comedy The Philadelphia Story, which was armed with three very capable leads in Katharine Hepburn (as Tracy Lord, a newly-engaged socialite), Cary Grant (as C.K. Dexter Haven, the ex-husband still in love with her), and Jimmy Stewart (Macaulay Connor, a tabloid reporter sent to cover the wedding), who imbue the story with a thick layer of screwball surprises.

Our linked review of that title actually serves as a pretty accurate synopsis of High Society, believe it or not, a remake released some 16 years later and starring then-hot musical icons Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra in the respective male leads. The boys are flanked by lovely Grace Kelly in her final film performance, and as expected this is a decidedly more song-driven affair with an assortment of tunes provided by Cole Porter. (The other musical difference is the addition of Louis Armstrong and his band as themselves, with "Satchmo" himself serving as something of an all-knowing narrator to the proceedings.) The Philadelphia Story's skeleton is still under the skin, of course, which means there are no real surprises in store... but this is doubly true because High Society also flattens Philadelphia's core story somewhat by making sure audiences are well aware of exactly what's happening every step of the way.

What's surprising is that this won't necessarily hinder viewer enjoyment; rather, it just presents something of an alternate version of beloved material with a shiny coat of paint and occasional song breaks; in fact, it feels more like a victory lap or a lavish party celebrating the original film's story rather than an attempted replacement. There's a real sense of fun here and it's the self-aware kind, yet High Society is much more straight-ahead than farcical which places it as a clear runner-up in my book. Those with nostalgic attachments to this remake -- or anyone deeply tied to the musical genre as a whole -- might actually prefer it to the original, and I wouldn't blame them for it.

This is almost as "apples to oranges" as near-sighted remakes get, though, and if nothing else the film's sumptuous visuals and warm, inviting audio make High Society well worth watching every so often. Luckily those are exactly the strengths of Warner Archive's 4K release, which may just set the bar for filmic authenticity on home video for its five-star restoration. Also thankfully included is a remastered Blu-ray copy of the film, which is even available separately and stands tall as a wholesale improvement over Warner Bros.' 2003 DVD in its own right.

High Society 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These screenshots are all sourced from the included Blu-ray disc; more images can seen at the review linked below.

For those in a hurry, Warner Archive's new restoration of High Society is one of the best I've seen on this format and already secures it a high spot in this year's best-looking discs -- it's every bit as impressive as the one undertaken for The Searchers as well as WB's similarly top-tier treatment of North by Northwest. The common thread here is that all three were filmed in VistaVision, a higher-resolution process first used in 1954 that involves turning 35mm film stock on its side; this changes the "full screen" aspect ratio to approximately 1.5:1 which can be further cropped for wider presentations, and increases potential resolution to roughly double that of the traditional vertical process.

A new scan of High Society's VistaVision negative, as well as yellow separation protection masters to more faithfully replicate the film's original color palette, was reportedly performed at 13.5K and treated to a very careful round of the boutique label's proprietary manual cleanup process to remove dirt debris, and other age-related damage. What's more is that High Society's grain structure has been left totally intact, yielding organically appealing textures that are truly film-like and startlingly attractive. Fine detail is of course stunning from start to finish, allowing fans to appreciate all the period-specific production design and lovely close-ups of the cast. Color representation is likewise a real knockout with accurate skin tones, warm primaries, and cooler hues that provide subtle contrast. Additionally, the HDR10 layer, which is also available in Dolby Vision, provides subtle but appreciated support by heightening its authentic look rather than trying to modernize it, leaving WB's then-respectable 2003 DVD far behind in every department.

As such, it'll look truly impressive even (especially?) on larger screens, where die-hard fans and newcomers alike can soak in the short-lived but stunning VistaVision experience, which would begin to fade only a few short years after High Society before enjoying a modern resurgence with last year's The Brutalist. And much like Warner Archive's treatment of The Searchers, this UHD disc and its accompanying restored Blu-ray (reviewed separately here) were encoded by the renowned Fidelity in Motion, making great use of UHD's maximum 100GB storage space to give High Society more than enough room to breathe. In every sense of the word, these visuals have been carefully polished to perfection.

High Society 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

WAC's audio restoration stands on equal footing; like North by Northwest, it's been given a newly-built Dolby Atmos mix in addition to the original theatrical mono track, which makes its home video debut here -- WB's DVD featured lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 and an even earlier laserdisc release made use of a stereo track. What's interesting about High Society's original audio is that, due to the use of VistaVision (which couldn't natively support then-traditional magnetic stereophonic soundtracks on release prints), MGM recorded all of the film's music separately in stereo anyway despite it not being heard that way in theaters. WAC's default Atmos mix uses both the theatrical mono and stereophonic sources to brilliant effect, filling the sides and surrounds with exceptional warmth and fidelity to create a truly immersive audio experience indeed; one that features crisp dialogue and music in tandem to give audiences a figurative front-row seat. Even the theatrical mono mix is deceptively full-bodied and stands as a equally impressive effort that will appeal to purists or those not equipped for surround playback. Either way, you absolutely can't lose here.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, not the extras listed below.

High Society 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc release ships in a dual-hubbed keepcase with poster-themed art and a matching slipcase. Much like The Searchers, its menu designs are a bit more deluxe-looking than WAC's typical layout and even include a few cool little touches, such as indicators where key songs can be found on the chapter selection menu. The light but enjoyable bonus features, which are identical on both included discs, are all carried over from Warner Bros.' 2003 DVD but have been carefully upscaled and, in some cases, dutifully restored from better elements.

• Cole Porter in Hollywood: True Love (8:59) - This short 2003 retrospective piece, written and directed by Peter Fitzgerald, is hosted by Celeste Holm (d. 2012), who played Elizabeth "Liz" Imbrie in the film and talks about Porter's musical contributions. Associate musical director Saul Chaplin is also featured briefly via archival footage, and they're both flanked by a collection of behind-the-scenes clips and still photos.

• Gala Hollywood Premiere Newsreel (1:07) - A short black-and-white clip announcing the film's theatrical debut and featuring more than a few special guests on the (presumably) red carpet.

• Radio Spots (3 clips, 15:36 total) - A healthy collection of brief, candid radio advertisements featuring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and Frank Sinatra separately promoting the film.

• Millionaire Droopy (6:56) - If this 1956 Droopy short seems familiar, it's a widescreen remake of the 1949 Tex Avery short "Wags to Riches". (He's credited, but apparently had no involvement with this one.)

• Original Theatrical Trailers - Three great-looking original promotional pieces including "Bing Meets a Friend at MGM" (4:03), "High Comedy" (4:13), and the much shorter spot "Together for the First Time" (0:46).

High Society 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Charles Walters' light-hearted High Society isn't as solid as its source material, 1940's The Philadelphia Story, but it's still a fun time at the movies and includes good performances, great songs, and fantastic visuals. The latter two enjoy an unprecedented boost on UHD thanks to the sterling restoration efforts of Warner Archive, who avoid the sophomore slump after their top-tier release of The Searchers last year. Featuring perfect A/V merits and several decent DVD-era extras, it's a rock-solid release that fans and newcomers alike will enjoy. Very Highly Recommended.