Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

High Society Blu-ray Movie Review

Pretty white people with problems.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III June 17, 2025

Released alongside a new 4K combo pack, Warner Archive's welcome standalone Blu-ray edition of Charles Walters' High Society marks its long-awaited debut on the format after toiling in DVD purgatory since 2003. Much like that full-strength UHD disc, this 1080p release is built from an extensive new restoration handled at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging and WB Archival Mastering, all undertaken with the promotional support of The Film Foundation. In short, this light and enjoyable 1956 VistaVision musical comedy now looks and sounds as if it were filmed yesterday.

For a short synopsis of High Society please see my separate 4K review. This Blu-ray edition features comparatively similar five-star merits in the A/V department, making it a more affordable for anyone who has no plans to upgrade their equipment anytime soon. I'd still recommend you just go ahead and buy the combo pack, though.

High Society Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As usual, please see my recent review of the 4K edition for an overview of Warner Archive's terrific new restoration, which for my money is about as rock-solid as they come with fantastic attention to detail. This 1080p/SDR transfer stands as a solid runner-up (and obviously hugely outperforms WB's old DVD), sharing an overwhelming amount of positive similarities to that release but without the higher native resolution and added benefits of HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Even so, as seen in these direct-from-disc screenshots, this is a top-quality effort that likewise features ace encoding by Fidelity in Motion to deftly avoid any and all perceivable compression-related problems. If you're not yet equipped for 4K, you can still watch this disc knowing you're getting a great presentation of the film.

High Society Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

WAC's audio restoration stands on equal footing; like North by Northwest 4K, 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 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keeepcase with poster themed cover artwork. Much like WAC's heralded release of The Searchers 4K, 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 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. WAC's stunning new restoration is best experienced in 4K but this Blu-ray is no slouch; featuring top-tier A/V merits and several decent DVD-era extras, it's a rock-solid release that fans and newcomers alike will enjoy. Highly Recommended.