Release date: July 1956
Topped the chart: 10th February 1957 (for 1 week, tied with Original Soundtrack- The King and I)
One week total
A remake of the classic 1940 romantic comedy The Philadelphia Story, High Society is remembered these days for bringing together Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, but also as the last film that Grace Kelly made before stepping into the world of Monegasque royalty.
As a soundtrack album, High Society is a story of four men who dominate proceedings: Crosby, Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Cole Porter. It is a constant delight to hear Armstrong and his band linking up with Sinatra arranger Nelson Riddle- Satchmo and his trumpet never fails to bring a smile to the face. Crosby and Sinatra give their usual best too, even if the two former teen idols are past their prime in 1957.
The issue with the quartet is Porter, which is what stops the music being as special as it should be. From the man known for his wit, there is precious of that in the songs here: Who Wants to be a Millionaire is enormous fun thanks to the arrangement, but the jokes fall flat and the lyrics lack any interesting ideas. Too many sleepy, syrupy ballands such as Little One, True Love and I Love you Samantha bog down the middle of the LP. Porter is one of the greatest songwriters of the pre-pop era, but there is little to highlight that here.
The exception is the joyous Well Did You Evah, the much-vaunted duet between Crosby and Sinatra; indeed, the very reason that the latter agreed to take part in the film. The sozzled two-hander sees the pair bouncing off each other and clearly having the time of their lives—it isn’t clear if their spoken lines are scripted or improvised, but it feels like the latter and it works brilliantly. Plus, in rhyming “please don’t get eat that glass” with “avalanche,” we find peak Porter.
Unfortunately, one very good song and Louis Armstrong blowing his horn is not enough to make a classic soundtrack.
It’s all wrapped up with the film’s set piece aimed squarely at the predominantly white audience, Now You Has Jazz. Crosby delivers a musical treatise on his love for the genre, giving each member of Armstrong’s band a moment to shine. While the song certainly is fun and it’s lovely that the Armstrong band get called out, in the end it does come down to an old white guy standing in front of black geniuses to explain what jazz music is.
And is there anything more 1950s than that?
Score: 5/10
Tracklist:
High Society (Overture)
High Society Calypso
Little One
Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
True Love
You're Sensational!
Now You Has Jazz
Well Did You Evah?
Mind if I Make Love to You?
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