Hyde Park Pick: The Philadelphia Story & When Harry Met Sally

The Philadelphia Story

"Like coals to Newcastle”.

There’s a particular scene in the first film of our New Year’s Eve Double Bill that’s one of my absolute favourites and remains endlessly fascinating, every time I see it. Which is often.

A 1940’s multi-award-winning romantic comedy and instant classic, The Philadelphia Story became the first film hit for Katharine Hepburn and was based on a long-running Broadway play specifically written for her, which she also starred in. Interesting enough maybe, but the scene I'm talking about doesn’t feature Hepburn, but her co-stars Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart.

In the film, magazine reporter Stewart has been assigned to cover the society marriage of Hepburn after her divorce from Cary Grant two years prior. During his stay, Stewart turns up drunk at Grant’s house unannounced and what follows is an unrehearsed, first-take scene of a hilariously “inebriated” Stewart, ad-libbing pauses, repeating lines, slurring his words and randomly hiccupping, if only, it seems, to throw off Grant. There are so many subtle moments to enjoy in this scene, such as how Stewart brings in his own bottle of champagne, only to then assume it’s Grant's, and the lovely moment where Stewart purposefully leans in and stares at Grant in an almost challenge to him, that he’ll need to keep on his toes.

Ever the gracious actor though, Grant gives Stewart his lead and with admirable composure lets the scene play out, but not without clearly almost laughing at one point, or indeed testing Stewart with his own ad-libbed "excuse me”, which only serves to encourage Stewart more.

Watching this scene (which deserves repeated viewing) you can see Grant’s clear admiration of Stewart’s naturalistic acting, a style that acknowledges how people actually talk to each other and which was quite unusual at the time. But the admiration is mutual and it’s this warmth of comradeship and esteem that shines through both this scene and the film itself. It’s an unusual moment of clarity and fourth wall breaking that you so rarely see, certainly for a film of this era.

It’s a glimpse into the past, preserved, of two actors at their peak, enjoying a scene together in a very natural way, and I think (if you will indulge me at this time of year), a scene that speaks to an admiration, friendship and respect that we can all aspire to. It’s just another small part of why, as a cinema, we screen the films we do, at the times we do, for us to join together, one last time, inebriated or not, to see in another year.

Robb Barham

When Harry Met Sally

How on earth do I begin to talk about When Harry Met Sally, still dazzling 35 years later and something I love more and more each time I watch.  I'll admit my first introduction to Nora Ephron was whilst wearing autumn-tinted glasses with regular double bills of You've Got Mail and Sleepless and Seattle with my mam from the comfort of our settee.

There's something magic about the way Ephron writes female characters, whether it be Sally, Kathleen or Annie, that has me thinking about apple pie, heated with the cream on the side or reaching for the scissors to cut my hair into the perfect pixie cut.

I'm no stranger to a rom-com, but there's a reason When Harry Met Sally tops most of the greatest of all time lists, it's witty and charming and will have you falling in love with a city (and maybe a man?) that is not your own. 

Ultimately, When Harry Met Sally is a film about love and all its messiness, but you probably already know that, and a perfect end to a wonderful year of films on the big screen.

Cat Lister

Our NYE double bill begins at 14:00. You can book tickets here.