STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
The Hailey public Library is getting ready to pop the corn as it shows a witty 1940 romantic comedy as part of its Classic Flicks series.
The film starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart, will be shown free of charge at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at Hailey Town Center West, 116 S. River St.
The library is not able to divulge the title of the film due to some silly copyright law, but you would be in the ballpark if you called it “The Pennsylvania Story.” The film has been called the best romantic comedy of all time. It was nominated for six Academy Awards and won two, including Best Actor for James Stewart and one for best adapted screenplay.
It’s about a socialite whose wedding plans are complicated by the arrival of her ex-husband and a tabloid magazine journalist. Hepburn’s socialite role was inspired by a real-life Philadelphia heiress.
The story, in which a couple divorce, then remarry, was popular in the 1940s at a time when divorce was considered scandalous. MGM remade the film in 1956 as a musical titled “High Society.” which starred Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra.
“Everyone needs a little romance and comedy in their lives, especially as the weather outside flits hourly between winter and spring,” said Kristin Fletcher, the library’s programs manager. “This classic black and white film delivers both and does it with style and wit.”
The Classic Flicks series will end in June with a 1933 Marx Brothers film.