Summer Under the Stars: Grace Kelly

Star of the Day: Grace Kelly

photo by me

I manifested this last year, so you're welcome for Grace Kelly Day! 

She didn't have a long career, but man, Grace certainly packed a punch into those five years she was in Hollywood, and you got to see the best, the good, the meh, and the send-off to Monaco yesterday. Of course I've seen all of Grace's movies, so here are my thoughts on all the films that played yesterday.

Fourteen Hours (1951)

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A blink-and-you'll-miss-it start for Grace in Hollywood, with this bit part in an ensemble picture. I'm glad she persisted, because the best is yet to come. 

Mogambo (1953) 

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I'm indifferent to Mogambo, but I can't deny how strong Grace's performance is. She holds her own up against the likes of Clark Gable and Ava Gardner, and earned her first Oscar nomination (for Best Supporting Actress). I think the hijinks off screen are more memorable than the film itself, including Grace and Clark Gable's quiet romance and the Ava of it all. 

High Society (1956) 

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High Society is in my top three Grace Kelly movies. The other two were featured yesterday, too! What can I say about High Society that I haven't already said? This is a great musical tribute to The Philadelphia Story (which, yes, I know, did not need a remake, but here we are). Great performances, great production design, great songs, and the perfect cap to a bombastic career in Hollywood.

The Country Girl (1954) 

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I'm of the controversial opinion that Grace deserved her Oscar for The Country Girl, and yes, I know that means that I don't believe Judy Garland was robbed. Fight me in the comments, if you must.

The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954) 

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Yawn.

Green Fire (1954) 

gif by me

Snore.

Dial M for Murder (1954) 

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The only thing that stands out to me about Dial M for Murder is the story that Hitch told Grace to play murder scenes like love scenes and love scenes like murder scenes. It's not my favourite of the Grace/Hitch pairings, but it's still quite good.

To Catch a Thief (1955) 

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For my money, To Catch a Thief is the best Grace/Hitch collab. This movie scratches just about all of my itches: great mystery, great cast, those costumes(!!!), and the setting (the French Riviera, hello!). Sometimes I'll put this on just for the background ambience while I'm doing housework, it's so beautifully shot. 

Rear Window (1954) 

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Rear Window is so incredibly sexy and tense, if it were set on the French Riviera, this might be my favourite Grace/Hitch collaboration. As it stands, the costuming is outstanding, the chemistry between Grace and James Stewart hot, and the mystery very engaging. 

But also... I grew up watching The Simpsons and so I saw the episode 'Bart of Darkness', where Bart breaks his leg and is confined to his room and watches Ned Flanders next door seemingly commit murder, and then once I watched Rear Window years later it was familiar territory. 

The Swan (1956) 

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Art imitating life, amirite? The only time Grace played royalty on screen. I'm overall pretty meh on this film, but not on Grace!

Wedding in Monaco (1958)

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Listen. Princess Grace's wedding dress is probably my favourite royal wedding dress. It was the blueprint, and she was the height of elegance on that April 1956 morning. And if you've never seen this documentary that MGM created (insisted on, rather, as a stipulation for releasing Grace from her contract), you cannot miss Wedding in Monaco.