The Beauty Of Old Hollywood In One Scene

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SOURCES
Stanley Cavell, "Pursuits Of Happiness: The Hollywood Comedy Of Remarriage"
archive.org/de...
Emanuel Levy, "George Cukor: Master of elegance - Hollywood's legendary Director and His Stars
archive.org/de...
Gavin Lambert, "On Cukor"
archive.org/de...
Story of a Dress: "The Philadelphia Story"
www.screenchic...
Patrick McGilligan, "George Cukor : A Double Life: A Biography of the Gentleman Director
archive.org/de...
Farran Smith Nehme, "The Philadelphia Story: A Fine, Pretty World"
www.criterion....
Wheeler Winston Dixon, "Black and White Cinema: A Short History"
www.amazon.com...
Koszarski, Richard, et al. “‘No Problems. They Liked What They Saw on the Screen’: An Interview with Joseph Ruttenberg.” Film History, vol. 1, no. 1, 1987, pp. 65-95. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/s...
MUSIC (via Epidemic Sound)
"Underwater Arithmetic" - The Fly Guy Five

[@WhiteZerox]

Full respect for producing this video in the same aspect ratio as the film. This is how you know Nerdwriter "gets it" when it comes to appreciating film.

[@kissthesky40]

Right O

[@plica06]

I didn't even notice!

[@metalgearsolid2substance507]

Its like he comes down from his hilltop shack with another of his master crafts and just lays it in the village square to be discovered in the morning.

[@RizwanRishad21]

😂

[@nydndr]

And at dec 30th of all days

[@TheSingularitarian]

What?

[@brennonbrunet6330]

It is simultaneously frustration and joy all wrapped up in a candy shell

[@adithyasj5840]

Man I just realised I've been watching your videos for 10 years. I'm 25 now. I grew up with you. Still making bangers. Never stop.

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

Exemplary storytelling is multifaceted. 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨ "Before I start, I must see my end. Destination known, my mind's journey now begins. Upon my chariot, heart and soul's fate revealed. In time, all points converge; hope's strength resteeled. But to earn final peace at the universe's endless refrain, we must see all in nothingness... before we start again." 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨ --Diamond Dragons (series)

[@ajtaylor8750]

This film is the encapsulation of what made Old Hollywood movies so special. The screenwriting was always filled with razor sharp dialogue and perfect characterization, something that's missing nowadays in major studio films.

[@DeathnoteBB]

To be fair “always” is survivorship bias. Yes the movies that stood the test of time were amazing. But the ones that weren’t amazing didn’t, so they’re less known. It’s like nostalgia goggles. You remember the good parts not the bad.

[@alexpatterson4286]

@@DeathnoteBB I saw this video title and knew at once that the comment section would be voicing the false intuition of "modern [cultural genre] is bad!"

[@IHAVEALLMYDESIRES]

They fly now

[@MetFanMac]

@@alexpatterson4286 With each and every one of those commenters seeming to have lapsed into a coma during the part where the video mentions that the system "produced a lot of mediocre movies" and that the stars had to align for actual timeless classics to be made.

[@user-sg4ov7ng4h]

@@alexpatterson4286 they love the "good old times" and its "modesty" (= the facade that hides and promotes the abuse from the society and the industry)

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

The dress was by Valentina. Adrian designed all the other women's clothes, but the white and sparkly dress was a Valentina who was Hepburn favorite designer.

[@jessebbedwell]

I KNEW the dress was white and gold!

[@kissthesky40]

Great job!

[@MorningThief_]

You're wrong! Hepburn says Yanni!

[@benjischannel3008]

Wow! I literally watched that movie last night and this popped up. I’m so glad there’s finally some reviewers going back to the old classics and picking up what made them special. There’s so many gems of Old Hollywood that a lot of young people don’t know what they’re missing if they haven’t watched that much. Thanks, Nerdwriter!

[@arsinoe92283]

Exactly how I feel! I was just literally talking about her dress with a friend over the weekend.

[@tw06le1]

Hollywood, a city for top tier artistes of all kind. But ruled by suites & weirdos... As a lighting guy (grip) the lighting in these scenes are incredible, 3:1 or 3:2 on the closeups, something I still practice even in my own photography.

[@BetheeK]

So glad to see one of my favorite movies of all time here. I never noticed the lighting before, but I always loved the outdoor night scene, and that DRESS!

[@rics1883]

Great video. I also think Cate Blanchett exudes the old hollywood actress vibe, new era's Katherine Hepburn

[@obsolete_media]

Cate Blanchett played Hepburn in Scorsese's The Aviator and she NAILED IT.

[@Mrs.Watcher]

I can't remember how young I was when I watched this movie for the first time, but I was Young. This scene made me fall in love with classic movies.

[@spameranne]

holy hell I love Philadelphia Story so much edit: ok, I waited till the end bc I couldn't let myself believe that you were going to talk about *that* scene exclusively! there aren't a ton of movie moments that I rewind and rewatch, just to pick it apart and figure out how it works, but this is one. I'm a dialogue and performance guy (it's just what stands out to me naturally), so I thanj you for drawing our attention to the other components at play. thanks again for another banger, and Happy New Year to you and yours!

[@pedallovecommunications]

The most gorgeous grown up romance movie of all time. Thank you for sharing the background story of this so well. Everyone is at the absolute top of their games.

[@z-beeblebrox]

It really was a clever move. It's not everyday an actor gets to rehearse her part 400 times before shooting!

[@sdeangelis9491]

Very smart!

[@ingeborg-anne]

It's a "holy shit drop everything" sort of moment when Nerdwriter uploads!

[@karlstriepe8050]

Used to be. Now he's a woke parody of himself.

[@kimberlyterasaki4843]

The duality of man: showing the importance of artists and their work… while selling AI in the sponsor segment.

[@Mb_Drei]

Props to NerdWriter for making the excellent directorial decision of putting the sponsored segment at the very end of the video, when no one is going to sit through it.

[@musical_merri]

I literally just watched The Philadelphia Story for the first time this December! I adore this film now! This cast is all I want tbh.

[@schmellywittleidiot]

Perfect timing, I watch The Philadelphia Story every new years eve, my favorite movie of all time, and now I'll have one more way of looking at it.

[@pyzikscott]

My favorite film and scene. The performances and dialogue are so good that it’s easy to overlook the camera and lighting-which are just gorgeous. Thanks for the deep dive,

[@leperpens]

I started doing a deep dive of Katherine Hepburn movies a year ago, which led me to a deep dive on Spencer Tracy films. Glad to see them getting some love. It's a ...curious feeling, when you start feeling like you're aging out of Hollywood's target market.

[@ImnotassweetasIusedtobe]

Many old Hollywood actresses began lamenting the poor lighting, unintelligent staging, and lack of (non-dirty) glamour in mid to late 60's films, and only intensified with time. I read such quotes by countless people, and if focusing on women, I recall quotes by Mae West, Jean Arthur, Barbara Stanwyck, Marlene Dietrich, Katharine Hepburn herself, and countless others. It's why many are enchanted by the word on Todd Hayes in "Carol," for example, summoning Douglas Sirk and his collaborators.

[@ImnotassweetasIusedtobe]

*work of Todd

[@superarrowcollarman]

Good piece. Should be noted, however, that an insert is a separate shot, usually a closeup, inserted, as it were, into the assemblage. And shallow depth of field was pretty much the standard for ALL medium and close shots in this era due to the slow film stocks and longer lenses generally favoured by cinematographers at the time, especially in the production of dramas and comedies.

[@SheilasVoice]

Thank you for making this. Modern cinema seems to be falling for the Myth of the Auteur. In truth, movies are made by a company of people. Trying to center the director as a visionary is robbing the writers, editors and cinematographers of their rightful praise.

[@natesmart9959]

Couldn’t agree more with this statement. The auteur theory has ruined the modern movie , amongst many others things

[@IVUSER]

@@natesmart9959 How do you mean ''ruined the modern movie''?

[@brennonbrunet6330]

I think there is enough room in modern cinema so that collaborative and auteur driven don’t move to be mutually exclusive. You can’t deny that some modern day directors have the skill set and vision necessary for an auteur directed movie while still acknowledging the power of a truly collaborative process. And I think they both have their merits.

[@TheTachy0n]

@@natesmart9959??? Blockbusters and the death of the mid budget movie ruined modern cinema. The (mostly European and Asian) auteurs keep it alive.

[@brennonbrunet6330]

@@TheTachy0n wait, I thought auteurs were the death of cinema. How can it then be auteurs keeping it alive?

[@marvel096]

One of my favorite old Hollywood movies ever! And it’s my favorite precisely because of this scene. The dialogue is just superb and the acting is top tier. I was giggling and kicking my feet. It’s just SO good.

[@azohundred1353]

Katharine Hepburn was so incredibly gorgeous it's unreal, and such an amazing actress. She remains my favorite actress of all time. She deserves every bit of the legendary status she has, long after she's left this Earth.

[@glennac]

Spencer Tracy would agree with you. 😄

[@overthinker8532]

I just googled escape into meaning today (to add it on finished list) after months of not watching his video and he uploads one today. Great stuff.

[@AndrewBehm]

The Philadelphia Story is impeccable, great to see it getting love!

[@qtrust]

One of my favourite films since I saw it as a teenager.

[@_foxpuppet]

It's always magic when collaborative artforms are given the attention and care they need from every group member. When talented people pull together, they can make something timeless

[@sp1k340]

drunk jimmy stewart is probably the funniest anyone has ever been

[@YukiteruAmano92]

7:40 Crazy that in 1940 that word could be a compliment!

[@thebeatnumber]

Yeah, I noticed. I guess nobody outside of Germany knew what was going on there in 1940

[@MIRobin22]

@@thebeatnumber Even if they were, they wouldn’t have called it “the Holocaust” at the time. It was a normal word then, and it was only in the decades after the war that it gradually became the name for the Nazi genocide

[@Buckets41369]

@@thebeatnumberthe term Holocaust was only sparingly used to describe the Jewish genocide, it became more routine the use the word in the 1970s when a TV series of that name was broadcast depicting the event. Even in the 1990s the word was used to describe other genocides, The Rwandan Holocaust or the Armenian Holocaust, only recently has it come to exclusively refer to the genocide of Jews and others at the hands of the Nazis.

[@SingularlySelena1]

This has rejuvenated my efforts to get my partner to watch this movie. It's one of my favorites along with His Girl Friday. Maybe today, New Year's Day, I'll be successful. I hope this video prompts others to discover this great film. ❤

[@outinsider]

Very lovely appreciation for one of my favorite classic movies. The Academy did love stars who chose projects where they confronted their own public narratives. Elizabeth Taylor did similar with BUtterfield 8. Whether the star liked it or not, it does work in their favor most of the time, especially as comeback vehicles.

[@RockyRaccoons]

Absolutely loved this video. It perfectly captures all of my favorite things about Film KZbin. Smarter people than me breaking down every aspect of a classic hollywood scene to show why every piece of it is amazing.

[@michaelblount167]

That was satisfyingly brilliant. Like a glass of freshly made real leafed iced tea, sipped on a hard-earned rest, at the twilight of a beautiful summer evening.

[@samazwe]

I love Ginger Rogers and she gave a remarkable (albeit not so memorable) performance in Kitty Foyle, but her winning over Katharine Hepburn was...a choice😅 Almost like how Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins won over Audrey Hepburn...seems like when the Academy wants to send a message, they'll vote to spite you

[@botang6773]

As close to perfection (in film) as it gets.

[@nuclearivyking]

Philadelphia Story has been my favorite black and white movie since I was little, just fabulous. Great insights!

[@lizwoods1844]

I knew exactly which movie and scene in the first three seconds of this video. What a classic.

[@agranero6]

"It is almost shame that of the two actors in the scene it was only Jimmy Steward that walked away with the Oscar". Well she was nominated 12 times (including this one) and won one before this movie and 3 after. No other actor male or female won more. That year she lost for Ginger Rogers in Kitty Foyle.

[@mettajennifer]

The Philadelphia Story is one of my ALL TIME favorite films! Thank you.

[@johnnybidode]

I would love to see a video with your movies recommendations. It would be great ❤ Great video again!

[@Thefantastic_mrJ]

I’ve been watching you from the sidelines now for a while but this just got me to subscribe. Bravo! 👏🏻

[@maxterminatehole2086]

happy new year nerdwirter. keep up with good work

[@msreveriesoundrevue]

Well done on the aspect ratio 👏

[@ryuinz]

"CK Dexter Haven!!!" Love to see this movie getting the attention, easily one of my all time favorites. I had never heard about the history with Hepburn, that was very cool to learn.

[@BobMori]

Always a delight watching your video essays. Beautifully done. 🎬

[@keithmockett3810]

Another excellent appreciation of classic cinema! Love your videos and am proud owner of your book!

[@KevinMakins]

6:02 camera wink is a wildly meta moment for the times.

[@plica06]

Merry Christmas to you too Evan.

[@Sam-y7o]

You’re the only channel I subscribe to where I feel like I must watch every video

[@essenceflow]

Anyone care to list their top 3 Old Hollywood movies right here? Nerdwriter, what about yours? Keep up the amazing work.

[@monsieurd.]

Thank you very much for that video!

[@RainaEmms]

G'damn I've always loved that Hepburn trill.

[@barbarak2836]

Especially in this movie; wonderful!

[@juhorantonen6692]

A fresh upload? Oh my days. Just... Yes.

[@JerryC25]

1:06 norms reference ❤️

[@glennac]

“Put me in your pocket Mike.”

[@raphaferrari7361]

Excellent video as usual, Evan👏👏👏👏 The Hollywood Golden Era will remain in mankind history forever. I simply love to watch all these classic movies - over and over. "The Wizard of oz " may be the most famous Adrian's work - but his best and most spetacular creations are in "Marie Antoinette" (1938). Was "The Philadelphia Story" the inspiration for "High Society"? Thanks a lot for this video.

[@sneeuwballa]

I thought the same thing, but apparently high society is based on the same play

[@zacharywong483]

Fantastic analysis and script, as always!

[@SlyEphex]

I i only wish i get could get more nerdwriter1 videos in my life you make me feel smart and that perhaps the beauty of life exists outside of my imagination.

[@Akristinaaa]

I always adore seeing people fall in love with this movie

[@madison5116]

What a coincidence I just watched this yesterday. Love the video!

[@AlexMorrise]

You could make a video about at least a dozen scenes from that film. One of my favorites.

[@itsmeprasad1987]

Love those oldies…

[@auntvesuvi3872]

I love Cukor. Thank you, Evan! 🎬

[@kendn01]

I love Hepburn in this movie, though I have always thought the way the men in her character's life seemed to pile on her with criticism was a little twisted, and probably the reason the play doesn't get done much anymore. But Mr. Nerdwriter brings up a good point that this turned things around Public Relations wise for Ms. Kate. She actually toured with the play too - she came to my rinky-dink town with it. Now that would've been something to see!

[@jackieallen3766]

This is my favourite film of all time and Katharine Hepburn, my favourite actress. She and Cary Grant are sublime. I think her screen chemistry with Grant is better than with Spencer Tracey.

[@denisefreitas6727]

This video was a delight from the beginning to the end!

[@Zach290197]

He is back to creating top tier video essays!

[@patricksmith2224]

@1:52 who are you to say their standards are warp?

[@MH3GL]

Unfortunately, this isn't the first video where he's made the very poor assumption where he considers the time/morals he lives in to be superior to theirs.

[@derrionbrown3923]

The genius of this. 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@alarcon99]

Thank you for introducing me to this movie. I look forward to watching it. Please consider a series on movies you recommend ❤

[@MoMianji]

A great video about the golden age of Hollywood

[@magzdilluh]

well dang now I have to watch this movie!

[@hughgurney8686]

Noting in the for/after scene comparison at 6:45 - Tracy has let her hair down!

[@coyote4237]

Thank you.

[@ParkerAllen2]

Excellent essay on a terrific movie. Thanks.

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

Its so funny to me that ppl got so sick of studio films and their excess and predictability that the New Hollywood Movement took over, but nowadays I fucking wish our standard studio blockbuster was even a little bit like these films, even a small bit of the wit and writing

[@benyoung2014]

This is my favourite movie. If you haven't seen it already and have been won over even a bit all by this video, I'd urge you to go and watch it - it's truly a joyful masterpiece to watch to close out 2024 or start 2025 with

[@robertgibson1156]

I'm going to have to watch this now

[@ikemsmith]

Another Nerdwriter banger

[@HeatherShoal]

This was excellent! Thank you!

[@johnchafin3817]

"warped standard of the day..." Funny. I think the standards are pretty damn warped today. It didn't get any better.

[@C.I...]

Yeah, not sure why one would regard haughty, cold, and dominant qualities as paragons of femininity. I can't say intelligence is relevant one way or the other; I think he was overcompensating here by declaring "look how nice I am to women - I think it's very feminine and attractive when women are imperious, think they are above everyone and have hearts of stone!".

[@billcook4768]

A great movie. Though one where all three stars are playing “themselves.” Or at least playing their movie personas.

[@mungiuri]

I love this movie!

[@markhodge7]

It is Deffinitly near the top of my list

[@haret0n]

fantastic video. thank you

[@stephencolor2010]

7:36 how you know a movie was made before WWII

[@sinedn]

It's beside the point, but I found it funny watching this (and shamefully not knowing Kat Hepburn so much beforehand) how it brought back the memory of Cate Blanchett in the Aviator... She must have done a nice job there

[@RizwanRishad21]

Man! Missed you!

[@KMHill]

Katharine, not Katherine ! She has always been my favourite actress of all time.

[@PabloskyS84]

Well Ill watch that movie! Thanks !!

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

Exemplary writing is required in order for everything else--sound, music, direction, costuming, etc.--to follow suit and actually make a difference. That's why it's important for legitimate artists to study at least a little about ALL levels of production. That way, they become keenly aware of just how important each one is to storytelling. 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨ "Before I start, I must see my end. Destination known, my mind's journey now begins. Upon my chariot, heart and soul's fate revealed. In time, all points converge; hope's strength resteeled. But to earn final peace at the universe's endless refrain, we must see all in nothingness... before we start again." 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨ --Diamond Dragons (series)

[@publicrelations4143]

Katherine Hepburn is just divine. The monologue of Stewart with the "holocausts" didn´t age that well, but I guess it wasn´t that clear in 1940.

[@stuartrose3402]

Never got here before 1k. Good feeling.

[@blueamberphoto]

More! Do Hitchcock breakdown of each film please

[@maryeheinly8256]

I love Katherine Hepburn so much ! All the creepy rumors couldn’t stop me from a strong independent woman . Raised by a suffragette and her father . Women’s rights ! But the other actors were just as wonderful , wonderful ! I have this movie watch it when I need a laugh and a warm cuddly !

[@171QA]

Great video.

[@JasmineTariq-z6m]

I like the film and the analyze

[@michaelhoffmann2891]

For some reason all I could think of was that, with all the current "Hollywood is a mess/trainwreck/dead", there was a time when Katherine Hepburn was considered box office poison. That is so far into "mentalyl bankrupt" territory it makes yet-another-Disney-disaster look like Oscar material.