3 good reasons why you should skip the 'Fifty Shades' trequel and see 'High Society' instead this V-Day

This Valentine’s Day, there are options a plenty for lusty lovers, crotchety couples, and half-hearted sweethearts at one of many,many,many, many restaurants out there. For the proudly single or those looking for an easy lover, there are a fair share of bars and clubs that will gladly assist in your quest for celebration. Your local movie theater will likely have it’s fair share of all the above. While many will be taking in the final chapter of the Fifty Shades Of Grey trilogy, another film, High Society, will be playing at the Terrace for those with a taste for something of a more musical/ less chains and whippy variety.

In Charles Walters’ film, an heiress, Tracy (Grace Kelly), must choose between a stuffy fiance George (John Lund), C.K. (Bing Crosby) her jazz musician ex-husband, and a nosy reporter named Mike (Frank Sinatra).

For the newbies and the nostalgic, here are a few not-so-little known facts and observations about the film and it’s cast:

HIGH SOCIETY? MORE LIKE MAY-DECEMBER SOCIETY

To a degree, it’s a little unfair when a snarky jagoff watches High Society with a cynical 2018 mindset rather than the headspace of a 1956 audience member. Still, it does feel a little weird in one scene when Tracy’s mom offhandedly says something about Grace Kelly’s Tracy and Bing Crosby’s C.K. growing up together. That kind of comment wouldn’t come off odd if it weren’t for the fact that Crosby is noticeably 26 years older than Kelly. It’s highly likely that the comment was referring more to their personal growth since their failed marriage together.

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED …

Dollars to diggety doughnuts that during one of the film’s premieres, a couple walked out of the of the movie and the guy, possibly a 1956 hipster prototype, turned to his lady pal and said — between elongated pulls from his Chesterfield of course — “Yes, well, personally I liked it better when they called it The Philadelphia Story twah twah twah”. Unfortunately, said fictional hipster was very right. High Society is a musical adaptation of The Philadelphia Story, originally a play and soon after, a film adaptation starring Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart.

LOUIS ARMSTRONG, MUGGLES FANBOY

While Sinatra was a big fanboy of the aforementioned Chesterfield cigarettes, his High Society co-star, Louis Armstrong, loved succumbing to reefer madness on a regular basis. He loved it so much that it’s rumored that the devil’s weed was the primary influence behind his 1928 instrumental recording, Muggles” . When talking to biographer Max Jones, Armstrong elaborated on his other favorite pastime of smoking muggles, “We always looked at pot as a sort of medicine, a cheap drunk and with much better thoughts than one that’s full of liquor.” It wouldn’t be too hard to envision a 21 year old J.K. Rowling puffing a muggle and writing story notes about magic-deprived people in her Trapper Keeper.

KINDA LEAVING ON A HIGH NOTE

Written by Cole Porter especially for the movie, the song True Love was a million seller that led to Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby being given platinum records. Even more unique was that this was the only platinum record ever awarded to sitting royalty as Grace Kelly had recently become engaged to Prince Rainier of Monaco. In fact, she even wore her actual engagement ring for her character’s engagement ring. Grace Kelly’s last feature film before retiring from acting. It was around this time that she slightly raised both hands and decided, “Alright!!! That’s it for me!” as she walked away from bright lights of Hollywood and into the even brighter lights of aristocracy.

High Society will scree at The Terrace Theatre on Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, visit terracetheater.com.