The Philadelphia Story
Philadelphia socialites Tracy Lord and C.K. Dexter Haven married impulsively, with their marriage and subsequent divorce being equally passionate. They broke up when Dexter's drinking became excessive, it a mechanism to cope with Tracy's unforgiving manner to the imperfect, imperfections which Dexter admits he readily has. Two years after their break-up, Tracy is about to remarry, the ceremony to take place at the Lord mansion. Tracy's bridegroom is nouveau riche businessman and aspiring politician George Kittredge, who is otherwise a rather ordinary man and who idolizes Tracy. The day before the wedding, three unexpected guests show up at the Lord mansion: Macaulay Connor (Mike to his friends), Elizabeth Imbrie - the two who are friends of Tracy's absent brother, Junius- and Dexter himself. Dexter, an employee of the tabloid Spy magazine, made a deal with its publisher and editor Sidney Kidd to get a story on Tracy's wedding - the wedding of the year - in return for Kidd not publishing a salacious story with accompanying photographs of Tracy's father, Seth Lord, with a New York showgirl named Tina Marra. In reality, Mike and Liz are the reporter and photographer respectively for Spy. Mike and Liz don't particularly like this assignment or working for Kidd, but they need to make a living as their chosen other fields as serious writer and painter don't pay the bills. A suspicious Tracy is onto them, the entire truth which Dexter admits to her. Tracy decides to turn the tables on Mike and Liz. However, hours before the wedding, as the more self-assured Dexter and Liz get to work on how to get the Lords out from under Spy's threats, Tracy and Mike, both inebriated, go on a journey of self-discovery with Tracy ultimately coming to her realizations a little faster than Mike.
2 Oscars. 9 wins & 5 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Philadelphia Story (1940) reveals meticulously timed plot construction, characteristic of George Cukor's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 11-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 53 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.3, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Tracy Lord breaks her ex-husband Dexter's golf clubs and he pushes her face, establishing her as a proud, temperamental socialite in a broken marriage. Her world is one of wealth, control, and rigid propriety.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when C.K. Dexter Haven arrives with reporter Mike Connor and photographer Liz Imbrie, threatening to expose the Lord family scandal unless they're allowed to cover the wedding for Spy magazine. The carefully controlled wedding is compromised.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 28 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Tracy actively chooses to engage with Mike Connor in conversation, presenting herself as "Philadelphia society" to control the narrative. She enters the "game" of managing these outsiders, beginning her journey into a world where her perfect facade will be tested., moving from reaction to action.
The Collapse moment at 84 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, George Kittredge refuses to marry Tracy, calling her a "perversion of the ideal" and saying she's not fit to be his wife. The dream of the perfect new marriage dies, and Tracy is left judged and rejected for being human. Her false pedestal is destroyed., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 91 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Tracy executes her final act: she marries Dexter in front of the wedding guests, claiming her choice and her imperfect humanity. The family is united, the scandal is managed with grace, and Tracy walks down the aisle as a transformed woman who accepts herself and others., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Philadelphia Story's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 11 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping The Philadelphia Story against these established plot points, we can identify how George Cukor utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Philadelphia Story within the comedy genre.
George Cukor's Structural Approach
Among the 4 George Cukor films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.9, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. The Philadelphia Story takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete George Cukor filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more George Cukor analyses, see My Fair Lady, Adam's Rib and A Star Is Born.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Tracy Lord breaks her ex-husband Dexter's golf clubs and he pushes her face, establishing her as a proud, temperamental socialite in a broken marriage. Her world is one of wealth, control, and rigid propriety.
Theme
Uncle Willie tells Tracy that she expects too much perfection from people, lacks an understanding of human frailty. This states the film's central theme: the need for compassion, tolerance, and acceptance of human imperfection.
Worldbuilding
We meet the Lord family preparing for Tracy's wedding to George Kittredge, a self-made man. Tracy is established as judgmental and demanding of perfection. Her father is absent due to an affair, her mother is gracious, and her sister Dinah is playful. The world of Main Line Philadelphia society is carefully constructed.
Disruption
C.K. Dexter Haven arrives with reporter Mike Connor and photographer Liz Imbrie, threatening to expose the Lord family scandal unless they're allowed to cover the wedding for Spy magazine. The carefully controlled wedding is compromised.
Resistance
Tracy debates how to handle the reporters and Dexter's interference. She's forced to accept Mike and Liz as friends of the family. Dexter acts as a guide, maneuvering Tracy into a situation where she must pretend and perform rather than control. She resists but has no choice.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Tracy actively chooses to engage with Mike Connor in conversation, presenting herself as "Philadelphia society" to control the narrative. She enters the "game" of managing these outsiders, beginning her journey into a world where her perfect facade will be tested.
Premise
The fun and games of the wedding weekend: Tracy and Mike's growing connection, champagne-fueled conversations, philosophical debates about class and human nature. Tracy begins to soften and shed her goddess-like perfection. Dexter watches knowingly as Tracy discovers Mike's humanity and he discovers hers.
Opposition
Tracy wakes with no memory of the night before. George Kittredge witnesses Dexter carrying drunk Tracy into the house and jumps to conclusions. Tracy's protective walls close in as she faces judgment from her fiancé, her father, and society. Her perfect image crumbles as everyone's expectations and criticisms converge.
Collapse
George Kittredge refuses to marry Tracy, calling her a "perversion of the ideal" and saying she's not fit to be his wife. The dream of the perfect new marriage dies, and Tracy is left judged and rejected for being human. Her false pedestal is destroyed.
Crisis
Tracy processes the collapse, facing the darkness of being seen as imperfect and fallen. She questions her worth, her judgment, and her understanding of love. Mike proposes marriage as an escape, but Tracy realizes she doesn't love him. The wedding guests are arriving.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Tracy executes her final act: she marries Dexter in front of the wedding guests, claiming her choice and her imperfect humanity. The family is united, the scandal is managed with grace, and Tracy walks down the aisle as a transformed woman who accepts herself and others.