Burbank, Calif. April 1, 2014 – On July 29, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) will remember one of Hollywood’s most glamorous film stars with the debut of the Grace Kelly Collection. The Collection includes six of the iconic screen legend’s most popular films –– Mogambo, Dial M for Murder, The Country Girl, The Bridges at Toko-Ri, To Catch a Thief and High Society – in which she co-stars with some of Hollywood’s finest leading men, including Clark Gable, Cary Grant, William Holden, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.
The Grace Kelly Collection offers films that have never been together in one set and also features her last, rarely seen TV interview Princess Grace de Monaco: A Moment in Time conducted by Pierre Salinger less than ten days before her death. A collectible series of art cards, photos and memorabilia are also part of this set which will sell for $34.96 SRP.
About Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly was born in Philadelphia on November 12, 1929, the third of four children. After her first prominent big screen role at the age of 22 in the thriller Fourteen Hours, she got her first big break when Gary Cooper arranged for her to star with him in High Noon. The next year she starred opposite Clark Gable in Mogambo, and was nominated for her first Academy Award®, as Supporting Actress (1953). Major starring roles in three of her mentor Alfred Hitchcock’s films within two years — Rear Window, Dial M For Murder and To Catch A Thief — cemented her position as one of the biggest and brightest stars in the Hollywood firmament. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1955 for her role in The Country Girl (1954).
Though her movie career spanned only five years and 11 films, Kelly’s elegant beauty left a big impression and she clearly cast a spell over Prince Rainier III, whom she met while in Cannes for the 1955 film festival. He proposed within days, and they were married the next year in front of 600 guests and an estimated 30 million TV viewers.
Becoming the Princess Consort of Monaco, Kelly relinquished her acting career and focused on being a royal leader and mother. The couple had three children — Caroline in 1957, Albert II in 1958 and Stephanie in 1965.
When Princess Grace died in 1982 at the age of 52 from a car accident, millions mourned the passing of an American beauty who had bewitched everyone around her. Her tragic and premature death cemented her iconic status as nearly 100 million people watched her funeral on television.*
About the Films
Mogambo (1953)
Kelly received her first Academy Award nomination (Best Actress in a Supporting Role) in this remake of 1932’s Red Dust, in which Gable originally starred with Jean Harlow. He stars here with Kelly and the sizzling Ava Gardner, who was also nominated for her performance. Directed by John Ford, and shot on location in Africa, the romantic adventure finds Gable as a big game trapper and guide hired by an anthropologist to lead a safari in the jungles of Kenya. He soon finds himself becoming the target of affections of the boss’ wife (Grace Kelly) and a Broadway showgirl (Ava Gardner).
Special Features:
· Theatrical Trailer
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Alfred Hitchcock’s suspense classic stars Grace Kelly in her first Hitchcock film, along with Ray Milland, Robert Cummings and John Williams. The film was adapted by Frederick Knott from his hit Broadway play about a jealous husband, Tony Wendice (Ray Milland), and his plot to do away with wife Margot (Kelly) after he suspects she’s beginning to fall for American writer Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings). When the scheme backfires, Tony manages to get Margot convicted of premeditated murder, and Halliday and Inspector Hubbard (Williams) must out-strategize Tony to save Margot’s life.
Special Features:
Featurettes: Hitchcock and Dial M and 3D: A Brief History
· Original 1954 Theatrical trailer
The Country Girl (1954)
The Country Girl, based on Clifford Odetts’ play, garnered 7 Academy Award[ii] nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director/ Best Adapted Screenplay for George Seaton and Best Actor nod for Bing Crosby. This was the second Oscar® nomination and first win for Grace Kelly (Best Actress in a Leading Role), and Seaton took home a statue for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The story revolves around actor/singer Frank Elgin (Crosby) who is set to star in a new play on Broadway, directed by Bernie Dodd (William Holden). Elgin is an alcoholic and the show’s producer agrees to the casting despite his doubts. As Bernie tries to get a good performance out of his drunken star, he finds himself fighting Georgie, Elgin’s wife (Kelly), herself a former alcoholic.
The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954)
In this film adaptation of James Michener’s best-selling novel, Grace Kelly stars as Nancy Brubaker, wife of Navy Lt. Harry Brubaker (William Holden), who’s ordered back for another tour of duty in the Korean war. Brubaker resents this intrusion into his family life yet he’s resigned to serve his country in battle. Earl Holliman and Mickey Rooney co-star in the film directed by Mark Robson from a screenplay by Valentine Davies. The film won the Oscar for Best Special Effects and was nominated for Best Film Editing.
Special Features:
· Theatrical Trailer
High Society (1956)
Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Celeste Holm and Louis Armstrong star in this romantic musical comedy adapted by John Patrick from Philip Barry’s play and film Philadephia Story. Cole Porter provided the songs, many of them now classics.
The film’s plot revolves around socialite Tracy Lord (Kelly), about to marry a second time when first husband C.K. Dexter-Haven (Crosby) shows up for the pre-wedding festivities. Spy magazine’s reporter Mike Connor (Sinatra) and photographer Liz Imbrie (Holm) are there to cover the wedding, and as the plot unfolds Tracy soon finds herself torn between her fiancé, Dexter-Haven, and Connor. While Tracy ultimately must make a choice between these three very dissimilar men, in the end, as the Oscar[iii] nominated song says, ‘true love’ prevails.
Special Features:
Cole Porter in Hollywood: True Love
Millionaire Droopy [1956 MGM Cartoon]
Gala Premiere for High Society [Newsreel]
Radio Ads [Audio Only]
Trailers for The Philadelphia Story and High Society
To Catch a Thief (1955)
Grace Kelly and Cary Grant star in Alfred Hitchcock’s romantic thriller that was an instant hit. Grant plays retired cat burglar John Robie, now spending his days on the French Riviera. A series of jewel heists turns the focus to Robie, who becomes the prime suspect and then gets mixed up with Frances Stevens (Kelly), an attractive American socialite who is trying for what the film’s title suggests. Hitchcock used every trick in the book to make the film sexy, with the lush French Riviera locales being shot beautifully by Robert Burks who garnered an Oscar for Best Cinematography. Hal Pereira, J. McMillan Johnson, Sam Comer and Arthur Krams were nominated for Best Art Direction, Set Decoration and Edith Head, for Best Costume Design.
Special Features:
Commentary by Peter Bogdanovich and Laurent Bouzereau
Writing and Casting To Catch a Thief
The Making of To Catch a Thief
Alfred Hitchcock and To Catch a Thief: An Appreciation
Edith Head: The Paramount Years
Theatrical Trailer