MovieChat Forums > The Philadelphia Story (1941) Discussion > Tracey's Divorce

Tracey's Divorce

posted 15 years ago by laptow
5 replies | jump to latest

Anyone have any thoughts as to what the grounds for Tracey's divorce were? I got the impression that her inability to forgive or to be understanding of the moral weaknesses and failings of others might have meant that Dexter had been unfaithful to her as a result of her lack of responsiveness. If she continued in her marriage as a virgin, somewhat suggested by the dialogue, he might have become unfaithful to her. It was never clear to me why they divorced or whether Dexter or Tracey filed for the divorce. Dexter drank...maybe he was frustrated, but could that have been the sole grounds for the divorce?

[–] MarilynGraceBogart 15 years ago

All the virgin talk centers around Tracy's "untouchable"-ness, that she is above those around her. In her marriage, she wasn't actually a virgin, just in her demeanor. The grounds for divorce were that Dexter was a drunk, and that he allowed her to divorce him. I don't think he cheated on her.

"You're cute."
"I'm getting cuter every minute."
Humphrey Bogart

[–] laptow 15 years ago

I'm glad you made these comments. I just never thought that the divorce angle was talked about very much. Don't know why it might matter, but it has bothered me. Thanks for your thoughts.

[–] TheDuchessofM 15 years ago

Eh, you'd have to look up divorce laws for 1940s Pennsylvania. I know that many men and women went to Reno or Mexico for quickie divorces for the most of the 20th century because they could establish residency for a few weeks and obtain divorces on the flimsiest excuses. Besides, as powerful and influential as the Lord family was, you don't think the divorce case wouldn't be pushed through on any ground?

[–] nikkilynn1982 15 years ago

I was thinking it was because when he drank he got abusive. Remember the flashback where she breaks his golf club in half and throws it down, and he follows her and knocks her down on the floor?

[–] PillowRock 15 years ago

I'm sorry but there is absolutely nothing in anybody's manner to suggest that the relationship betwen Dext and Tracy had ever been abusive.

He shoved her exactly once, with one hand, remarkably carefully in terms of hand placement and a complete lack of any actual impact ....... after she had made a point of going out of her way to be hurtful and vandalous ...... after he had given her the divorce that she wanted because he drank too much.

I agree with MarylinGraceBogart, Tracy divorced Dexter because he was drinking too much. Frankly, it never occurred to me that this point was at all unclear, given all of the discussion about Dexter's alcoholic weakness ("disgusting" was, I believe, the word that Tracy used to describe her view of Dexter when drinking) and Tracy's complete and utter intoloerance for any form of weakness.