Philip James Quinn Barry ( June 18 , 1896 -- December 3 , 1949 ) was an American dramatist best known for his plays `` Holiday '' ( 1928 ) and `` The Philadelphia Story '' ( 1939 ) , which were both made into films starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant .
Philip James Quinn Barry ( June 18 , 1896 -- December 3 , 1949 ) was an American dramatist . He is best known for his plays `` Holiday '' ( 1928 ) and `` The Philadelphia Story '' ( 1939 ) .