If there’s a totally distinctive American contribution to the comic pantheon it’s probably the confidence-artist as the quintessential modern character. Clever servants and tricksters abound in tales from the Old Worlds, but they are usually outsiders of a stable village or court society. Now and then a royal pretender arrives on the scene like theContinue reading “The Half-Naked Truth (1932)”
Author Archives: Istvan Csicsery-Ronay, Jr.
Washington Merry-Go-Round (1932)
Washington Merry-Go-Round is an inexplicably neglected gem of a political comedy from the early sound era. I can’t figure out why it gets so little respect. Maybe it’s because its director, James Cruze, a visually inventive director of silents, didn’t make many other sound films and never made the A-list. Maybe its star, speed-talking LeeContinue reading “Washington Merry-Go-Round (1932)”
Mr. Winkle Goes to War (1944)
Edward G. Robinson was a fine comic actor, but he did not get many opportunities to show it. In his two best known comedies, Talk of the Town and Brother Orchid, he is cast as comic versions of the gangster boss persona he made famous in Little Caesar. His acting is great, but the rolesContinue reading “Mr. Winkle Goes to War (1944)”
The Lady Eve (1941)
The Lady Eve is the Sistine Chapel of screwball comedies. A lot has been written about it, but somehow it eludes analysis. When I taught courses on film comedy, I’d warn my students: don’t ever think you’re smarter than Preston Sturges, don’t ever think to yourself “I’ve got this all figured out.” On a thirdContinue reading “The Lady Eve (1941)”
The Awful Truth (1937)
Many film historians feel that The Awful Truth is the first true screwball comedy. I’m not sure about that, or even if it matters, but it is a very special comedy. It was directed and basically constructed on the set by Leo McCarey, one of the giants of Hollywood comic film, and the star actors,Continue reading “The Awful Truth (1937)”
Nothing Sacred (1937)
Nothing Sacred is very funny and true to its title, very irreverent. It’s a core film in the screwball canon. It’s one of Carole Lombard’s showcase comedies, and the script, credited to Ben Hecht, is crazy witty. For all that, I’m not crazy about it. There are strange things going on that put me offContinue reading “Nothing Sacred (1937)”
Slightly Dangerous (1943)
Slightly Dangerous is the last fully comic film that Lana Turner starred in. It’s very funny, but it’s also disorientingly schizophrenic. It can’t decide whether it’s a 1930s gold-digger-with-a-heart of gold story, a screwball romance, or the gothic tale of a beautiful psychopath. It feels like MGM in 1943 was effectively paralyzed in their visionContinue reading “Slightly Dangerous (1943)”
Two Girls on Broadway (1940)
I find Two Girls on Broadway interesting for two reasons. First, it’s one of the three dance comedies Lana Turner made as a 19-20 year old in the 1939-40 span. The other is that it’s a remake of the foundational Hollywood film musical, The Broadway Melody (1929), and it attacks the problems of that filmContinue reading “Two Girls on Broadway (1940)”
The Broadway Melody (1929)
Film historians pretty universally consider The Broadway Melody to be the most influential of the early sound musicals. Richard Barrios in his great book A Song in the Dark: The Birth of the Musical Film says that every technique used in later musicals can be seen in it. It was an incredible sensation at theContinue reading “The Broadway Melody (1929)”
These Glamour Girls (1939)
Of the three dancing comedies Lana Turner made for MGM in 1939-40 — Dancing Co-Ed, These Glamour Girls, and Two Girls on Broadway — I like These Glamour Girls the least. It’s clear the studio was experimenting with her, trying out different styles to see which would fit best. I get the feeling they thoughtContinue reading “These Glamour Girls (1939)”