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)”
Category Archives: The Grand Canon
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)”
Hellzapoppin’ (1941) – 1.
Hellzapoppin’ is the Citizen Kane of anarcho-comedy. The movie adaptation of Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson’s long-running and apparently endlessly inventive Broadway show, it’s widely considered one of the funniest movies ever made, competing with Duck Soup for top honors among madcap films. And yet amazingly it was unavailable until quite recently, tied up byContinue reading “Hellzapoppin’ (1941) – 1.”
Swing Time (1936)
Swing Time, the sixth of the Astaire-Rogers partnerships, appears to be the most highly regarded of their films nowadays — or at least equal to Top Hat. The Criterion website even claims it’s the greatest dance movie ever made. I like Swing Time okay, but it’s not my favorite of their films, and I haveContinue reading “Swing Time (1936)”
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
The Philadelphia Story is in a class of its own. If you tried to construct a canon of Hollywood high comedy of manners, it might be the only member. Lubitsch is satirical about that genre to the point of camp. There are several British films that fit the category but American producers insisted that thereContinue reading “The Philadelphia Story (1940)”
Love Me Tonight (1932)
The reputation of Love Me Tonight at the moment could not be higher. Most film scholars consider it one of the great – if not the greatest – cinematic film comedies. That’s justifiable. The project was originated by Lubitsch, but he ceded control over it to Rouben Mamoulian when he became more interested in makingContinue reading “Love Me Tonight (1932)”
The Good Fairy (1934) – 1.
The Good Fairy is one of the great film comedies of the period. And an anomaly. It’s perfect on its own terms – hilarious, warm, with fantastically good performances. It stars Margaret Sullavan at her most luminous in her best comic role. It was directed by William Wyler, who did not direct a lot ofContinue reading “The Good Fairy (1934) – 1.”
Dames (1934)
I adore the early Warner studio Busby Berkeley movies, all of them. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but for now I’ll go with Dames. The films now all go under Berkeley’s name, but until Gold Diggers of 1935, Berkeley (hence BB) directed only the production numbers. Spectacular as they were, the four great filmsContinue reading “Dames (1934)”
Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1943)
Of all of Preston Sturges’s films, and maybe of all the comedies of this period, this may be my favorite. The comic pitch, the impossibility of separating satire from comedy, the nonstop 5-dimensional humor, the physical clowning in perfect sync with verbal pyrotechnics, the total commitment of the ensemble to absolute craziness, and the demolitionContinue reading “Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1943)”