The Awful Truth (1937)

One of the top five screwball comedies of the '30s, this helped to cement a genre that waxed golden until the end of WWII. Director Leo McCarey won an Oscar for Best Director for this 1937 romantic comedy--one of the most successful films of his career. Irene Dunne and Cary Grant are a squabbling couple who separate because of supposed infidelities on both sides. They part but cannot really keep away from each other. Grant finds himself hooked up with a socialite, Dunne becomes engaged to a millionaire hick played by the hapless Ralph Bellamy (as if he ever stood a chance as the "other" man!). When not dating others or baiting one another in a verbal war, Grant and Dunne wage a custody battle over their pathetic pooch. Gags, double entendre, witty remarks, snide comments, and fast-paced dialogue helped this to garner six Academy Award nominations. The Awful Truth was awfully good to Dunne and Grant, as both were breaking out of much more serious molds and this secured their positions. --Rochelle O'Gorman Amazon.com essential video

GOOD FOR THE TIME PERIOD! GRANT IS GREAT AS USUAL!

I have been watching a lot of Cary Grant films for the first time and I have been slightly disappointed with some of them. 'The Awful Truth' is another critically acclaimed film that doesn't quite live up to it's reputation. I found the first half rather boring, but it does redeem itself in the second half. In my opinion, it is Grant and Irene Dunne that make this one work. I guess when you think about the competition from it's time period, it does stand out. The DVD transfer on the box set which I viewed this film from has a very good transfer and a few interesting extras. September 23, 2008

Did nothing for me,,,

Definitely not my favorite Cary film. Perhaps this movie was a hoot for its time, but it's a complete bore now. Where there are a couple of times I chuckled, the rest of the time, however, I kept wondering when the film was going to end. If you're a Cary fan, then this something you must see to judge for yourself and/or to just say that you saw it. Other than that, there are better films to occupy your time. July 22, 2008

Perfection!

A lost classic. The writing and acting can't be beat. Grant proves himself a great comic actor and Irene Dunne is a delight. If you like comedy, it's for you. If you like romance, it's for you. The entire cast is superb - including Mr. Smith. This is one of my top two or three faves of all time. Oft copied but never equalled. Leo McCarey - thank you! December 26, 2007

The Reality of Marriage

I think this is a very skillfull look at marriage and a true comedy. The scene of the Judge talking on the phone and simultaneously talking with his wife is hysterical. We have purchased this for days when we really need a good laugh. Irene Dunne and Cary Grant have always created magic on the screen. October 24, 2007

Grant and Dunne Strike Comedy Magic in a Freewheeling Marital Misunderstanding Romp

Cary Grant, an up-and-coming actor in the mid-1930's, fortuitously teamed with the more established Irene Dunne for the first of three fruitful pairings in this archetypal 1937 screwball comedy directed with finesse by Leo McCarey. The result is one of the era's breeziest concoctions, an uninhibited farce based on suspected marital infidelity that has the stars bickering and bantering with precision and élan. It's easy to see how Grant became a full-fledged star with this film as his persona already seems fully formed from his droll one-liners to his acrobatic pratfalls. He dexterously balances the urbane and everyman aspects of his personality as Park Avenue social dandy Jerry Warriner.

Adapted by screenwriter Viña Delmar from a 1921 Arthur Richman play, the featherweight plot begins with Jerry and his equally gadabout wife Lucy living carefree amid their luxuriant surroundings and wealthy social circle, but the couple experiences a misunderstanding over each other's whereabouts. Both are so smug and proud that neither apologizes for the trouble each causes the other. In fact, they rashly decide to divorce, and a custody battle ensues over their pet terrier, Mr. Smith, the same dog who played Asta in the Thin Man series and later the bone-stealing George in Bringing Up Baby. With their jealousy peaked, Lucy and Jerry try to sabotage each other's next serious relationship - Jerry with priggish, suspicious heiress Barbara Vance and Lucy with wealthy Oklahoma oilman Dan Leeson. Things inevitably spiral out of control as the final divorce decree approaches.

Perhaps the most criminally overlooked of the top actresses during Hollywood's golden era, Dunne not only matches Grant's comedic skills here but shows off her impressive singing talent. Along with her insinuating laugh, she has a sophisticated but down-to-earth manner that makes her the classic screwball heroine. Look for the hilarious scene where she pretends to be Jerry's tawdry, heavy-drinking sister Lola. A specialist in playing the third point in romantic triangles, Ralph Bellamy is likeably lunk-headed as Dan, and there are sharp comic turns by Cecil Cunningham as no-nonsense Aunt Patsy and Joyce Compton as nightclub chanteuse Dixie Belle Lee. According to Hollywood lore, McCarey encouraged Grant and Dunne to improvise much of their dialogue. If true, their rapport is especially impressive here. The 2003 DVD offers no extras. September 12, 2007

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