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Screwball comedy is a film subgenre of the romantic comedy genre that became popular during the Great Depression, beginning in the early 1930s and thriving until the early 1950s, that satirizes the traditional love story.
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Mar 19, 2024 · Screwball comedies are a genre of comedy that originated in the 1930s and 1940s in film and later in television. They are characterized by fast-paced, witty dialogue, farcical situations, and a romantic storyline that often involves a battle of the sexes.
- The Development of The Screwball Comedy
- What Is A Screwball Comedy?
- Notable Screwball Comedies
- Decline and Later Influence
In 1934, the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA, now known today as the Motion Picture Association of America, or MPAA) began strictly enforcing the 1930 Motion Picture Production Code, popularly known as the “Hays Code” after MPPDA president Will H. Hays. The Hays Code dictated content standards for the industry’s movies. ...
Though earlier films with screwball comedy elements can be pinpointed, such as the 1931 film adaptation of "The Front Page," the movie that put the genre on the map was 1934’s "It Happened One Night." Directed by industry great Frank Capra, "It Happened One Night" stars Claudette Colbert as Ellie, a runaway socialite who crosses paths with Peter (C...
"Twentieth Century" (1934) After a Broadway writer (John Barrymore) worked for several years to turn a lingerie model (Carole Lombard) into a stage star, the pair have a falling out and the writer faces financial ruin. He attempts to sneak away from debtors by taking a Chicago train named the "20th Century Limited" to New York City. Naturally, his ...
By 1943, the screwball comedy had fallen out of fashion. With the United States now fully engaged in World War II, many Hollywood films at that point instead focused on themes and stories related to the war. Nonetheless, the genre has remained incredibly influential and classic elements of screwball comedies can be seen in virtually any relationshi...
- Design for Living. Directed by the magnificent Ernst Lubitsch, "Design for Living" is a glorious, sexy screwball comedy. The film begins on a train, where dear friends George Curtis (Western actor Gary Cooper), an artist, and Thomas Chambers (Fredric March), a playwright, happen upon Gilda Farrell (Miriam Hopkins).
- It Happened One Night. Frank Capra's "It Happened One Night" has become the stuff of legends. It was the first film in Oscar history to win all of the five biggest awards — Best (Adapted) Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and, of course, Best Picture.
- My Man Godfrey. Despite being released in 1936, "My Man Godfrey" still feels incredibly refreshing. The movie follows a ridiculously wealthy and stupendously bonkers family.
- Easy Living. Many great comedies begin with a meet-cute: a quirky occurrence that causes our two eventual lovers to meet. "Easy Living" takes off with something of a meet-fall, after an extravagant fur coat seemingly falls out of the sky onto the unwitting Mary Smith (Jean Arthur).
Screwball comedy is a subgenre of comedy film that emerged in the early 1930s during the Great Depression. Characterized by fast-paced repartee, farcical situations, and often a battle of the sexes theme, it’s where highbrow meets lowbrow in an anarchic blend of wit and slapstick.
Sep 2, 2016 · The Screwball Comedy genre came from censorship, but the films seem to unlock a different type of creative expression, one that may not have come about without this original restriction. These films had to rely on innuendo and banter between the leads as a replacement for physical displays of sexual tension.
Feb 12, 2015 · Emerging in the 1930s, screwball comedies were a wild new strain of fast-talking farces involving battles of the sexes and a world forever on the brink of chaos. Here are 10 of the best places to start.
