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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.
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.
Feb 19, 2018 · Few genres of comedy are specifically tied to a particular era of cinema as the screwball comedy, a genre that was wildly popular from the mid-1930s to the early-1940s before virtually disappearing from movie theaters overnight. However, the screwball comedy has maintained lasting influence and its themes can still be seen in today's movies.
- 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).
- It Happened One Night (1934, Frank Capra) It Happened One Night (1934) is an early screwball comedy, which is well regarded and remembered within the genre.
- The Thin Man (1934, W.S. Van Dyke) The Thin Man (1934) might not have all the features of the typical screwball comedy, but the essence of the genre is present here.
- My Man Godfrey (1936, Gregory La Cava) My Man Godfrey (1936) follows a rich, eccentric family, including a scatter-brained daughter, Irene (Carole Lombard), who falls for Godfrey (William Powell), a down-and-out man found at a hobo colony.
- Nothing Sacred (1937, William A. Wellman) Nothing Sacred (1937) is one of the only Technicolor screwball comedies. It follows Hazel (Carole Lombard) and Wally (Fredric March) as they fall in love in a strange way, typical of the screwball comedy.
Screwball comedy films represent a unique and influential sub-genre of comedy that has left an indelible mark on the film industry. Born out of the social and economic turmoil of the Great Depression, these films offered audiences an escape through their blend of wit, romance , and social satire.
In the mid-1930s a new film genre, screwball comedy, arose in American cinema. Based upon the old "boy-meets-girl" formula turned topsy-turvy, it generally presented the eccentric, female-dominated courtship of an upper-class couple. Archetypal examples include Bringing Up Baby (1938) and its loose remake, What's Up, Doc? (1972).
