One of the classic screwball comedies of the 1930s, “The Awful truth” was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning an Oscar for director Leo McCarey. This was the third time the story had been brought to the screen, this version particularly working because of the improvisation encouraged of the cast and crew. The actors’ state of bewilderment and the humour born from this is reinforced by the fact that much of their dialogue is ad-libbed. The story centres around New York couple the Warriners (Cary Grant and Irene Dunne), who both suspect the infidelities of the other. They agree to a trial divorce, but cannot agree on who will get custody of their pet dog Mr Smith. What follows is a battlefield of witty dialogue, slapstick, sophisticated New York versus Southern manners and sublime bickering, while the Warriners attempt to sabotage each other’s new romances and ultimately try to reunite.
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Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
316755
Language
English
Audience classification
G
Subject categories
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Academy awards (Motion pictures)
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Black and White
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)