Cinema
The Awful Truth
Leo McCarey · 1937
Synopsis
New York. Jerry Warriner claims to be back from Florida, where he has not been; his wife Lucy comes home soon afterwards from a night spent out with her singing teacher, Armand Duvalle, the car having broken down. Each suspects the other, and they divorce; the judgment will only become final after ninety days, and Lucy gets custody of the fox terrier, Mr. Smith. She gets engaged to Dan Leeson, a rich oilman from Oklahoma, Jerry announces his engagement to the heiress Barbara Vance, and each sets about wrecking the other's plans.
Context
The film is based on a play by Arthur Richman first staged in 1922 and already brought to the screen twice, but McCarey kept little of it: the scenes were written from day to day, and the dialogue was improvised on the set. Cary Grant, frightened by this method, offered five thousand dollars to Harry Cohn, head of the studio, to be released; he took from it instead, according to several critics, mannerisms borrowed from McCarey that he kept afterwards.
Who it is for
A comedy of an hour and a half, with largely improvised dialogue, centred on a couple and their dog.
Prizes and reception
Six Oscar nominations, including best picture, and an award for its director in 1938.
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