The best (and funniest, naturally) depiction I've ever seen of the intersection between love and pity - also known as The Gibson Sweet Spot.

Highly entertaining and decades ahead of its time in terms of sexual liberation, directly challenging Hollywood's self-censorship and sexual hypocrisy in American society. Unfortunately, a lot of the best jokes require an explanation of the Hayes Code fine print to appreciate. It's still a great time capsule, a rare example of rebellion that escaped the Hayes whitewash.

What can I say about Preston Sturges? I love his films, particularly his comedies, slight as they often are. This may be my favorite, an uproariously funny screwball comedy of life on the homefront while the nation is at war that will make you wonder how on earth it slid past the censors. Betty Hutton plays Trudy Kockenlocker, a girl who is adored by the mousy Norval Jones (Eddie Bracken). Unfortunately, Trudy is fascinated by men in uniform, and Norval can’t get into the army. Matters are complicated further when, after a night of hard partying to see the boys off to war, Trudy ends up married to a soldier she can’t remember and pregnant, but her father (Sturges regular William Demarest) thinks Norval is to blame. Hilarity ensues, but I’ve said too much already. The laughs and surprises fly thick and fast from start to finish, and I watched this movie three times before moving on.

I wish there were more Preston Sturges movies almost as much as I wish there were less with Eddie Bracken in them.

Choice quote by Constable Kockenlocker (to his 14-year-old daughter): "Listen, Zipper-puss!"

An irreverent and strangely sweet and dark comedy that somehow got past the Hays Code. The gags involving Bracken and Demarest, largely in their contrast, gets humor rarely as well executed and exploited.

Uproarious by the end and a blast throughout. Subversive and out of its head in all the right ways.

What can I say about Preston Sturges? I love his films, particularly his comedies, slight as they often are. This may be my favorite, an uproariously funny screwball comedy of life on the homefront while the nation is at war that will make you wonder how on earth it slid past the censors. Betty Hutton plays Trudy Kockenlocker, a girl who is adored by the mousy Norval Jones (Eddie Bracken). Unfortunately, Trudy is fascinated by men in uniform, and Norval can’t get into the army. Matters are complicated further when, after a night of hard partying to see the boys off to war, Trudy ends up married to a soldier she can’t remember and pregnant, but her father (Sturges regular William Demarest) thinks Norval is to blame. Hilarity ensues, but I’ve said too much already. The laughs and surprises fly thick and fast from start to finish, and I watched this movie three times before moving on.

First film this year was this wonderful film by Preston Sturges. Saw it with the family. Very funny and wild :)

The best (and funniest, naturally) depiction I've ever seen of the intersection between love and pity - also known as The Gibson Sweet Spot.

That this film isn't more widely known or seen is surprising. Its frank depiction of sex, pregnancy out-of-wedlock can only have passed by unnoticed in a hail of bold, Capraesque patriotism (itself a bitter critique in my opinion). I could put it on at any interval and coast along to the end: It's just wonderful.

Highly entertaining and decades ahead of its time in terms of sexual liberation, directly challenging Hollywood's self-censorship and sexual hypocrisy in American society. Unfortunately, a lot of the best jokes require an explanation of the Hayes Code fine print to appreciate. It's still a great time capsule, a rare example of rebellion that escaped the Hayes whitewash.