The Awful Truth

The Awful Truth ★★★★★

Drop dead delightful. I can't believe how natural the performers are here. Grant is on fire, Ralph Bellamy is the perfect straight man and this was my first Irene Dunne movie, and I'm absolutely in love with her. What a presence. And the dog! Gotta love that little ball of charm. There's a lot to admire about the 30s screwballs, where all the emphasis was on the acting, front and center for 90 minutes straight and the timing is just impeccable. The script is sharp but it's known that director Leo McCarey strongly encouraged improvisation on the set, a tactic rarely used in Hollywood at the time. In fact it was frowned upon, but boy does it ever come together here. These people are infinitely more human and funny for speaking like they would in reality. Ah, what a treat this was.

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