In 1934, four landmark films—It Happened One Night, Twentieth Century, The Thin Man and The Gay Divorcee—sparked Hollywood’s golden era of screwball comedy. Slangy, playful and infused with glamour, these romantic comedies blended high society settings with quick-witted humor and farcical situations.
This volume traces that evolution by spotlighting the directors who shaped the genre—Lubitsch (Trouble in Paradise), Capra (It Happened One Night), Hawks (Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday), McCarey (The Awful Truth), La Cava (My Man Godfrey, Stage Door) and Sturges (The Lady Eve, The Palm Beach Story, The Miracle at Morgan’s Creek). Alongside them, the stars—Carole Lombard, Irene Dunne, Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Clark Gable, Barbara Stanwyck, William Powell and Myrna Loy—are examined for their roles in defining cinematic wit and romance.
Combining scholarly analysis with lively commentary, this comprehensive study explores the social context, production stories and enduring appeal of these classic films.
- In-depth director profiles and film analyses
- Behind-the-scenes anecdotes and historical context
- Insights on key performances and on-screen chemistry
- Discussion of style, dialogue and thematic trends
