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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 9 page research paper that discusses the comedic elements of the "screwball" comedies of the 1930s as exemplified by The Awful Truth (1937) and how Ninotchka (1939) and Roman Holiday (1953) show the influence of these films in their use of humor. Bibliography lists 8 sources.
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9 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khscrcom.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
the 1910s" or the "more recent nervous romances of Woody Allen and Neil Simon" (Jacobs 35). However, critics agree that a high point in the history of the romantic comedy
occurred during the 1930s with the advent of the "screwball comedy," which the Oxford Companion to Film defines as a movie having an "irreverent humor, vernacular dialogue, fast pace and
eccentric characters" (Smith 124). Screwball comedies often involve the "antics of the rich," placing them in ridiculous positions (Smith 124). Perceived as escapist entertainment, during the 1930s, they also served
to reconcile the "irreconcilable," that is, they sought to show that despite the disparities between the classes during the 1930s, Americans were all the same under the surface (Smith
124). They created "an America of perfect unity: all classes as one, the rural-urban divine breached" (Smith 124). The Awful Truth (1937, directed by Leo McCarey) is considered to
be a quintessential example of screwball comedy. Ninotchka (1939, directed by Ernest Lubitsch) is categorized as a "classic romantic comedy" that is both "witty" and "sophisticated" (Ninotchka). Likewise, this description
is also applicable to Roman Holiday (1953, directed by William Wyler). Examination of these later films, when compared to The Awful Truth, shows that their humor largely derives from the
legacy of screwball comedy. Both Ninotchka and Roman Holiday encompass themes that are more sophisticated than the typical screwball comedy; however, their comedic elements derive from this classic genres
comedic formula and, furthermore, their social orientation accomplishes similar goals. Critic James Harvey has referred to The Awful Truth as the "definitive screwball comedy and the purest of all
such films" (Greene 337). Similarly, Duane Byrge asserts that The Awful Truth is "arguably the best screwball comedy ever made" (Greene 337). The Awful Truth is rather like a roller
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