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The Awful Truth, 1937
Jerry (Cary Grant) and Lucy (Irene Dunne) are a married couple who decide to divorce after Lucy realizes Jerry faked an out-of-town trip and Jerry begins to suspect that Lucy is having a fling with her handsome vocal coach, Armand (Alexander D'Arcy). After the two split, Lucy takes up with the kind-but-bland Dan (Ralph Bellamy), while Jerry eventually pairs up with socialite Barbara (Molly Lamont). At the same time, each still harbors fond feelings for the other.
Coming off of two classic comedies about rifts in marriages, it was refreshing to watch one where the relationship was contentious without ever getting mean-spirited. Overall I found this film very charming, with a good mix of banter and physical gags.
The entire film has a kind of ease to it---reminiscent of something like The Thin Man--largely driven by the energy and chemistry of Grant and Dunne. Through the entire film, you can tell that they are a good fit for one another. The movie see-saws between the two of them helping or sabotaging the new relationships of the other, and sometimes just plain sabotaging themselves.
The film was apparently shot with a lot of improvisation. I think that it's a tribute to the director and actors that there doesn't feel like a huge gap between the more improvised sequences and the scripted lines. My favorite line was probably when Armand and Jerry find themselves hiding in Lucy's guest bedroom, only to burst out and flee the apartment in a frenzy. As Dan and his mother look on in amazement, Lucy's even-keeled Aunt Patsy calmly observes, "They didn't touch second."
There are some solid physical gags, as well, maybe the highlight being Jerry thinking that he's going to catch Lucy and Armand in a compromising position, only to burst in on a recital in which Lucy is performing. Sitting sheepishly in the back of the room, he manages to upturn a table and chair, loudly wrestling with the table. Annoyed but mostly amused, Dunne lets a little laugh sneak into her singing, and it's a really cute and funny moment.
Really, this is a movie about two people falling back in love with each other. Dunne and Grant are very charming. I also like that the movie wasn't too harsh on their new romances. There's a bit poking of fun, such as when Jerry flirts with singer/dancer Dixie Belle Lee (Joyce Compton), only to discover in front of Lucy, that her performance is a bit on the saucy side. "Well," Lucy remarks afterward, "I guess it's easier for her to change her name than for her whole family to change theirs."
My only annoyance (and I realize that it's accurate to the time) was the way that Lucy gets basically all of the gossip. Jerry is the one who actually lied about something! And other people know that he lied! But it's Lucy---who didn't lie about anything--who has her name slandered and Jerry just sort of lets it happen. It's frustrating, because you can see on her face in their first scene together that she's not embarrassed or caught out when he arrives home unexpectedly. Not a big issue with the film, just a dated element.
The Awful Truth, 1937
Jerry (Cary Grant) and Lucy (Irene Dunne) are a married couple who decide to divorce after Lucy realizes Jerry faked an out-of-town trip and Jerry begins to suspect that Lucy is having a fling with her handsome vocal coach, Armand (Alexander D'Arcy). After the two split, Lucy takes up with the kind-but-bland Dan (Ralph Bellamy), while Jerry eventually pairs up with socialite Barbara (Molly Lamont). At the same time, each still harbors fond feelings for the other.
Coming off of two classic comedies about rifts in marriages, it was refreshing to watch one where the relationship was contentious without ever getting mean-spirited. Overall I found this film very charming, with a good mix of banter and physical gags.
The entire film has a kind of ease to it---reminiscent of something like The Thin Man--largely driven by the energy and chemistry of Grant and Dunne. Through the entire film, you can tell that they are a good fit for one another. The movie see-saws between the two of them helping or sabotaging the new relationships of the other, and sometimes just plain sabotaging themselves.
The film was apparently shot with a lot of improvisation. I think that it's a tribute to the director and actors that there doesn't feel like a huge gap between the more improvised sequences and the scripted lines. My favorite line was probably when Armand and Jerry find themselves hiding in Lucy's guest bedroom, only to burst out and flee the apartment in a frenzy. As Dan and his mother look on in amazement, Lucy's even-keeled Aunt Patsy calmly observes, "They didn't touch second."
There are some solid physical gags, as well, maybe the highlight being Jerry thinking that he's going to catch Lucy and Armand in a compromising position, only to burst in on a recital in which Lucy is performing. Sitting sheepishly in the back of the room, he manages to upturn a table and chair, loudly wrestling with the table. Annoyed but mostly amused, Dunne lets a little laugh sneak into her singing, and it's a really cute and funny moment.
Really, this is a movie about two people falling back in love with each other. Dunne and Grant are very charming. I also like that the movie wasn't too harsh on their new romances. There's a bit poking of fun, such as when Jerry flirts with singer/dancer Dixie Belle Lee (Joyce Compton), only to discover in front of Lucy, that her performance is a bit on the saucy side. "Well," Lucy remarks afterward, "I guess it's easier for her to change her name than for her whole family to change theirs."
My only annoyance (and I realize that it's accurate to the time) was the way that Lucy gets basically all of the gossip. Jerry is the one who actually lied about something! And other people know that he lied! But it's Lucy---who didn't lie about anything--who has her name slandered and Jerry just sort of lets it happen. It's frustrating, because you can see on her face in their first scene together that she's not embarrassed or caught out when he arrives home unexpectedly. Not a big issue with the film, just a dated element.