The Awful Truth

film by McCarey [1937]

Written by Lee Pfeiffer

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Article History

The Awful Truth, American screwball comedy film, released in 1937, that is widely considered a classic of the genre.

In this adaptation of a play of the same name by Arthur Richman, Cary Grant and Irene Dunne portrayed Jerry and Lucy Warriner, a married couple who agree to a divorce when each mistakenly thinks the other is having an affair. After Lucy moves out, they do in fact take up with new partners—she with an Oklahoma oil baron (played by Ralph Bellamy) and he with a wealthy socialite (Molly Lamont)—and a series of madcap antics ensues as each clumsily tries to sabotage the other’s relationship. The night before the divorce is to be finalized, Jerry and Lucy abscond to her aunt’s cabin and sheepishly reconcile.

The story had been filmed twice before, in 1925 and 1929, but neither of those adaptations enjoyed the popular success and critical acclaim that met this version upon its release. Leo McCarey earned an Academy Award for his stylish freewheeling direction; much of the film’s snappy dialogue was reportedly improvised on set at his encouragement. Grant and Dunne were such a hit together that they reteamed in My Favorite Wife (1940) and Penny Serenade (1941).