Columbia’s 1937 The Awful Truth, is to my mind, one of the finest screwball comedies to come out of Hollywood.
Ever!
Irene Dunne and Cary Grant are perfect, as a warring couple, that give us a myriad of delights.
For astute cinephiles, it’s also the first film to feature a reasonably fully molded Cary Grant, with many of the affectations and speech patterns that stayed with him through the decades. In effect, he came into full character in his early Columbia period, presumably under the guidance of director Leo McCarey, who had been at it since 1920, and had worked with some of the finest comedic talents.
One of the major discoveries for me, via this new Criterion release, was the overall quality. For the past four decades or so, the film was only available based upon 16mm dupes. Quality 35mm elements, had seemed to have slipped away.
Finally, seeing it from 35mm, is almost miraculous.
A must own!
Image – 4.25
Audio – 5
Pass / Fail – Pass
Upgrade from DVD – Without a Doubt!
Very Highly Recommended
RAH
Robert has been known in the film industry for his unmatched skill and passion in film preservation. Growing up around photography, his first home theater experience began at age ten with 16mm. Years later he was running 35 and 70mm at home.
His restoration projects have breathed new life into classic films like Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and The Godfather series. Beyond his restoration work, he has also shared his expertise through publications, contributing to the academic discourse on film restoration. The Academy Film Archive houses the Robert A. Harris Collection, a testament to his significant contributions to film preservation.
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