The Awful Truth (1937)

Director:

Leo McCarey

Writers:

Viña Delmar (writer)
Arthur Richman (play)
(more)

Release Date:

21 October 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

Unfounded suspicions lead a married couple to begin divorce proceedings, whereupon they start undermining each other's attempts to find new romance.

Plot Keywords:

Divorce | Remarriage | New York | Heiress | New York City

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Irene Dunne	...	Lucy Warriner
Cary Grant	...	Jerry Warriner
Ralph Bellamy	...	'Dan' Leeson
Alexander D'Arcy	...	Armand Duvalle
Cecil Cunningham	...	Aunt Patsy
Molly Lamont	...	Barbara Vance
Esther Dale	...	Mrs. Leeson
Joyce Compton	...	Dixie Belle Lee
Robert Allen	...	Frank Randall
Robert Warwick	...	Mr. Vance
Mary Forbes	...	Mrs. Vance
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leonard Carey	...	Butler (scenes deleted)
Vernon Dent	...	Police Sergeant (scenes deleted)
Byron Foulger	...	Secretary (scenes deleted)
Bobby Watson	...	Hotel Clerk (scenes deleted)
Claud Allister	...	Lord Fabian (uncredited)
Asta	...	Mr. Smith (uncredited)
Al Bridge	...	Motor Cop (uncredited)
Wyn Cahoon	...	Mrs. Barnsley (uncredited)
Ruth Cherrington	...	(uncredited)
Dora Clement	...	(uncredited)
Kathryn Curry	...	Celeste (uncredited)
Edgar Dearing	...	Motor Cop (uncredited)
Sarah Edwards	...	Lucy's Attorney's Wife (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Viola Heath (uncredited)
Mitchell Harris	...	Jerry's Attorney (uncredited)
Dell Henderson	...	Vance's Butler (uncredited)
Arthur Stuart Hull	...	(uncredited)
Scott Kolk	...	Mr. Barnsley (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Miki Morita	...	Armand's Japanese Servant (uncredited)
Edmund Mortimer	...	Lucy's Attorney (uncredited)
Zita Moulton	...	Lady Fabian (uncredited)
George C. Pearce	...	'Dad' (uncredited)
Edward Peil Sr.	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
Frances Raymond	...	(uncredited)
Bruce Sidney	...	(uncredited)
Paul Stanton	...	Judge (uncredited)
John Tyrrell	...	Hank (uncredited)
Lee Willard	...	(uncredited)
Frank C. Wilson	...	M.C. (uncredited)

Directed by
Leo McCarey

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sidney Buchman		uncredited
Viña Delmar		writer
Arthur Richman		play

Produced by
Leo McCarey	....	producer
Everett Riskin	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Ben Oakland

Cinematography by
Joseph Walker		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Al Clark

Art Direction by
Lionel Banks
Stephen Goosson		(as Stephen Goossón)

Costume Design by
Robert Kalloch		(gowns) (as Kalloch)

Makeup Department
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Mull	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Babs Johnstone	....	interior decorator

Sound Department
Edward Bernds	....	sound engineer (uncredited)

Music Department
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director
Mischa Bakaleinikoff	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Arthur Morton	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Louis Silvers	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
William Grant Still	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Dwight Taylor	....	screenplay constructor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1937) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #3602)

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Tay Garnett turned down an offer to direct the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: Just after Irene Dunne introduces herself as 'Lola' Warriner to the Vance family, she sits down next to Mrs. Vance, her handkerchief and purse quickly passed from her left hand to her right hand. As the camera shifts towards Grant, Dunne bends over, making a quiet exclamation ("Oh" or "Uh"), and appears to grab at something she has dropped on the floor. After the camera cuts back to Dunne, she is sitting up straight, her handkerchief in her left hand and caught underneath her left side.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jerry Warriner: Come on, Haig, get that sun lamp ready.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in When Comedy Was King (1960)

Soundtrack:

La Serenata

That hat doesn't fit, Cary

Nominated for six Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Best Screenplay) and a huge box office hit when originally released, THE AWFUL TRUTH is a screamingly hysterical marital comedy that hasn't lost one iota of its punch in the seven decades since it's release. Irene Dunne is amazing in a layered performance that is both subtly affecting and side-splittingly funny - sometimes within the same scene! The scene in which Dunne masquerades as Grant's floozy, night club dwelling sister is one of the brightest highlights in film comedy history. Dunne received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for her inspired work in this film, which endures as a reminder of why she was one of Hollywood's top actress during the thirties and forties.

After flirting with success in SHE DONE HIM WRONG (1933), SYLVIA SCARLETT (1935), and TOPPER (1937), Cary Grant finally became a bonafide superstar with his performance in THE AWFUL TRUTH. Grant was an absolute master when it came to delivering one liners, and the prowess that he displays in the film's many moments of physical comedy is nothing short of phenomenal. Exceptional performances are also delivered by the rest of the cast (including Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nominee Ralph Bellamy), but the film's real scene stealer is the incredible canine performer Asta as Mr. Smith, which is easily the best performance by a dog ever! Leo McCarey won a much-deserved Academy Award for his frenetic direction of what is surely one of the all-time greatest comedies.