The Awful Truth (1937)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

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: additional 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:

Revealing mistakes: When Lucy arrives at Jerry's apartment on the day that their divorce becomes final, Jerry says that he has wine on ice. Rather, he serves champagne, which is flat.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Murphy Brown: The Awful Truth (#8.2)" (1995)

Soundtrack:

My Dreams Are Gone With the Wind

This movie is utter nonsense -- and it's great!

Nothing in this movie makes sense, and it really doesn't matter. It succeeds with its self-assured anarchy and the charm of its stars.

Cary Grant, Ralph Bellamy and especially Irene Dunne are in top form. Dunne has been unjustly overlooked for her comic talents. The contrast of her well-bred demeanor and inner wickedness is a delight -- like when she does a "hoochy" dance for a parlor of society snobs. She always appears to be on the edge of bursting out in laughter at the antics of Grant and the buffoonery of Bellamy. A wonderful nonsensical scene is of the musically skilled Dunne at the piano trying to sing "Home on the Range" with the hopelessly off-key Bellamy.

Grant is in the period of his career where he's not afraid of self-parody. He's at his best when he takes nobody and nothing seriously, and he's especially funny at tormenting the slow-witted Bellamy. And Bellamy is so good at playing dumb, you have to wonder if perhaps he's not really in on the joke. (Grant and Bellamy basically repeat their roles, with the same success, in "His Girl Friday," another first-rate comedy).

"The Awful Truth" is the masterpiece of Leo McCarey. There's really nothing else quite like it.