The Awful Truth (1937)

Marty and Cindy review a favorite rom-com, The Awful Truth, with Cary Grant and Irene Dunne.

Title: The Awful Truth (1937)

Director: Leo McCarey

Screenplay: Viña Delmar, based on the play by Arthur Richman

Studio: Columbia PicturesRuntime: 91 minutes

Genre: Screwball Comedy / Romantic Comedy

Cary Grant — Jerry Warriner      

Irene Dunne — Lucy Warriner

Ralph Bellamy — Dan Leeson

Alexander D’Arcy — Armand Duvalle

Mr. Smith the Dog — Played by Skippy

Jerry and Lucy Warriner divorce after mutualsuspicions of infidelity.

Their divorce decree includes a 90‑dayremarriage restriction.

Both attempt to move on with new romanticpartners.

Jealousy, misunderstanding, and emotional attachment persist.

Their shared dog becomes a central emotional and legal battleground

Established the core conventions of screwballcomedy.      

Marked Cary Grant’s emergence as a comedic leading man.

Demonstrated the creative power of improvisation.

Shifted romantic comedy toward remarriage rather than courtship.

Influenced decades of romantic and marital comedies.

Won the Academy Award for Best Director.      

Selected for the National Film Registry in 1996.

Regularly ranked among the greatest comedies ever made.      

Part of the Criterion Collection.Led to two further Cary Grant–Irene Dunne collaborations.

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