The Awful Truth
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Movie Reviews of The Awful Truth
Movie Review: Very funny comedy, awful video quality
Summary: 4 Stars
This was Cary Grant's first screwball comedy, and legend has it that the actor was unsure that he could pull off comedy, and asked the director of the film, Leo McCarey, to release him. Well it's good that Grant eventually changed his mind, because he turned out to be one of the silver screen's most gifted comedians. The Awful Truth teams him with the equally gifted Irene Dunne in a "remarriage comedy" that I personally like a lot better than "The Philadelphia Story."
Jerry (Grant) and Lucy (Dunne), two immature, spoiled, filthy rich brats, divorce amid a flurry of suspicions of adultery. They have a custody fight over their dog Mr. Smith. Lucy finds love with a dull Mama's boy (Ralph Bellamy) and Grant dates a socialite. But of course Lucy and Jerry can't get over each other, and each schemes to win the other back.
Of the Grant screwball comedies, I think His Girl Friday is probably his best. It has a better script, wonderful ad-libbed lines, better direction, and better performance by Grant, who by then was a master of the screwball comedy. His sarcasm, zaniness, and impeccable timing had been honed to perfection. But The Awful Truth has an awful lot of charm and humor. The movie is full of funny moments, like Jerry smugly watching as Lucy is pushed into "dancing" in a restaurant. Lucy's dancing is of course painfully bad. Grant and Dunne have great chemistry, and both of them manage to seem silly and lovable at the same time. And the has one of the sexiest endings in movie history. Watch the movie and you'll see what I mean.
Unfortunately, The Awful Truth was not given proper treatment in this DVD. The picture quality is awful -- full of white specks and other visual distortions. There are no extras either. Odd since other Columbia releases (It Happened One Night, His Girl Friday) have been released in very nice DVD packages.
Movie Review: Nothing Awful about "The Awful Truth"
Summary: 4 Stars
The Awful Truth is anything but awful.
In 1937 Cary Grant was already a Hollywood Giant. a dynamic actor and a genuine Star. But in the `Awful Truth,' Irene Dunn took him to school. Yes, Mr. Grant was as charismatic as usual, delivering his lines marvelously, perfect in comedic timing, and demonstrating great physical humor. Throughout most of the movie, Grant and Dunne sparred on relatively equal terms, each earning a fair share of the proliferus laughter generated by their antics. However, at the last hearty chuckle, it was clear that Dunne had been toying with Grant throughout. No, this is not a spoiler and has nothing to do with the storyline, but rather an evaluation of their performances. Despite the magnificence of his, her's was better.
Irene Dunne was simply phenomenal, deserving her nomination for `Best Actress.' She was funny, charming, exuberant, conniving, manipulative, and intriguing. The movie was slow to find it's footing and much time was wasted as Grant and Dunn, in the slower portions, are not on camera together and thus unable to `duel.' But as the plot unfolds the momentum builds to a final crescendo and the mutual magic of these fine comedic artists delivers cascade upon cascade of laughter.
The director Leo McCarey, earning his Best Director Oscar, toyed with both the relatively new `Hayes Code' and the censors, implying with sensitivity and subtlety, a physical aspect of love and infatuation that was unnecessarily suppressed in movies for decades. The witty `doublespeak' dialog at the end was fascinating as each of these protagonists explained the situation in self-contradictory fashions and yet their meanings were unmistakable. Yes, there is a predictable plot but the witty words and scrappy schemes are pleasant surprises.
Movie Review: 5 star comedy overcomes 2 star print
Summary: 4 Stars
This is the film to watch if you want to learn about timing in comedy. The plot is a farce about a married couple who almost divorce. The film covers the games they play as they seek other partners to make each other jealous. The humour encompasses witty one-liners, put downs, pratfalls, slapstick, the lot. This is a frivolous masterpiece and justly famous.
Cary Grant is famous for his impeccable comedy timing so his performance in this film will not be a surprise even though it was his first really major success. The director, Leo McCarey, made the film in a spontaneous manner which at first unnerved Grant but once he relaxed, the effect was liberating so this became the first film which really unleashed his persona. In 1937, Irene Dunne was a bigger star than Grant although far less known today. Grant said she had the best timing of any of his co-stars and you can see why here. Her gestures, gurgles, sardonic looks etc are perfection. Their interaction is the measure by which other comedy performers can be rated. The scene in which Dunne plays Grant's coarse sister and appals his fiancee's stuffy family is hilarious. Ralph Bellamy also deserves mention for his parody of the lecherous hick. Watch him in the nightclub scene.
The DVD contains no extras and the print is poor, very grainy in places. Surely this is one famous comedy which would warrant restoration and an expert commentary, if only to analyse the superb comic invention of the director and the 2 stars.
P.S. It is worth noting that the film is also available in one of the Cary Grant Signature Collections and the print is in much better condition there. Also, there is a short featurette on Grant, McCarey and the film which adds value.
Movie Review: Nothing awful about the Awful Truth
Summary: 4 Stars
In 1937 Cary Grant was already a Hollywood Giant... a dynamic actor and a genuine Star. But in the "Awful Truth," Irene Dunn took him to school. Yes, Mr. Grant was as charismatic as usual, delivering his lines marvelously, perfect in comedic timing, and demonstrating great physical humor. Throughout most of the movie, Grant and Dunne sparred on relatively equal terms, each earning a fair share of the proliferus laughter generated by their antics. However, at the last hearty chuckle, it was clear that Dunne had been toying with Grant throughout. No, this is not a spoiler and has nothing to do with the storyline, but rather an evaluation of their performances. Despite the magnificence of his, her's was better. Irene Dunne was simply phenomenal, deserving her nomination for "Best Actress." She was funny, charming, exuberant, conniving, manipulative, and intriguing. The movie was slow to find it's footing and much time was wasted as Grant and Dunn, in the slower portions, are not on camera together and thus unable to "duel." But as the plot unfolds the momentum builds to a final crescendo and the mutual magic of these fine comedic artists delivers cascade upon cascade of laughter.
The director Lee McCarey, earning his Best Director Oscar, toyed with both the relatively new "Hayes Code" and the censors, implying with sensitivity and subtlety, a physical aspect of love and infatuation that was unnecessarily suppressed in movies for decades. The witty "doublespeak" dialog at the end was fascinating as each of these protagonists explained the situation in self-contradictory fashions and yet their meanings were unmistakable. Yes, there is a predictable plot but the witty words and scrappy schemes are pleasant surprises.
Movie Review: Review from the 3 cd set The Awful Truth/Born Yesterday/His Girl Friday
Summary: 4 Stars
The Awful Truth
The movie starts out slow to the point "I'll pass on this one" but then starts moving along and then gets into the comedy of the situation. You'll hope they'll get back together. You might be attempted to stop watching after 15 minutes. Don't, it gets better. Not Cary Grants best but worth the price in this 3 CD set. About the reviews about the bad transfer. Forget. It is a 1937 film after all. True, it could have been restored to look better. For a typical Cary Grant film of the 30's, who would expect the studios to spend that kind of money when this is a very good print for the time. Now why would a CD not look as good as a VHS tape? Different source stock. The VHS tape could have been sourced from a 16mm print that is in better shape then the master, but when viewed from a CD to a 40" 1080p you would tend to see a grainy and not as sharp a picture. The master could have been damaged in it last use or aged even more since the VHS was made. A poor print, analog VHS, looks better than a CD digital of the same print.