my favourite truth

Lucy:"You're all confused, aren't you?"

Jerry: "Aren't you?"

Lucy: "No."

Jerry: "Well you should be, because you're wrong about things being different because they're not the same. Things are different except in a different way. You're still the same, only I've been a fool... but I'm not now."

Lucy: "Oh."

Jerry: "So long as I'm different don't you think that... well maybe things could be the same again... only a little different, huh?" Screwball Lines

20 minutes into The Awful Truth it began to dawn on me. This wasn't the film I endorsed recently... I had confused my screwballs, and thought I was hiring My Favourite Wife. Same cast, different story. And despite the presence of Asta, The Awful Truth wasn't quite as memorable as MFW....well you know what I mean...huh?

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Comments: my favourite truth

Never mind all that, the really Awful Truth is that Ted Turner owns all The Thin Man and Topper movies. I suppose they are on PayTV, but when I was very young they were always on TV and I loved them all. The Thin Man scripts were very risque and Nora Charles was a Very Liberated Woman.
thanks for the link to the fabulous Asta The Wonder Dog.
Posted by Brownie at June 14, 2005 10:46 AM

You know, I couldn't decide between The Awful Truth and The Thin Man the other night. Seen it once years ago - and will get it next time.
One of the things I hate about Pay TV - and the Pay Tv culture - is losing the shared experience of watching classic movies. I was lucky to watch a few midday's with my mother when 7 and 10 both ran them, not to mention Bill's Golden Years. All the lore of people's favourite movie and stars etc.

Asta is wonderful and almost the best thing about The Awful Truth *is* the hide and seek sequence. Well I've watched it several times ;)
The (long haired) Jack Russell does bear a slight resemblance...
Posted by boynton at June 14, 2005 01:58 PM

Best screwball comedies? No contest sister.

"His Girl Friday"

"There's been a lamp burning in the window for ya, honey."
"No thanks - I jumped out that window a long time ago."

"I still wish you hadn't done that, Hildy.
Done what?
Divorced me. It makes a man feel he's not wanted.
Oh, now look, junior... that's what divorces are FOR!"

""No. No. Keep the rooster story. That's human interest."

" Listen the last man that said that to me was Archie Leach a week before he cut his throat."

Apparently Jim McBride screened it for his cast before shooting "The Big Easy" and then had an on-set competition to see who could deliver their lines the fastest. But they still couldn't outpace Cary, Rosalind and the gang.

Having said that, "The Big Easy" is worth revisiting for its cheerful screwball attitude. Good script and director and a great cast (including John Goodman at his scene stealing best) that's clearly having a lot of fun with eachother.
Posted by Nabakov at June 14, 2005 08:24 PM

Yes - I must catch up with HGF.

as good as "Holiday" or "The Palm Beach Story" though?
or even My Fav. Wife - which has this great beginning that I thought was quite striking, almost absurd when I watched it a coupla years ago.
(er...that is, maybe not quite so striking as I thought seeing that I couldn't distimguish it for about 10 minutes. Maybe they all merge)

I need to have a proper browse next time I'm in the Video shop. I've been grabbing a quick handful of anyold 'old' titles to go with the 'blockbuster' (usually the lamest of the lot)
Posted by boynton at June 14, 2005 08:40 PM

Then check out "You Never Can Tell"
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0044223/

Made in 1951, post classic screwball era but a great screwball film none the less. The main character is a murdered dog, reincarnated as a human private eye still determined to protect his mistress. And with a ponytailed sidekick who was a horse in her former life.
Posted by Nabakov at June 14, 2005 08:58 PM

Dick Powell...shall do.

Apparently as a small child I was wont to say:
"When I was a horse..." (looking at a pastoral scene on motoring excursions). My sisters who believe in these things may think there's something in that.
Posted by boynton at June 14, 2005 09:24 PM

My Favourite Wife was in the abc late night teh cool Cary Grant season a couple of years ago. Think I made it as far as Mr Blandings before going in for treatment. Did MFW start off with Irene Dunn just showing up again? I seem to remember some outrageous bedroom bantering.
Posted by laura at June 17, 2005 03:59 PM

I don't know from water buffaloes, but I reckon ditto Nabakov - His Girl Friday is the best.
Posted by Tony.T at June 17, 2005 04:41 PM

I remember that CG season, Laura.
It was after the 'early Hitchcock' re-run.
They need to replay it.
Yep - MFW has Irene Dunn wandering in from the cold.
I thought it was great.

Must watch HGF soon it seems.
Still think Palm Beach Story is better...
Posted by boynton at June 17, 2005 11:13 PM