The Awful Truth

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The Awful Truth ★★★★ 1937

Lucy (Dunne) and Jerry (Grant) Warriner are a young couple who discard their marriage made in heaven and go their separate ways in search of happiness. Meticulously sabotaging each others' new relationships, they discover they really were made for each other. Grant is at his most charming with dead-on comic timing while Dunne is brilliant as his needling ex. The scene where Dunne poses as Grant's prodigal fandancing sister who pays a surprise cocktail-hour visit to the family of his stuffy, upper-class girlfriend (Lamont) is among the most memorable screwball vignettes of all time. And don't miss the custody battle they have over the family dog (Asta of “The Thin Man” fame). Based on Arthur Richman's 1922 play. Preceded by 1925 and 1929 versions; remade in 1953 as “Let's Do it Again.” 92m/B VHS, DVD . Irene Dunne, Cary Grant, Ralph Bellamy, Alexander D'Arcy, Cecil Cunningham, Molly Lamont, Esther Dale, Joyce Compton, Robert “Tex” Allen, Robert Warwick, Mary Forbes; D: Leo McCarey; W: Vina Delmar. Oscars '37: Director (McCarey), Natl. Film Reg. '96.

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