Screwball Comedy: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
{{trope}}{{page should be category}}
[[File:screwball_7952.jpg|link=Visual Pun|right]]
[[File:screwball 7952.jpg|link=Visual Pun|right]]


[[I Thought It Meant|No, this doesn't mean what you think.]]
[[I Thought It Meant|No, this doesn't mean what you think.]]


The [[Screwball Comedy]] has a pretty precise definition: a comedy film -- usually in black and white, although some were made in color -- in which an uptight, repressed, or [[Uptight Loves Wild|otherwise stiff character gets broken out of his or her shell]] by being [[Manic Pixie Dream Girl|romantically pursued]] by a [[Cloudcuckoolander]] (or a similar character type). It does ''not'' just mean "zany comedy." ''[[The Producers]]'', say, is not a screwball comedy, although it is screwy, ballsy, and very funny.
The '''Screwball Comedy''' has a pretty precise definition: a comedy film—usually in black and white, although some were made in color—in which an uptight, repressed, or [[Uptight Loves Wild|otherwise stiff character gets broken out of his or her shell]] by being [[Manic Pixie Dream Girl|romantically pursued]] by a [[Cloudcuckoolander]] (or a similar character type). It does ''not'' just mean "zany comedy." ''[[The Producers]]'', say, is not a screwball comedy, although it is screwy, ballsy, and very funny.
It is characterized by fast-paced repartee, farcical situations, escapist themes, and plot lines involving courtship and marriage and showing the struggle between economic classes.
It is characterized by fast-paced repartee, farcical situations, escapist themes, and plot lines involving courtship and marriage and showing the struggle between economic classes.


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=== Classic screwball comedy examples include (period 1934-1944): ===
== Classic screwball comedy examples include (period 1934-1944) ==




* ''[[The Awful Truth (Film)|The Awful Truth]]''
* ''[[The Awful Truth]]''
* ''[[Bachelor Mother]]''
* ''[[Bachelor Mother]]''
* ''[[Ball of Fire]]''
* ''[[Ball of Fire]]''
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* ''Holiday''
* ''Holiday''
* ''[[It Happened One Night]]''
* ''[[It Happened One Night]]''
* ''[[Its a Wonderful World]]'' (the film - page at the moment redirects to [[The World Ends With You (Video Game)|The World Ends With You]])
* ''[[Its a Wonderful World]]'' (the film - page at the moment redirects to [[The World Ends With You]])
* ''[[It Started With Eve]]''
* ''[[It Started With Eve]]''
* ''[[His Girl Friday]]'' (A remake of the play/movie ''[[The Front Page]]'')
* ''[[His Girl Friday]]'' (A remake of the play/movie ''[[The Front Page]]'')
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* ''[[Libeled Lady]]''
* ''[[Libeled Lady]]''
* ''Midnight''
* ''Midnight''
* ''[[Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (Film)|Mr. Deeds Goes to Town]]''
* ''[[Mr. Deeds Goes to Town]]''
* ''[[My Favorite Wife]]''
* ''[[My Favorite Wife]]''
* ''[[My Man Godfrey]]''
* ''[[My Man Godfrey]]''
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* ''[[The Palm Beach Story]]''
* ''[[The Palm Beach Story]]''
* ''[[The Philadelphia Story]]''
* ''[[The Philadelphia Story]]''
* ''[[To Be or Not To Be]]''
* ''[[To Be or Not to Be]]''
* ''[[Top Hat (Film)|Top Hat]]''
* ''[[Top Hat]]''
* ''[[Topper (TV)|Topper]]'', followed by two sequels. Based on two novels by Thorne Smith, who also wrote the book on which ''[[I Married A Witch]]'' is based.
* ''[[Topper]]'', followed by two sequels. Based on two novels by Thorne Smith, who also wrote the book on which ''[[I Married A Witch]]'' is based.
* ''[[Twentieth Century]]''
* ''[[Twentieth Century]]''
* ''[[You Can't Take It With You (Theatre)|You Can't Take It With You]]''
* ''[[You Can't Take It with You]]''


Later and modern examples of screwball comedy include:
Later and modern examples of screwball comedy include:
* ''[[I Was a Male War Bride (Film)|I Was a Male War Bride]]''
* ''[[I Was a Male War Bride]]''
* ''[[What's Up Doc]]'': Peter Bogdanovich's [[Homage]] to the genre
* ''[[What's Up, Doc?]]'': Peter Bogdanovich's [[Homage]] to the genre
* ''[[Switching Channels]]'': A remake of ''[[His Girl Friday]]'' (which as noted above was a remake of ''[[The Front Page]]'').
* ''[[Switching Channels]]'': A remake of ''[[His Girl Friday]]'' (which as noted above was a remake of ''[[The Front Page]]'').
* ''[[The Hudsucker Proxy]]'': Another homage, written and directed by [[The Coen Brothers]]
* ''[[The Hudsucker Proxy]]'': Another homage, written and directed by [[The Coen Brothers]]
* ''[[Miss Pettigrew Lives for A Day]]'': A modern [[Pastiche]] of the genre
* ''[[Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day]]'': A modern [[Pastiche]] of the genre
* ''[[Arthur (Film)|Arthur]]'' is about equal parts [[PG Wodehouse (Creator)|PG Wodehouse]] pastiche and screwball pastiche.
* ''[[Arthur (film)|Arthur]]'' is about equal parts [[P. G. Wodehouse|PG Wodehouse]] pastiche and screwball pastiche.
* ''[[Oscar]]''
* ''[[Oscar]]''
* ''[[Date Night (Film)|Date Night]]''
* ''[[Date Night]]''
* ''[[After Hours (Film)|After Hours]]'' and ''[[Something Wild]]'' can be seen as darkly [[Post Modernism|postmodern]] '80s variations of the genre.
* ''[[After Hours (film)|After Hours]]'' and ''[[Something Wild]]'' can be seen as darkly [[Post Modernism|postmodern]] '80s variations of the genre.
* ''The [[Runaway Bride]]''
* ''The [[Runaway Bride]]''
* Conversely, the 1928 silent Marion Davies comedy ''The Patsy'' can be regarded as a sort of very early prototype for the genre.
* Conversely, the 1928 silent Marion Davies comedy ''The Patsy'' can be regarded as a sort of very early prototype for the genre.
* ''Ticktock'', a ''horror novel'' by [[Dean Koontz]], is deliberately written as a [[Screwball Comedy]].
* ''Ticktock'', a ''horror novel'' by [[Dean Koontz]], is deliberately written as a Screwball Comedy.
* ''[[Dharma and Greg (TV)|Dharma and Greg]]''
* ''[[Dharma & Greg|Dharma and Greg]]''
* ''[[House Sitter]]''
* ''[[House Sitter]]''
* ''[[Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle]]'' is a non-romantic version, in which uptight, nervous Harold gets broken out of his shell by laid-back Kumar. [[Bringing Up Baby|And there's a big cat and everything]].
* ''[[Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle]]'' is a non-romantic version, in which uptight, nervous Harold gets broken out of his shell by laid-back Kumar. [[Bringing Up Baby|And there's a big cat and everything]].
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{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Comedy Tropes]]
[[Category:Comedy Tropes]]
[[Category:index]]
[[Category:Index]]
[[Category:Screwball Comedy]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Trope]]

Latest revision as of 15:34, 4 May 2020

No, this doesn't mean what you think.

The Screwball Comedy has a pretty precise definition: a comedy film—usually in black and white, although some were made in color—in which an uptight, repressed, or otherwise stiff character gets broken out of his or her shell by being romantically pursued by a Cloudcuckoolander (or a similar character type). It does not just mean "zany comedy." The Producers, say, is not a screwball comedy, although it is screwy, ballsy, and very funny. It is characterized by fast-paced repartee, farcical situations, escapist themes, and plot lines involving courtship and marriage and showing the struggle between economic classes.

In other words, a Parody of a Romantic Comedy.

Classic screwball comedy examples include (period 1934-1944)

Later and modern examples of screwball comedy include:

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