Screwball
List and ratings taken from the book Screwball: Hollywood's Madcap Romantic Comedies by Ed Sikov. #1-40 Classic: don't miss it. #41-66 Respectable: not first-rate, but not worth ignoring, either. #67-79 For Film Buffs Only: rough going for the average viewer.
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80 titles
- DirectorMichael LehmannStarsUma ThurmanJaneane GarofaloBen ChaplinA successful veternarian & radio show host with low self-esteem asks her model friend to impersonate her when a handsome man wants to see her.
- DirectorW.S. Van DykeStarsWilliam PowellMyrna LoyJames StewartPrivate detective Nick Charles and his wealthy wife Nora are back home at last and hoping for a quiet New Year when there is a murder. The obvious suspect is his wife, Nora's cousin, Selma.
- DirectorLeo McCareyStarsIrene DunneCary GrantRalph BellamyA married couple file an amicable divorce, but find it harder to let go of each other than they initially thought.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsGary CooperBarbara StanwyckOscar HomolkaA group of professors working on a new encyclopedia while living in a Manhattan mansion take in a mouthy nightclub singer who is wanted by the police to help bring down her mob boss lover.
- DirectorErnst LubitschStarsClaudette ColbertGary CooperEdward Everett HortonAfter learning her multi-millionaire fiancé has already been married seven times, the daughter of a penniless marquis decides to tame him.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsKatharine HepburnCary GrantCharles RugglesWhile trying to secure a $1 million donation for his museum, a befuddled paleontologist is pursued by a flighty and often irritating heiress and her pet leopard, Baby.
- DirectorErnst LubitschStarsFredric MarchGary CooperMiriam HopkinsA woman cannot decide between two men who love her, and the trio agree to try living together in a platonic friendly relationship.
- DirectorMitchell LeisenStarsJean ArthurEdward ArnoldRay MillandWhen a wealthy banker throws his wife's expensive fur coat off a roof and it lands on the head of a stenographer, everyone assumes she is his mistress and has access to his millions.
- DirectorStephen RobertsStarsWilliam PowellJean ArthurJames GleasonA wealthy mystery writer uses her doctor ex-husband's non-payment of alimony to coerce him into a reconciliation.
- DirectorLewis MilestoneStarsAdolphe MenjouPat O'BrienMary BrianA crusading newspaper editor tricks his retiring star reporter into covering one last case.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsMargaret SullavanHerbert MarshallFrank MorganA naive girl just out of a cloistered orphanage finds that being a 'good fairy' to strangers makes life awfully complicated.
- DirectorMitchell LeisenStarsCarole LombardFred MacMurrayRalph BellamyA loafer and a manicurist, both planning to marry money, meet and form an uneasy alliance.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsCary GrantRosalind RussellRalph BellamyA newspaper editor uses every trick in the book to keep his ace reporter ex-wife from remarrying.
- DirectorGeorge CukorStarsKatharine HepburnCary GrantDoris NolanA young man in love with a girl from a rich family finds his unorthodox plan to go on holiday for the early years of his life met with skepticism by everyone except for his fiancée's eccentric sister and long-suffering brother.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsClark GableClaudette ColbertWalter ConnollyA rogue reporter trailing a runaway heiress for a big story joins her on a bus heading from Florida to New York and they end up stuck with each other when the bus leaves them behind at one of the stops along the way.
- DirectorArchie MayoStarsLeslie HowardBette DavisOlivia de HavillandAn actor of the stage finds himself pursued by a lovestruck fan while trying to patch up a tempestuous relationship with his actress lover.
- DirectorW.S. Van DykeStarsClaudette ColbertJames StewartGuy KibbeeWhen a tycoon (Ernest Truex) is accused of murder, the private eye (James Stewart) tracking him finds himself roped in as an accessory and attempts to evade police, kidnapping a poetess (Claudette Colbert) along the way.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsCary GrantAnn SheridanMarion MarshallAfter marrying an American lieutenant with whom he was assigned to work in post-war Germany, a French captain attempts to find a way to accompany her back to the States under the terms of the War Bride Act.
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsJames CagneyBette DavisAllen JenkinsAn unpolished racketeer, whose racket is finding heirs for unclaimed fortunes, affects ethics and tea-drinking manners to win back the sweetheart who now works for his seemingly upright competitor.
- DirectorPreston SturgesStarsBarbara StanwyckHenry FondaCharles CoburnA trio of classy card sharks targets a socially awkward brewery heir, until one of them falls in love with him.
- DirectorJack ConwayStarsWilliam PowellMyrna LoyGail PatrickA wife suspecting infidelity starts divorce proceedings, so the husband pretends to be insane in order to delay the divorce and clear up the misunderstanding.Have on DVD
- DirectorLeigh JasonStarsBarbara StanwyckHenry FondaSam LeveneAfter the murdered body discovered by beautiful, vivacious socialite Melsa Manton disappears, police and press label her a prankster until she proves them wrong.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsGinger RogersRay MillandRita JohnsonA frustrated city girl disguises herself as a youngster in order to get a cheaper train ticket home. But little "Sue Sue" finds herself in a whole heap of grown-up trouble when she hides out in a compartment with a handsome Major.
- DirectorMitchell LeisenStarsClaudette ColbertDon AmecheJohn BarrymoreA chorus girl stranded in Paris is set up by a millionaire to break up his wife's affair with another man, while being romantically pursued by a cab driver.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsCary GrantGinger RogersMarilyn MonroeA chemist finds his personal and professional life turned upside down when one of his chimpanzees finds the fountain of youth.
- DirectorWilliam A. SeiterStarsMargaret SullavanHenry FondaCharles ButterworthA comedy about marriage and everything relating to it. New York novelist Henry Fonda meets up with an actress, Margaret Sullavan, and the two date and later marry, though neither knows of the other's fame. The real adventure begins on the honeymoon, when this screwball comedy really heats up with insults and arguments.
- DirectorGeorge StevensStarsJean ArthurJoel McCreaCharles CoburnDuring the World War II housing shortage in Washington, two men and a woman share a single apartment and the older man plays Cupid to the other two.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsCarole LombardRobert MontgomeryGene RaymondA couple who have been married for three years are shocked to learn that their marriage is not legally valid.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsGary CooperJean ArthurGeorge BancroftA unassuming greeting card poet from a small town in Vermont heads to New York City upon inheriting a massive fortune and is immediately hounded by those who wish to take advantage of him.
- DirectorGarson KaninStarsIrene DunneCary GrantRandolph ScottMissing for seven years and presumed dead, a woman returns home on the day of her husband's second marriage.
- DirectorGregory La CavaStarsWilliam PowellCarole LombardAlice BradyA scatterbrained socialite hires a vagrant as a family butler - but there's more to Godfrey than meets the eye.
- DirectorWilliam A. WellmanStarsCarole LombardFredric MarchCharles WinningerAn eccentric woman learns she is not dying of radium poisoning as earlier assumed, but when she meets a reporter looking for a story, she feigns sickness again for her own profit.
- DirectorPreston SturgesStarsClaudette ColbertJoel McCreaMary AstorA New York inventor needs cash to develop his big idea, so his adoring wife decides to raise it by divorcing him and marrying an eccentric Florida millionaire with a capricious high-society sister.
- DirectorGeorge CukorStarsCary GrantKatharine HepburnJames StewartWhen a rich woman's ex-husband and a tabloid-type reporter turn up just before her planned remarriage, she begins to learn the truth about herself.
- DirectorErnst LubitschStarsMerle OberonMelvyn DouglasBurgess MeredithA psychoanalyst causes a woman to doubt her happy marriage.
- DirectorRichard BoleslawskiStarsIrene DunneMelvyn DouglasThomas MitchellThe author of a controversially racy best-selling book tries to hide her celebrity status from her provincial small-town neighbors, who would be scandalized if they knew.
- DirectorW.S. Van DykeStarsWilliam PowellMyrna LoyMaureen O'SullivanFormer detective Nick Charles and his wealthy wife Nora investigate a murder case, mostly for the fun of it.
- DirectorNorman Z. McLeodStarsCary GrantConstance BennettRoland YoungA fun-loving couple, finding that they died and are now ghosts, decide to shake up the stuffy lifestyle of a friend of theirs.
- DirectorHoward HawksStarsJohn BarrymoreCarole LombardWalter ConnollyA flamboyant Broadway impresario who has fallen on hard times tries to get his former lover, now a Hollywood diva, to return and resurrect his failing career.
- DirectorPreston SturgesStarsRex HarrisonLinda DarnellRudy ValleeA man dreams of revenge when he suspects his wife is unfaithful.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsJean ArthurJames StewartLionel BarrymoreThe son of a snobbish Wall Street banker becomes engaged to a woman from a good-natured but decidedly eccentric family not realizing that his father is trying to force her family from their home for a real estate development.
- DirectorAlexander HallStarsMelvyn DouglasJoan BlondellClarence KolbKenny Williams, a lieutenant on the homicide squad, is engaged to Maxine Carroll, the Mayor's secretary--or is he married to his job? Every time he has a date with his longtime fiancée, he is prevented from keeping it by his devotion to duty. Maxine, in desperation, decides to take action and bring Kenny to the altar. Who will win, Maxine's curves or the glorious fight against crime?USenet no longer valid no torrents
- DirectorW.S. Van DykeStarsWilliam PowellMyrna LoyVirginia GreyAn explosives manufacturer suspects a young man is out to kill him. He calls in new parents Nick and Nora to sort things out.
- DirectorGarson KaninStarsGinger RogersDavid NivenCharles CoburnAn unemployed woman discovers an abandoned baby on the steps of an orphanage, and accepts an offer to take responsibility for the child in return for a job.
- DirectorAlfred SantellStarsBarbara StanwyckHerbert MarshallGlenda FarrellTexan debutante Valentine Ransome tries to reform a bankrupt playboy.
- DirectorEdward H. GriffithStarsMadeleine CarrollFred MacMurrayShirley RossA wealthy young lady marries a reporter on a bet, but things might not work out so well when he finds out the truth.
- DirectorRichard ThorpeStarsWilliam PowellMyrna LoyFlorence RiceTwo sisters of differing temperaments, the younger's milquetoast fiancé, and a free-spirited artist in an auto trailer are all experiencing romantic complications.
- DirectorGregory La CavaStarsGinger RogersWalter ConnollyVerree TeasdaleFeeling unwanted by his wife and children, a wealthy industrialist hires an unemployed young woman to pose as his mistress.
- DirectorJack ConwaySam WoodStarsJean HarlowFranchot ToneLionel BarrymoreChorus girl Eadie is determined to marry a millionaire without sacrificing her virtue.
- DirectorAlfred SantellStarsGinger RogersDouglas Fairbanks Jr.Peggy ConklinBored New York office girl Teddy Shaw goes to a camp in the Catskill Mountains for rest and finds Chick Kirkland.
- DirectorWilliam A. SeiterStarsRosalind RussellBrian AherneVirginia BruceCEO Stephen marries his secretary Kendal in name only, an arrangement made to protect his finances from an attempt at a hostile business takeover. Once the threat is neutralized, he asks Kendal for a divorce but she refuses.
- DirectorW.S. Van DykeStarsWilliam PowellMyrna LoyFrank McHughBoring businessman Larry Wilson recovers from amnesia and discovers he's really a con man...and loves his soon-to-be-ex wife.
- DirectorWesley RugglesStarsClaudette ColbertMelvyn DouglasRobert YoungKay Denham, romanced in Paris by friends Gene and George, can't figure out why George disapproves of Gene.
- DirectorJack ConwayStarsJean HarlowWilliam PowellMyrna LoyWhen a socialite sues a big paper for libel, the editor responsible calls in the help of his ignored fiancée and a former employee to frame her and make the false story seem true.
- DirectorWilliam KeighleyStarsRosalind RussellJames StewartGenevieve TobinPlaywright Gaylord Esterbrook scores a hit with his first Broadway play, both with the critics and with leading lady Linda Paige. He and Linda are happily married until a patroness of the arts convinces Esterbrook to forget about comedy and concentrate on writing a tragedy. The end result nearly destroys his career and his marriage.
- DirectorWilliam K. HowardStarsCarole LombardFred MacMurrayDouglass DumbrilleA woman pretends to be royalty in order to get aboard a cruise ship.
- DirectorWilliam A. SeiterStarsMiriam HopkinsJoel McCreaFay WrayAn heiress switches places with her secretary in order to find a man who will love her for who she is and not for her money.
- DirectorW.S. Van DykeStarsWilliam PowellMyrna LoyBarry NelsonA jockey has been shot dead at the race track. Famous detective Nick Charles and his wife Nora happen to be on the scene and Lt. Abrahams asks for Nick's expert help.
- DirectorEdward BuzzellStarsWilliam PowellMyrna LoyKeenan WynnNick and Nora Charles are on a gambling boat when someone is murdered. The two main suspects are at large and come to Nick for help. Nick turns them in to the police but then sets out to figure out the mystery.
- DirectorMitchell LeisenStarsRosalind RussellFred MacMurrayMacdonald CareyA struggling painter takes a job as a secretary to a female advertising executive. While working to obtain an account from a tobacco company, they end up falling in love.
- DirectorRichard ThorpeStarsWilliam PowellMyrna LoyLucile WatsonNick and Nora head to Nick's hometown of Sycamore Springs to spend some time with his parents. His father, a prominent local physician, was always a bit disappointed with Nick's choice of profession in particular and his lifestyle in general. With Nick's arrival however the towns folk, including several of the local criminal element, are convinced that he must be there on a case despite his protestations that he's just there for rest and relaxation. When someone is shot dead on his doorstep however, Nick finds himself working on a case whether he wants to or not.
- DirectorWilliam A. SeiterStarsLoretta YoungJoel McCreaDavid NivenThree sisters take their small inheritance and move from Kansas to California in search of rich husbands. To start with, Pamela poses as a socialite and Moira and Elizabeth pretend to be her staff.
- DirectorGarson KaninStarsGinger RogersGeorge MurphyAlan MarshalWorking girl Janie is proposed to by a conservative car salesman, a bohemian auto mechanic, and a millionaire playboy and must make a choice.
- DirectorWesley RugglesStarsJean ArthurFred MacMurrayMelvyn DouglasLong-missing Bill Cardew returns to find his wife Vicky remarried...and in no hurry to settle for just one husband.
- DirectorWesley RugglesStarsCarole LombardFred MacMurrayJohn BarrymoreA lawyer defends his wife, a pathological liar, in a murder trial.
- DirectorGeorge StevensStarsGinger RogersJames StewartJames EllisonA professor marries a nightclub singer, much to the consternation of his family and friends back home.
- DirectorRichard WallaceLewis MilestoneGilbert PrattStarsJanet GaynorDouglas Fairbanks Jr.Roland YoungThrown out of the Riviera, a family of grifters meets a lonely, vulnerable rich old woman and insinuate themselves into her life while they sponge off her.
- DirectorBenjamin StoloffLew LandersStarsJack OakieLucille BallRuth DonnellyA Hollywood press agent lands his client in hot water with his zany publicity stunts.
- DirectorLeigh JasonStarsBarbara StanwyckGene RaymondRobert YoungThe ups and downs of newlyweds on a tight budget.
- DirectorTay GarnettStarsLoretta YoungDavid NivenHugh HerbertAnita Halstead, swept off her feet by magician Arturo, finds the results less than magical.
- DirectorRichard WallaceStarsGeorge MurphyLucille BallEdmond O'BrienStephen is a shy, quiet man who is an executive for a shipping firm. He meets Dot at the opera where she had his seats, and the next day she shows up as his temporary secretary. Then Coffee Cup comes to town to see Dot, his gal. When Stephen is with his fiancée Cecilia, everything is boring. When he is with Dot and Coffee Cup, everything is exciting and he falls for Dot. But Coffee is getting out of the Navy in a few days and he plans to marry Dot.
- DirectorTay GarnettStarsIrene DunneDouglas Fairbanks Jr.Alice BradyBroadway star Margaret Garrett has spent her whole life working to support her sponging relatives. When she meets carefree Dan Webster, she learns how to have fun for the first time.
- DirectorTay GarnettStarsTyrone PowerLoretta YoungDon AmecheA financier's daughter spars with a newspaper reporter: he by writing about her, she by announcing their engagement.
- DirectorW.S. Van DykeStarsJoan CrawfordClark GableFranchot ToneA runaway bride and an undercover reporter get caught up in political intrigue as they lead a merry chase across Europe and uncover a spy plot.
- DirectorRobert B. SinclairStarsGracie AllenWilliam Post Jr.Paul KellyJerry North (William Post Jr.) and his wife, Pam (Gracie Allen) return home after a night away in a holiday spirit. That soon vanishes when the body of a man falls out of the liquor closet. The corpse is identified as Stanley Brent, the estranged husband of Carol Brent (Rose Hobart), a friend of Pam's. As the clues are unearthed, it appears that some member of the North's social circle, who knew they would be away, gained entrance to their apartment, asked Brent to come there and murdered him. Pam tries to establish alibis for all of her friends, and in doing so inadvertently establishes who killed Brent.
- DirectorGregory RatoffStarsGeorge MurphyBrenda JoyceRalph BellamyWhen a waiter gives a society girl a public spanking for attending a Communist rally, her soup-tycoon uncle makes the waiter a vice-president of his company.
- DirectorSidney LanfieldStarsBarbara StanwyckRobert YoungHardie AlbrightThe rebellious daughter of an army general becomes involved with a communist agitator, much to the consternation of her father, who instead attempts to pair her with a handsome yet dim-witted soldier.
- DirectorWalter LangStarsTyrone PowerLoretta YoungStuart ErwinNewly remarried woman finds her businessman husband boring and runs into her wealthy playboy first husband.
- DirectorHal RoachStarsAdolphe MenjouCarole LandisJohn HubbardBickering husband and wife Tim and Sally Willows mutter a few angry words to a statue of Buddha and wind up living each other's life.
- DirectorRichard WallaceStarsJoan BennettCary GrantGeorge BancroftWhen Charlie Mason is promoted from irresponsible reporter to hard-nosed city editor, it costs him his girlfriend, ace reporter Rusty Fleming. After he hears she's engaged to another, he quits and tries to win her back.