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I expect we'll really get into this once the Screwball List starts up but I find neither Libeled Lady nor Godfrey particularly funny. The Thin Man is also strictly Dullsville. I've seen each multiple times and they get less funny each time. But I know each has its devotees. Comedy is subjective. I don't expect anyone else here finds Vivacious Lady or Professional Sweetheart as funny as I do, and that's just fine with me.

What happens if you think all five (or at least of four seen) great and above standard?

The final judgment depends upon how you feel about It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Well, it's not a screwball comedy, so seems irrelevant either way

Sez you and me, and yet:

I'll take the film knowledge and experience of you and me versus someone who knows nothing about film that got paid to provide that content to the Encyclopedia

EDIT: I just Googled the author. They wrote the Complete Idiot's Guide to Classic Films. They are clearly well-suited to author such a book

Anyway, it was meant to be a joke that no matter which screwball comedy films we think are the best, we are all united in our hatred of IAMMMMW. But here I am explaining another not very funny joke, so pass me my hat and I'll be on my way. I'll come back when Mercury's out of retrograde.

Sometimes people throw out a much looser definition of "screwball", which is probably what happened there. Instead of a specific genre of comedy wedded to a particular time period, they use the word "screwball" for anything "wacky".

I think the first time I ever heard the term "screwball" was with regard to NewsRadio

My Man Svet

Can someone work out what exactly he's trying to say about the film in the overview and conclusion?

As I'm sure you know, he's trying to say the film is about the follies of liberal elites and how they look down on the little guys something something Trump 2020

Yeah, but this one is very weirdly/poorly written, to the point it just looks like an undecipherable summary of the movie.

It certainly looks like once again he didn't even actually watch the extras-- how could anyone watch the reel of Carole Lombard swearing a blue streak and just label it "outtakes" without comment? It looks like a C+P job

I know this may sound sacrilege... but I wish Criterion also included the "colorized" version as an extra. (Just out of curiosity). Don't hate on me.

Sigh, I was under the impression for some reason that this one included a booklet and not a leaflet. I kind of thought Criterion was over them since I hadn't seen them in a while but I guess not. That being said, I'll take a leaflet over the limited first printing nonsense.

371229 wrote:I know this may sound sacrilege... but I wish Criterion also included the "colorized" version as an extra. (Just out of curiosity). Don't hate on me.

Good lord, why? Just watch it on YouTube.

For those wondering where to go next for Carole Lombard, I've posted a guide to all 42 of her sound films here

The Giddins extra is useless: seventeen minutes in which almost nothing of value is said. I guess the idea that the film is divided into ten binary sections is something, but we don't get to explore it in this interview, so why bring it up at all? Thankfully the Pinkerton extra is much better, offering a more measured appreciation of La Cava and some brief biographical notes. Still seems like a really slim package of extras for a film both men agree is considered among the greatest of the era

Agreed. The few extras left me wanting more. Maybe a commentary or something on Powell and Lombard. The newsreel stuff was cool but maybe a little doc on the depression and hollywood. I am not really a Lux Radio Theater fan. I did enjoy Farran Smith Nehme essay.

I really love this film. It is pitch perfect. Powell and Lombard hold their own with any of the other Screwball Comedy Couples.

BTW... I would love La Cava's other gem, Stage Door, in the Collection.

FrauBlucher wrote: Wed Oct 24, 2018 12:50 am The newsreel stuff was cool but maybe a little doc on the depression and hollywood.

Morris Dickstein wrote a whole book on the subject so I'm surprised he wasn't asked.

Does anyone know where those "newsreel" excerpts came from? Given the narration, they sounded an awful lot like excerpts from separate documentaries that used newsreel footage, not newsreels themselves

Jean-Luc Garbo wrote:

FrauBlucher wrote: Wed Oct 24, 2018 12:50 am The newsreel stuff was cool but maybe a little doc on the depression and hollywood.

Morris Dickstein wrote a whole book on the subject so I'm surprised he wasn't asked.

Maybe an intern was put in charge of producing this release.

Domino, I was wondering about that. There were no intros or outros attached those clips. Maybe they were edited from longer Newsreels.

domino harvey wrote:Does anyone know where those "newsreel" excerpts came from? Given the narration, they sounded an awful lot like excerpts from separate documentaries that used newsreel footage, not newsreels themselves

Per the booklet, They came from the WPA library so they probably had those narrations originally.

I liked both of the interviews, the pinkerton a bit more, but I found nothing really wrong with the giddins one.

Here's a fun fact for ya, Gregory LaCava's grandson? None other than the Ross Ulbricht of Silk Road infamy.

Black Hat wrote: Wed Aug 21, 2019 12:44 am Here's a fun fact for ya, Gregory LaCava's grandson? None other than the Ross Ulbricht of Silk Road infamy.

Sadly Hollywood scions can’t all be like Hailee Steinfeld living up to the proud legacy of her uncle Body By Jake