Awful Truth, The (1937)

Leo McCarey won his first Oscar on his first Academy Award nomination for directing this essential screwball comedy (the best from this genre?) starring Irene Dunne, Cary Grant, and career third wheel Ralph Bellamy. Technically, as the film's co-producer with Everett Riskin, he had simultaneously received a nomination for Best Picture (this film lost to the William Dieterle directed The Life of Emile Zola (1937) in an exceptionally competitive year). Dunne, Bellamy (Supporting), Editor Al Clark, and Screenplay writer Viña Delmar were also nominated. For Clark, it would be the first of five unrewarded nominations; for Delmar, her only recognition. Esther Dale and Robert Warwick (among others) also appear. The film was added to the National Film Registry in 1996. #68 on AFI's 100 Funniest Movies list. #77 on AFI's 100 Greatest Love Stories list.

Dunne and Grant play Lucy and Jerry Warriner, respectively, a married couple who is headed for divorce. There are no children, but a dog's involved, Mr. Smith (better known Asta from The Thin Man (1934) series), Before it's final, both become engaged to others - she to boring Dan Leeson (Bellamy, naturally), he to debutante Barbara Vance (Molly Lamont). Each decides to ruin the other's pending betrothals. Many hilarious scenes (including one in which Grant falls over in a chair during Dunne's singing recital) lead to the inevitable.

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