Screwball Comedy
A type of comedy that originated in Hollywood during the '30s and that emphasized quick, funny dialogue delivered at breakneck speed, grounded in tight well-made plots. More often than not, these films focused on eccentric characters doing odd or whimsical things. Often these characters were wealthy, a rarity -- despite the Great Depression -- that allowed for strange, crazy behavior. These comedies often feature a romantic couple whose members usually start as antagonists (only to fall in love by the conclusion) or faced obstacles such as class and cultural boundaries, which too would be overcome by the end. Because of this latter formula, many screwball comedies also tackled the social pressure of the Depression as a sub-plot. Originators of the classic screwball comedy include Howard Hawks (His Girl Friday, Bringing Up Baby), Preston Sturges (The Palm Beach Story, Sullivan's Travels), George Cukor (The Philadelphia Story), and Frank Capra (You Can't Take It With You, It Happened One Night).
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