Screwball comedy in Hollywood (1934–1941)

1. The Front Page sets rapid-fire newsroom template

   Apr 4, 1931Labels: The Front, Newsroom

   • AFI Catalog
   • Britannica

2. Legion of Decency pressure reshapes studio output

   Jan 1, 1933Labels: Legion of, Catholic Church

   • Britannica
   • Britannica

3. Pre-Code sophistication expands comic possibilities

   Nov 22, 1933Labels: Pre-Code Hollywood

   • IMDb
   • Criterion

4. It Happened One Night becomes breakout model

   Feb 23, 1934Labels: It Happened, Class Conflict

   • Encyclopedia com
   • Wikipedia

5. Production Code enforcement begins under PCA

   Jul 1, 1934Labels: Production Code, Hays Code

   • Britannica

6. My Man Godfrey sharpens class satire

   Sep 17, 1936Labels: My Man, Class Satire

   • Wikipedia
   • Criterion

7. Stage Door adapts screwball energy to women’s ensemble

   Sep 15, 1937Labels: Stage Door, Women s

   • Wikipedia

8. The Awful Truth popularizes remarriage plot

   Oct 21, 1937Labels: The Awful, Remarriage Plot

   • Wikipedia
   • Sony

9. Bringing Up Baby pushes farce to extremes

   Feb 18, 1938Labels: Bringing Up, Physical Farce

   • AFI Catalog
   • Wikipedia

10. His Girl Friday modernizes gender roles in screwball

    Jan 18, 1940Labels: His Girl, Howard Hawks

    • AFI Catalog
    • Britannica

11. The Philadelphia Story links screwball to “high society”

    Dec 27, 1940Labels: The Philadelphia, High Society

    • AFI Catalog
    • Wikipedia

12. The Lady Eve signals transition beyond 1941 peak

    Feb 25, 1941Labels: The Lady, Con Artist

    • Wikipedia
    • AFI Catalog