The Awful Truth

"Danger! Wild woman on the loose!"

1937 1h 31m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 373

ComedyRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Unfounded suspicions lead a married couple to begin divorce proceedings, whereupon they start undermining each other's attempts to find new romance.

“Danger! Wild woman on the loose!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

YouTubeRent

Fandango At HomeRent

Spectrum On DemandRent

Amazon VideoBuy

Apple TV StoreBuy

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Irene Dunne
Lucy Warriner
Cary Grant
Jerry Warriner
Ralph Bellamy
Dan Leeson
Alexander D'Arcy
Armand Duvalle
Cecil Cunningham
Aunt Patsy
Molly Lamont
Barbara Vance
Esther Dale
Mrs. Leeson
Joyce Compton
Dixie Belle Lee

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Leo McCarey
Writers: Viña Delmar
Languages: French, English, Italian
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 5.0× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

89 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: French, English, Italian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Leo McCarey, shot by Joseph Walker. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ben Oakland. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Al Clark shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Irene Dunne and Cary Grant and Ralph Bellamy carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Leo McCarey directs. Joseph Walker behind the camera. Ben Oakland scores. Al Clark cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in French, English, Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 5.0× over at the box office.
389 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Dialogue crosses 3 languages: French, English, Italian.
5Directed by Leo McCarey, shot by Joseph Walker. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Ben Oakland. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Al Clark shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Irene Dunne and Cary Grant and Ralph Bellamy carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Danger! Wild woman on the loose!".
10IMDB entry: tt0028597 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 21 themes, including "husband wife relationship", "upper class", "aunt niece relationship", "romcom".

The technical file

Cinematography: Joseph Walker
Original score: Ben Oakland
Editing: Al Clark
Costume design: Robert Kalloch
Runtime: 91 min · 1h 31m
Status: Released
Budget: $600,000
Box office: $3,000,000
Return: 500% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Awful Truth (1937)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Director

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Leo McCarey

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2014-09-06
★ 9/10
The rooster and the hen! Lucy & Jerry Warriner strain their marriage by suspecting each other of cheating, so much so, a day in court leaves them with a 90 day prelude to a divorce. Sure enough, though, love never quite runs as expected, and can indeed be a truly complex thing, especially when the other parties involved are human, a cheeky cat, and a rather smart and astute canine! The Awful Truth is tagged as part of the wonderful genre that encompasses the screwball comedy, and although to a degree that genre placement is true, I do believe that those not particularly fond of the high octane scattergun comedies from the genre, will certainly find this offering far more appealing with its pacing and lighthearted production values. The Awful Truth began life as a stage play in the early 20s, and was then adapted to film twice previously in 1925 & 1929, but here for the 1937 version, director Leo McCarey (Academy Award winner Best Director) improves the story big time with sharp witty dialogue and an appreciative knack for letting his actors improvise at free will in the name of comedy. Taking the lead roles of the Warriner's is Cary Grant & Irene Dunne, and it's a great pairing as they positively bounce of each other with almost carefree abandon. Adding greatly to the frivolity is Ralph Bellamy as tone death country bumpkin love interest Daniel, Alex D'Arcy as the suave but naive Armand, and Cecil Cunningham as the wry Aunt Patsy. It's a seamless enjoyable romp containing many laugh out loud sequences, and as much as the outcome my never be in doubt, the ending is still a joy to behold. Even if the cat and the clock invariably steal the show! Wonderful and highly recommended. 9/10

Production companies