15 Best Screwball Comedies

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Since the invention of modern cinema by the Lumiere Brothers in 1895, comedy has forever been a staple of the medium. Among the first films screened publicly was a short called L’Arroseur Arrosé (The Sprinkler Sprinkled). The comedy is a forty-nine-second movie in which a gardener discovers a kink in his hose only to be sprayed in the face at the film’s end. At its most basic, this is the source of all cinematic comedy. Another major world event that happened as cinema was catching its stride was Black Monday and The Great Depression, a devastating blow to many Americans’ lives that prompted the need for something to distract the poor and oppressed. So, then, screwball comedy rose in popularity. 

At its core, screwball comedy is a subsect of romantic comedy that focuses on the inversion of standard power dynamics between men and women. The genre, which feels akin to film noir in this way, relies on the cunning bombshell and the naïve dope. A sturdy genre that kept audiences entertained throughout the Great Depression, many of its base elements can be found in romantic comedies being made today. Let’s take a look at some of this timeless genre’s most iconic works.

1. His Girl Friday (1939)

The platonic ideal of a screwball comedy, Howard Hawks’ rapid-fire screwball comedy follows newspaper editor Walter Burns (Cary Grant) as he learns that his ex-wife, an investigative journalist, is getting married to a boring insurance salesman. In an attempt to lure her out of her marriage, Walter convinces Hildy to cover the execution of Earl Williams, a man who claims he’s innocent. Hawks’ direction and electric performances from Grant and Lombard make this thing feel alive nearly eighty years after its original release.

2. The Awful Truth (1937) 

Leo McCarey’s righteous comedy features the first performance by genre titan Cary Grant. The film unfurls as the exploits of a married couple, Jerry and Lucy Warriner, explode. They try to repair their marriage after discovering that they’ve each been cheating on one another. Though it doesn’t move as quickly as some other films on this list, McCarey’s steady hand keeps this thing moving.

3. It Happened One Night (1934) 

Frank Capra’s masterpiece centers on the relationship between the spoiled heiress Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) and her relationship with the bitter newspaper reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable) as the former travels back to New York to reunite with her fiancé. On top of being downright hilarious, the film feels shockingly textured for a film of its era, feeling like a healthy departure from the other studio comedies of its era.

4. My Man Godfrey (1939)

William Powell stars as the titular Godfrey, a homeless man hired by the mover-and-shaker Irene (Carole Lombard) as her butler. However, throughout the film, Irene develops romantic feelings for Godfrey, and they fall in love. The first film to be nominated for all four major acting categories at the Oscars, this is one screwball comedy you won’t want to miss!

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5. The Lady Eve (1941)

Preston Sturges’ third film as director is a legendary seven-comedy run that tracks the relationship between Jean Harrington (Barbara Stanwyck), a ruthless gold-digger, and Charles Pike (Henry Fonda), the heir to the Pike Ale fortune. Watch out for the opening of this sexy and playful screwball comedy featuring animation by Looney Tunes animator Leon Schlesinger.

6. Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Howard Hawks is back at it again with this classic screwball comedy. The film follows David Huxley (Cary Grant), a paleontologist, as he finally tries to get a donation to complete his brontosaurus fossil. In comes Susan Vance (Katharine Hepburn), an eccentric who promises David his donation if he’ll follow her and her pet leopard, the titular Baby, across the country. This film boasts two incredible performances from our leads and one of the funniest screenplays ever written.

7. Duck Soup (1933)

The Marx Brothers’ final film for Paramount Pictures centers around Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx), the newly appointed president of Freedonia. Inciting conflict with the neighboring country of Sylvania, Rufus does everything in his power to prevent the two countries from going to war. This is an excellent send-off for the Marx Brothers’ golden years.

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8. Ball of Fire (1941)

Written by Billy Wilder and directed by Howard Hawks, this film chronicles a group of college professors trying to write the definitive encyclopedia only to thwart their efforts by a sultry nightclub singer. Uniting the titans of screwball comedy, Cary Grant and Barbara Stanwyck, the film would inspire Billy Wilder to direct his own screenplays. 

9. The Palm Beach Story (1942)

Preston Sturges transports the screwball comedy from large, stuffy mansions to beautiful, sunny Florida in this tale of a love triangle between Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, and the target of their extortion plot, Rudy Vallee. It’s a breezy watch for those looking for a less-essential Sturges joint.

10. You Can’t Take It With You (1938)

Frank Capra’s tale of opposites attract follows the blooming relationship between the heir of a snobbish wealthy family, James Stewart, and his fiancée Jean Arthur, who hails from a family of freaks and weirdos. It is an absolute joy from beginning to end.

11. Easy Living (1937)

After Mary Smith (Jean Arthur) receives a coat from millionaire J.B. Ball (Edward Arnold), the entire town assumes that she’s Ball’s mistress, leading Mary to live in the lap of luxury by owning the coat. This underrated screwball comedy, penned by Preston Sturges, sees a gender-flipped inverse of My Man Godfrey. 

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12. Nothing Sacred (1937)

William A. Wellman’s often-overlooked entry in the screwball comedy genre follows Hazel Flagg (Carole Lombard), a woman who fakes an illness from radiation poisoning to win the admiration of millions and the love of investigative journalist Wally Cook (Fredric March). The first screwball comedy to be filmed in two-strip Technicolor, the film would go on to inspire Howard Hawks’ His Girl Friday, which would be released a half-decade later.

13. Holiday (1938)

George Cukor’s free-wheeling screwball comedy reunites the electric pairing of Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Holiday follows the pair as they decide whether or not they want to follow their families’ traditions in marriage or forge their own path. This is one of the best films by legendary director George Cukor.

14. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

This devilish classic by the great Frank Capra follows the exploits of writer and marriage agnostic Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) as he marries his next-door neighbor Elaine Harper (Priscilla Lane), only to discover a dead body in his home when the couple returns home for their honeymoon. Acerbic to a degree mostly unseen in Old Hollywood filmmaking, this film would inspire comedies in television shows like The Addams Family and The Munsters. 

15. Trouble in Paradise (1932)

One of the great Ernst Lubitsch’s first major works, Trouble in Paradise chronicles the zany antics of petty criminal Gaston Monescu (Herbert Marshall) and career pickpocket Lily (Miriam Hopkins) as they try to rob their mutual employer. It is a beautiful, often hilarious work from one of the greatest filmmakers to ever do it.

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