The Awful Truth (1937)

Overview

The Awful Truth (1937) is a cornerstone of the screwball comedy genre and the film that definitively launched Cary Grant as a leading man with comic brilliance. Directed by Leo McCarey, the film is a dazzling blend of sophistication, farce, and romantic tension, built around the story of a divorcing couple who realize — perhaps too late — that they’re still in love.

The film stands out not just for its laughs but for its extraordinary balance of improvisation and structure. It embodies the essence of romantic comedy — the battle of wits, the slow-burn reconciliation, and the idea that love, though imperfect and occasionally maddening, is worth fighting for.

Plot Summary

Jerry (Cary Grant) and Lucy Warriner (Irene Dunne) are a glamorous, upper-class couple who, after mutual suspicions of infidelity, decide to divorce. Despite their insistence that they are better off apart, neither can resist interfering in the other’s post-marital romantic pursuits.

Lucy becomes involved with amiable but dull Oklahoma oilman Dan Leeson (Ralph Bellamy), while Jerry briefly entertains the idea of a new relationship as well. But as their divorce inches toward finalization, the couple’s attempts to sabotage each other’s happiness betray their lingering affection and, ultimately, their inability to truly let go.

Hijinks include a disastrous musical recital, a faked identity, a scene-stealing dog, and an unforgettable late-night bedroom farce sequence that culminates in romantic reconciliation. The “awful truth” is, of course, that these two are still very much in love.

Themes and Analysis

Love, Ego, and Maturity

At its heart, The Awful Truth is a film about emotional growth. Jerry and Lucy are witty and urbane, but also childish and prideful. Their decision to divorce is almost performative — neither wants to be the first to admit vulnerability.

McCarey allows the comedy to serve character development. Through their misadventures, Jerry and Lucy grow up just enough to accept their imperfections and embrace the messiness of real love. The comedy doesn’t mask their emotional arcs; it is the emotional arc.

Gender Roles and Equality

The film is remarkably progressive for its time. Lucy is as smart, strategic, and sexually confident as Jerry. Dunne’s performance is not only radiant but boldly physical and comically agile. The mutual interference in each other’s lives feels like a duel of equals, with both partners owning their flaws and refusing to be boxed into traditional roles.

Unlike many films of the 1930s, the woman isn’t “tamed” — she gets just as many zingers, power moves, and comedic victories as her male counterpart.

The Nature of Truth and Perception

The title hints at the thematic crux: what is “the awful truth”? Is it that they don’t trust each other? That they do? That love is irrational? The film plays with the slipperiness of truth in relationships — how facts matter less than feelings, and how perception can destroy or restore intimacy.

There’s also a strong sense that the characters are figuring out their feelings in real-time, which adds emotional honesty beneath the farce.

Performances

Irene Dunne as Lucy Warriner

Dunne is a revelation. Though less remembered today than contemporaries like Katharine Hepburn or Carole Lombard, she was a comic dynamo in the 1930s. In The Awful Truth, she combines elegance with physical comedy — most notably in the infamous “fake southern singer” scene, where she pretends to be Jerry’s drunk nightclub girlfriend.

Dunne’s Lucy is smart, self-aware, and mischievously romantic. Her chemistry with Grant is electric — alternately tender, tart, and tense.

Cary Grant as Jerry Warriner

The Awful Truth is widely regarded as the film where Cary Grant became Cary Grant — that perfectly polished blend of debonair charm, comic exasperation, and self-deprecating wit. It marked a shift from his earlier, stiffer roles into the suave comedian that would define his legacy.

Grant’s performance is filled with physical gags (a fall off a stool, pratfalls in a robe) and deadpan quips. What’s remarkable is how much warmth lies beneath the sarcasm — he wants Lucy back, but he doesn’t quite know how to say it.

Grant and director McCarey reportedly clashed at times, but the result is magic — a career-defining moment for Grant and a masterclass in timing.

Ralph Bellamy as Dan Leeson

Bellamy, who would play a similar role in His Girl Friday (1940), is the perfect comic foil — earnest, awkward, and out of his depth in the urbane world of the Warriners. His scenes with Dunne highlight how Lucy is trying to move on but can’t help comparing Dan to the man she really loves.

Bellamy brings pathos and comic dignity to what could have been a one-note hick role.

Direction and Style

Leo McCarey’s touch is what elevates The Awful Truth from a typical romantic comedy to a screwball masterpiece. McCarey encouraged improvisation, reportedly allowing scenes to evolve on set, which led to a relaxed, spontaneous feel rarely seen in films of the era.

His background in silent comedy is evident in the physical humour and wordless sequences, including the unforgettable use of Mr. Smith, the couple’s dog (played by Skippy, who also played Asta in The Thin Man). The dog becomes both a comic prop and a symbol of the couple’s lingering connection.

McCarey’s sense of rhythm, pacing, and tonal balance won him a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Director.

Memorable Scenes

The Opening Divorce Hearing: A perfect set-up, laced with barbs and miscommunications.

Lucy’s “Lola” Impersonation: One of the film’s comedic high points, as Dunne pretends to be Grant’s uncouth girlfriend in front of his snooty potential in-laws.

The Closet Scene: A masterstroke of romantic tension and comic restraint, where Lucy hides in Jerry’s bedroom while pretending to be somewhere else — leading to a sexy, hilarious near-reunion.

The Final Minutes: With the clock ticking toward midnight (and the divorce becoming final), Jerry and Lucy sit in twin beds, fumbling for the courage to admit they belong together. The final line — “Oh, no, not that!” — is perfectly ambiguous and wickedly romantic.

Legacy and Influence

The Awful Truth helped define the screwball comedy genre. Its DNA can be seen in countless romantic comedies, from The Philadelphia Story to When Harry Met Sally... to The Break-Up. It also solidified several tropes: the divorced-but-still-in-love couple, the unwanted suitor, the battle of wits, and the late-night reconciliation.

It’s one of those rare films where everything clicks: cast, director, dialogue, and tone. It was a commercial hit, a critical success, and is now considered a classic — listed on the AFI’s “100 Years... 100 Laughs” list and preserved in the National Film Registry.

The Awful Truth is a sparkling gem — a timeless romantic comedy that combines heart, wit, and elegance. It’s as sharp today as it was in 1937, thanks to brilliant performances, a smart script, and Leo McCarey’s inspired direction.

For fans of screwball comedy, it’s essential viewing. For anyone who has ever fallen in or out of love — and especially those who’ve done both with the same person — it remains both hilariously entertaining and emotionally resonant.