MovieChat Forums > Twentieth Century (1934) Discussion > First Screwball Comedy?

First Screwball Comedy?

posted 16 years ago by AliciaHuberman59
7 replies | jump to latest

Does anyone know whether "Twentieth Century", released in May 1934, was the first "screwball comedy"? Thanks.

I think it ties with "It Happened One Night", which was also made in 1934. If you really wanted to be anal about it, you could look at the release date. To me, the two films make 1934 an historic year.

A funny sidenote is that Carole Lombard was offered the role in "It Happened One Night" but she was making "Bolero" at the time and had to turn it down. Had she made it, she would have been the leading lady in BOTH of the first screwball comedies!

[–] AliciaHuberman59 16 years ago

Thanks for the background info.

: )

[–] AliciaHuberman59 15 years ago

I guess "It Happened One Night" wins, as it was released April 1934 in Brazil, of all places.

[–] dlevy1201 14 years ago

What about Three-Cornered Moon (1933), released August 1933?

[–] gribfritz2 10 years ago

Maybe the info wasn't complete in 2009. Before Brazil, it was released in the USA (for obvious reasons) in February.

[–] zhu_bernard 8 years ago

Though I think some of the Lubtisch movies are the earlier screwball, Troubles in Paradise, Design for Living, etc, they are all considered Lubtisch movies. Capra's It Happened One Night is still labelled as the first.

[–] AliciaHuberman59 8 years ago

Thank you, zhu_bernard. Do you know which film could be considered the last, of that classic period?

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