FILM 41.12 Screwball Comedy

This course examines the rise of the classic Hollywood screwball comedy, 1934-1944, and its enduring impact. Occasionally thought of as “a sex comedy without sex,” the screwball comedy blends slapstick, farce, and lunacy with sophisticated, rapid-fire dialogue and abundant wit. Starting with the early entries like It Happened One Night (1934) and My Man Godfrey (1936), the course includes such classics as His Girl Friday (1940), Ball of Fire (1940), and The Lady Eve (1941). Screenings are accompanied by primary and secondary texts that focus on the wide-ranging meanings that the genre has held over time in literature, film history, and theory.  

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:ART; WCult:W

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.