Sunday, January 16, 2011

Rec. #17: The Palm Beach Story


What: Just so you know, I am a huge fan of screwball comedies from the 1930s and '40s. Quick patter, drunk old men saying funny things, dogs jumping in during inopportune moments --- these are things that do not get old. In The Palm Beach Story, Claudette Colbert tries to divorce her inventor husband for his own good. But who cares, really? The movie's got Mary Astor! And Rudy Vallee in tiny glasses! We love Mary Astor! And we love Rudy Vallee in tiny glasses! Plus, there's the Ale and Quail Club, and the Wienie King, . . . and did I mention it was directed by Preston Sturges?

Comparable to: Other screwball comedies. Think Some Like It Hot, The Lady Eve, Bringing Up Baby, The Awful Truth. You get the idea.

Representative quote: "That's one of the tragedies of this life --- that the men who are most in need of a beating up are always enormous."

You might not like it if: You are emphatically not a fan of screwball comedies from the 1930s and '40s.

How to get it: Libraries, stores, online. It's also available to watch instantly on Netflix.

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