Film

The sparks—and one-liners—fly between Grant and Dunne as a husband and wife whose marriage is on the rocks in this romantic comedy classic. Headed for divorce and engaged in a custody battle over their terrier, Mr. Smith, both participate in a series of flings, which the other promptly manages to sabotage through successively hilarious, and harebrained, schemes. With significant portions of the film improvised by Dunne and Grant, both in their prime,The Awful Truth moves along at breakneck speed, and McCarey’s direction (for which he earned an Academy Award) proves him a master of the screwball comedy, up there with Hawks and Sturges.