A married couple file an amicable divorce, but find it harder to let go of each other than they initially thought.A married couple file an amicable divorce, but find it harder to let go of each other than they initially thought.A married couple file an amicable divorce, but find it harder to let go of each other than they initially thought.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 3 wins & 5 nominations total
Claud Allister
- Lord Fabian
- (uncredited)
Wyn Cahoon
- Mrs. Barnsley
- (uncredited)
Ruth Cherrington
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
Dora Clement
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
Kathryn Curry
- Celeste
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Viña Delmar
- Arthur Richman
- Sidney Buchman(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIrene Dunne later recalled the scene where she pretends to be Cary Grant's ill-bred nightclub performer sister, which was written over a weekend and handed to her on the morning she was scheduled to film it. She was supposed to do a burlesque bump in the middle of her musical number, a move she was never able to do. Leo McCarey told her just to say, "Never could do that" when she got to that moment. She did, it stayed in the film, and Dunne found it "a choice comic bit".
- GoofsLucy introduces her music teacher "Armand Duvalle" as "Armand Lavalle".
- Quotes
Armand Duvalle: I am a great teacher, not a great lover.
Lucy Warriner: That's right, Armand. No one could ever accuse you of being a great lover.
- Alternate versionsThere is an Italian edition of this film on DVD, distributed by DNA srl, "ONCE UPON A TIME: L'OTTAVA MERAVIGLIA (1944) + LA MOGLIE DEL VESCOVO (1947) + L'ORRIBILE VERITÀ (1937)" (3 Films on a single DVD), re-edited with the contribution of film historian Riccardo Cusin. This version is also available for streaming on some platforms.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Hollywood: The Great Stars (1963)
- SoundtracksMy Dreams Are Gone With the Wind
(1937) (uncredited)
Music by Ben Oakland
Lyrics by Milton Drake
Performed by Joyce Compton (dubbed)
Reprise by Irene Dunne
Featured review
Up Hollywood's Screwball Ladder With Cary
Plot- A married couple go their separate ways with new partners, but can't get over their former attachment as they try to sabotage each other's new ones in hilarious fashion.
It's a flaky Cary Grant, a conflicted Irene Dunne, and a frisky doggie that should have gotten triple kibbles. I can see why the comedy was 1937 Oscar bait. It's finely acted, scripted, and performed, with director McCarey getting a well deserved statuette.
Now if only Jerry (Grant) and Lucy (Dunne) can get over their bruised egos, maybe they can get back together. But where would that leave Lucy's "other man" Daniel (Bellamy) and Jerry's dignified girl Barbara (LaMont), who are now the new squeezes. Then too, it doesn't help that goofy Dixie Belle (Compton) can't keep her dress down in a real laugher. And catch Lucy's nimble knee as she side-kicks the misbehaving Jerry as he stumbles out the door. And to top it all off there's that cleverly finessed final scene that must have given the censors fits.
Anyway, the elements are briskly blended, antics included, while Grant's comedic turn boosted him way up the Hollywood ladder - too bad he never got the Oscar his exceptional career deserved. Sure, times have changed, but this is still ace entertainment courtesy Columbia Pictures.
Meanwhile, I'm checking my wall clock. After all, as the movie shows, it may suddenly have developed an x-rated mind of its own.
It's a flaky Cary Grant, a conflicted Irene Dunne, and a frisky doggie that should have gotten triple kibbles. I can see why the comedy was 1937 Oscar bait. It's finely acted, scripted, and performed, with director McCarey getting a well deserved statuette.
Now if only Jerry (Grant) and Lucy (Dunne) can get over their bruised egos, maybe they can get back together. But where would that leave Lucy's "other man" Daniel (Bellamy) and Jerry's dignified girl Barbara (LaMont), who are now the new squeezes. Then too, it doesn't help that goofy Dixie Belle (Compton) can't keep her dress down in a real laugher. And catch Lucy's nimble knee as she side-kicks the misbehaving Jerry as he stumbles out the door. And to top it all off there's that cleverly finessed final scene that must have given the censors fits.
Anyway, the elements are briskly blended, antics included, while Grant's comedic turn boosted him way up the Hollywood ladder - too bad he never got the Oscar his exceptional career deserved. Sure, times have changed, but this is still ace entertainment courtesy Columbia Pictures.
Meanwhile, I'm checking my wall clock. After all, as the movie shows, it may suddenly have developed an x-rated mind of its own.
helpful•40
- dougdoepke
- Mar 6, 2022
- How long is The Awful Truth?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $600,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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