Screwball! Hollywood's Madcap Romantic Comedies Sikov, Ed

1989, hardcover edition, Crown Publishers, NY. 250 pages, superior coated stock, with 240 b&w stills from various films, all of them in most effective duotones. The author is an excellent writer, with a doctorate in film studies from Columbia University. Here he presents the wonderful sub-genre of Hollywood, the screwball romantic comedy films of the 1930s and 1940s. Remember Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn chasing around the countryside looking for a goofy pet leopard? Or the slightly tipsy William Powell married to a rich alluring female named Myrna Loy and their crazy dog that jumps straight up in the air, the one that was scared of pussycats? Well, if you remember those fine films, they're all in here, with complete cast credits, a list of writers, and the directors who turned out one wonderful film after another. The nice thing about these films is the fact that these people actually seem to be having a good time and to actually really like each other. Imagine that! A large, oversize volume, with great photos and a real feel for the celluloid material.