Leo McCarey
Leo McCarey
RANKED:
5. Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)
Because of the retrospective reappraisal of "Duck Soup," many might think that was the film that put Hollywood director Leo McCarey on the map. However, that film was actually a commercial failure at the time. It wasn't until "Ruggles of Red Gap" two years later that really cemented McCarey as a high demand comedy director. Centering on a British butler who comes to America, the film acts as a comedic take on the constracts between the respective cultures and customs of American and Britian. In the end, of course, this Hollywood films is going to prop up the home team.
4. The Awful Truth (1937)
Leo McCarey's string of comedies in the 1930s made him one of the hottest comedy directors for Hollywood. His 1937 film "The Awful Truth," based on the 1922 stage play, even won him an Academy Award for Best Director. The film takes the screwball king, Cary Grant, along with his frequent acting partner, Irene Dunne, and places them in the story about a divorcing married couple who attempt to sabotage each other's love life. It was a major hit for Columbia Pictures and keep the box office burning for more screwball comedies.
3. Duck Soup (1933)
By 1933, the Marx Brothers had already made a name for themselves are were well-established veterans of comedy. Their vaudeville and slapstick stylings were a delight by all, which is why their previous effort "Horse Feathers" was Paramount's highest grossing film of 1932. However, despite the dip in box office for their 1933 film "Duck Soup," it is this film that became the iconic Marx Brothers film of the century. Groucho Marx's 'Rufus T. Firefly' is named the dictator of the fictional bankrupt country of Freedonia. What ensured are typical Marx Brothers hijinks and inevitable audience laugher. Some point to the political farce of the film, citing mockery of newly dictatorial European leaders like Adolf Hitler and Mussolini. Whether or not this was intentional, the uproarious absurdity makes a mockery of politics, wealth, and well...just about anything. "Duck Soup" is a comedy classic and the finest example of Marx Brothers comedy.
2. Love Affair (1939)
In a film that would go on to inspire many of romance films, from a straight-forward remake like "An Affair to Remember," or a inspired romantic comedy like Nora Ephron's "Sleepless in Seattle," Leo McCarey's romantic "Love Affair" is able to stir up emotional feelings of intimacy with any viewer it comes across. Centering on Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne, the film follows these two characters' promise to meet again at the Empire State Building in 6 months time to consider splitting up with their current partners and embarking on a life with each other. It is a film that is both bitter and sweet and contains charm in every fiber of its reel.
1. Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)
When Hollywood director Leo McCarey won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1938 for his 1937 film "The Awful Truth," he said, "Thanks, but you gave it to me for the wrong picture." The picture he is referring to is "Make Way for Tomorrow" and he is certainly correct. "Make Way for Tomorrow" is vastly different than McCarey's previous works like "Duck Soup" and "Ruggles of Red Gap," which are through-and-through purely comedies. This film instead presents as a tragedy. It centers on an elderly couple who must reconcile with their own fading obsolescence. These late 19th century characters are trapped in an early 20th century industrial world that is leaving them behind. It challenges the viewer to reconcile with the future and 'make way for tomorrow.' Not only this, it was an influential film. Orson Welles stated, "it could make a stone cry." It also influenced Yasujiro Ozu's 1953 film "Tokyo Story," as well.
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