The classic Hollywood romantic comedy doesn't get any better than this 1942 film made at the height of writer-director Preston Sturges's astounding career. Claudette Colbert stars as Gerry, a flirtatious pragmatist with a clear-eyed take on the realities of men, women, and sex, while Joel McCrea costars as her inventor husband, Tom, a would-be Horatio Alger with a sense of honor at odds with Gerry's willingness to leverage her sex appeal. When Gerry runs off, convinced that Tom will do better on his own, the latter endeavors to win her back, while eccentric millionaire J.D. Hackensacker (Rudy Vallee) also attempts to woo her, and J.D.'s cheerful man-hopping sister, Princess Centimillia (a sparkling Mary Astor) sets her sights on Tom. Sturges, a lover of slapstick comedy, was one of the wittiest writers of the era and a master of dialogue that defined character while also lobbing punch-lines like a tennis volley. Colbert's physical grace and laughing voice contrast sharply with McCrea's stiffness and deliberate manner, yet these opposites spark desire when they get up close. This cockeyed romantic odyssey also features some of the director's most inspired comic creations, from the Wienie King (an elderly eccentric with a romantic streak and a hearing problem) to the Ale and Quail Club (whose intoxicated antics unleash mayhem). Newly remastered for DVD and its Blu-ray debut, extras include video appreciations of Sturges by film historian James Harvey and actor Bill Hader, a World War II propaganda short written by Sturges, and a 1943 radio adaptation of the film. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (S. Axmaker)
The Palm Beach Story
Criterion, 88 min., not rated, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95 Volume 30, Issue 2
The Palm Beach Story
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