The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time

Curated byKory White · Fractional CRO · Maryland

The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time

📖 2,569 words🗓️ Published Sep 11, 2026

Direct Answer

The 10 best screwball comedies of all time are ranked below on measured performance, build quality, price, and how each one actually holds up in daily use rather than how it reads on a spec sheet. Each pick lists what it costs, who it suits, and what it gives up against the one above it, so the list can be read straight down without doubling back.

1. Bringing Up Baby

The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 1

Bringing Up Baby earns the top spot as the definitive screwball comedy, directed by Howard Hawks in 1938 with a runtime of 102 minutes. Its rapid-fire overlapping dialogue and the chaotic pursuit of a pet leopard named Baby set the template for the genre. Katharine Hepburn's manic heiress and Cary Grant's flustered paleontologist generate relentless comedic energy. The film's influence on romantic comedy pacing remains unmatched.

This is for viewers who appreciate verbal wit over slapstick and can tolerate 1930s pacing. It trades away sentimental romance for pure anarchy, which alienates some modern audiences. Compared to His Girl Friday directly below, Baby leans more physical and absurd. Watch it for the blueprint, not the polish.

2. His Girl Friday

The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 2

His Girl Friday ranks second for its blistering 92-minute runtime and famously fast overlapping dialogue, with some exchanges delivered at over 240 words per minute. Howard Hawks directed this 1940 newsroom comedy starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. The plot unfolds largely over one afternoon as a newspaper editor sabotages his ex-wife's remarriage. Its verbal density remains a benchmark for screen comedy writing.

This suits viewers who prize rapid dialogue and cynical wit over visual gags. It trades away the physical comedy of Bringing Up Baby above it for pure verbal velocity. Compared to The Lady Eve below, it is more ensemble-driven and less romantic. Best for fans of journalism dramas and banter-heavy scripts.

3. The Lady Eve

The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 3

The Lady Eve lands third for Preston Sturges's razor-sharp 1941 script, blending con-artist scheming with genuine romantic heat. Barbara Stanwyck plays a cardsharp who seduces and then torments Henry Fonda's naive snake expert. The film runs 94 minutes and features one of cinema's great extended seduction scenes on a cruise ship. Sturges's dialogue balances cynicism with warmth better than almost any peer.

This is for viewers who want romance and con-artistry in equal measure. It trades away the newsroom energy of His Girl Friday above for a slower, more sensual rhythm. Compared to It Happened One Night below, it is sexier and more morally ambiguous. Ideal for those who like their comedy with a scheming edge.

4. It Happened One Night

The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 4

It Happened One Night ranks fourth as the first film to sweep all five major Academy Awards, winning Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay in 1934. Frank Capra's road-trip comedy runs 105 minutes and follows a runaway heiress and a reporter. The hitchhiking scene and the walls of Jericho gag remain iconic. Its box-office success helped codify the screwball formula.

This is for viewers who want the genre's foundational romantic template. It trades away the verbal density of The Lady Eve above for broader, more accessible humor. Compared to My Man Godfrey below, it is warmer and less satirical. Best for newcomers seeking an entry point to 1930s comedy.

5. My Man Godfrey

The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 5

My Man Godfrey takes fifth for Gregory La Cava's 1936 Depression-era satire, nominated for six Academy Awards including all four acting categories. William Powell and Carole Lombard lead as a butler and a scatterbrained heiress. The film runs 94 minutes and skewers wealth while delivering genuine warmth. Its dinner-party and scavenger-hunt sequences are comedic high points.

This suits viewers who enjoy class satire mixed with romance. It trades away the road-trip structure of It Happened One Night above for a single-household setting. Compared to Twentieth Century below, it is gentler and less manic. Best for fans of ensemble comedy with social commentary.

6. Twentieth Century

The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 6

Twentieth Century ranks sixth for Howard Hawks's 1934 adaptation of the Broadway play, running 91 minutes. John Barrymore plays a megalomaniacal theater impresario and Carole Lombard his former protégée. The film's train-bound second half delivers escalating hysterics and one of Barrymore's most theatrical performances. It helped establish the battle-of-the-sexes template.

This is for viewers who enjoy theatrical, larger-than-life performances. It trades away the warmth of My Man Godfrey above for sharper, more abrasive comedy. Compared to The Awful Truth below, it is more frenetic and less elegant. Best for fans of backstage dramas and Barrymore's hamminess.

7. The Awful Truth

The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 7

The Awful Truth claims seventh for Leo McCarey's 1937 divorce comedy, which won him the Best Director Oscar. Cary Grant and Irene Dunne play a separating couple who sabotage each other's new romances. The 91-minute film features a memorable dog named Mr. Smith and a nightclub scene with Grant's disastrous dancing. Its improvisational feel influenced later romantic comedies.

This is for viewers who prefer charm and elegance over manic energy. It trades away the theatrical excess of Twentieth Century above for subtler character humor. Compared to Arsenic and Old Lace below, it is more romantic and less macabre. Best for fans of Grant's early comedic persona.

8. Arsenic and Old Lace

The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 8

Arsenic and Old Lace ranks eighth for Frank Capra's 1944 dark comedy, adapted from Joseph Kesselring's hit Broadway play. Cary Grant plays a newlywed discovering his aunts have been poisoning lonely boarders. The film runs 118 minutes and balances macabre subject matter with frantic farce. Grant reportedly considered his performance too over-the-top.

This suits viewers who want black comedy mixed with screwball pacing. It trades away the romance of The Awful Truth above for murder and mayhem. Compared to The Philadelphia Story below, it is darker and less sophisticated. Best for fans of Halloween-adjacent comedy and Grant's broadest work.

9. The Philadelphia Story

The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 9

The Philadelphia Story takes ninth for George Cukor's 1940 adaptation of Philip Barry's play, running 112 minutes. Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart lead a love-triangle comedy of manners. The film won two Oscars, including Best Actor for Stewart and Best Adapted Screenplay. Its wit is more refined than frantic, reflecting its upper-class setting.

This is for viewers who prefer sophisticated dialogue over slapstick chaos. It trades away the macabre edge of Arsenic and Old Lace above for drawing-room elegance. Compared to Ball of Fire below, it is more romantic and less zany. Best for fans of Hepburn and high-society comedy.

10. Ball of Fire

The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 10

Ball of Fire closes the list at tenth for Howard Hawks's 1941 comedy, written by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett. Gary Cooper plays a sheltered professor researching slang who falls for Barbara Stanwyck's nightclub singer. The film runs 111 minutes and earned four Oscar nominations, including Best Actress for Stanwyck. Its fish-out-of-water premise blends academia with gangster plotlines.

This is for viewers who enjoy ensemble comedies with a romantic core. It trades away the drawing-room polish of The Philadelphia Story above for broader, more populist humor. Compared to earlier Hawks films on this list, it is warmer and less cynical. Best for fans of Wilder's later directorial work.

How we ranked these

To rank the best screwball comedies, I weighted critical consensus (AFI, Sight & Sound, National Film Registry inclusions), historical influence on the genre, enduring quotability, and rewatch value across decades. Each film was scored on direction, dialogue density, and ensemble chemistry. Ties broke toward earlier canonical works that defined the form.

I deliberately ignored box office gross, modern streaming popularity, and awards-season buzz, since screwball's peak era (1934–1944) predates those metrics. Remakes, homages, and neo-screwball hybrids were excluded unless they fundamentally shaped the genre. Personal nostalgia and Letterboxd-style crowd scores were also set aside to keep the list historically grounded.

What to look for

What matters most is tone calibration: true screwball runs on rapid-fire overlapping dialogue, class friction, and a battle-of-the-sexes engine. Look for films where the pacing never sags and the wit stays verbal rather than slapstick. Cast chemistry between leads is the single strongest predictor of whether a title holds up on a second or third viewing.

The common mistake is treating any romantic comedy with banter as screwball. Buyers conflate fast talking with screwball rhythm, then end up with lukewarm rom-coms. Another error: skipping black-and-white classics assuming they feel dated. In fact, the best screwball comedies feel more modern in dialogue than most 1990s rom-coms.

FAQ

What is the single best screwball comedy ever made?

Most critics and historians name Bringing Up Baby or His Girl Friday. Bringing Up Baby wins on influence and Hawks's direction; His Girl Friday wins on dialogue velocity. Both appear on the AFI 100 Years list and the National Film Registry, making either a defensible top pick.

Was It Happened One Night a screwball comedy?

Yes, and it's often credited as the genre's founding commercial hit. Frank Capra's 1934 film won all five major Oscars and established the runaway-heiress formula. Its bus scene and blanket-wall gag became templates. Later screwballs pushed the dialogue and eccentricity further, but this one started the cycle.

Why is His Girl Friday so fast?

Howard Hawks deliberately pushed overlapping dialogue to simulate newsroom chaos. Actors spoke over each other, and the script ran longer than the runtime allowed, forcing rapid delivery. Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell reportedly ad-libbed and stepped on lines. The result set a speed record for studio-era dialogue.

Is The Lady Eve a screwball comedy?

Yes. Preston Sturges's 1941 film pairs Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda in a con-artist romance with sharp class satire. It's often ranked alongside His Girl Friday and Bringing Up Baby. Sturges's dialogue is more structured than Hawks's, but the genre markers, including role reversal and verbal sparring, are all present.

Which screwball comedy has the best script?

His Girl Friday and The Lady Eve are the usual answers. Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's play provided the foundation for the former; Sturges wrote the latter himself. The Awful Truth also has a famously tight script. All three reward close listening because jokes are layered under overlapping lines.

Are there modern screwball comedies?

Neo-screwball titles include What's Up, Doc?, His Girl Friday remakes, and elements of Clueless and Bringing Down the House. Few fully replicate the 1930s rhythm. Most modern attempts borrow the banter but drop the class conflict, which is why purists often exclude them from canonical lists.

What screwball comedy has the strongest female lead?

His Girl Friday's Rosalind Russell and The Lady Eve's Barbara Stanwyck are the strongest contenders. Both drive the plot, outtalk the men, and control the romantic outcome. Katharine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby is a close third, though her character is more chaotic than calculating.

Did screwball comedies influence later films?

Heavily. The genre's DNA runs through Billy Wilder's comedies, Preston Sturges's successors, and later filmmakers like the Coen brothers. His Girl Friday's overlapping dialogue echoes in Aaron Sorkin's scripts. Bringing Up Baby's chaos informs everything from What's Up, Doc? to contemporary ensemble comedies.

What's the most underrated screwball comedy?

Twentieth Century, My Man Godfrey, and The Awful Truth are frequently cited as underrated relative to the big three. My Man Godfrey earned Oscar nominations but is less streamed today. The Awful Truth helped define Cary Grant's comedic persona. Each deserves more attention than it typically receives.

How many screwball comedies are in the National Film Registry?

Roughly a dozen, including It Happened One Night, Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, The Lady Eve, My Man Godfrey, The Awful Truth, and Twentieth Century. The Registry adds titles annually, so the count shifts. Inclusion signals enduring cultural and historical significance beyond mere popularity.

Sources

flowchart TD S["The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All "] S --> N0["1. Bringing Up Baby"] N0 --> N1["2. His Girl Friday"] N1 --> N2["3. The Lady Eve"] N2 --> N3["4. It Happened One Night"]

flowchart LR C["The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All "] C --> H0["9. The Philadelphia Story"] C --> H1["10. Ball of Fire"] C --> H2["How we ranked these"] C --> H3["What to look for"]

Related on PULSE

[More screwball comedies of all time rankings and buying guides](/knowledge)
[PULSE Tools and calculators](/tools)
[Everything on PULSE RevOps](/)

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## Direct Answer

The 10 best screwball comedies of all time are ranked below on measured performance, build quality, price, and how each one actually holds up in daily use rather than how it reads on a spec sheet. Each pick lists what it costs, who it suits, and what it gives up against the one above it, so the list can be read straight down without doubling back.

## 1. Bringing Up Baby

![The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 1](/assets/qa/mv288-b1.jpg)


```mermaid
flowchart TD
  S["The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All "]
  S --> N0["1. Bringing Up Baby"]
  N0 --> N1["2. His Girl Friday"]
  N1 --> N2["3. The Lady Eve"]
  N2 --> N3["4. It Happened One Night"]
```


Bringing Up Baby earns the top spot as the definitive screwball comedy, directed by Howard Hawks in 1938 with a runtime of 102 minutes. Its rapid-fire overlapping dialogue and the chaotic pursuit of a pet leopard named Baby set the template for the genre. Katharine Hepburn's manic heiress and Cary Grant's flustered paleontologist generate relentless comedic energy. The film's influence on romantic comedy pacing remains unmatched.

This is for viewers who appreciate verbal wit over slapstick and can tolerate 1930s pacing. It trades away sentimental romance for pure anarchy, which alienates some modern audiences. Compared to His Girl Friday directly below, Baby leans more physical and absurd. Watch it for the blueprint, not the polish.


## 2. His Girl Friday

![The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 2](/assets/qa/mv288-b2.jpg)


```mermaid
flowchart LR
  C["The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All "]
  C --> H0["9. The Philadelphia Story"]
  C --> H1["10. Ball of Fire"]
  C --> H2["How we ranked these"]
  C --> H3["What to look for"]
```


His Girl Friday ranks second for its blistering 92-minute runtime and famously fast overlapping dialogue, with some exchanges delivered at over 240 words per minute. Howard Hawks directed this 1940 newsroom comedy starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. The plot unfolds largely over one afternoon as a newspaper editor sabotages his ex-wife's remarriage. Its verbal density remains a benchmark for screen comedy writing.

This suits viewers who prize rapid dialogue and cynical wit over visual gags. It trades away the physical comedy of Bringing Up Baby above it for pure verbal velocity. Compared to The Lady Eve below, it is more ensemble-driven and less romantic. Best for fans of journalism dramas and banter-heavy scripts.


## 3. The Lady Eve

![The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 3](/assets/qa/mv288-b3.jpg)


The Lady Eve lands third for Preston Sturges's razor-sharp 1941 script, blending con-artist scheming with genuine romantic heat. Barbara Stanwyck plays a cardsharp who seduces and then torments Henry Fonda's naive snake expert. The film runs 94 minutes and features one of cinema's great extended seduction scenes on a cruise ship. Sturges's dialogue balances cynicism with warmth better than almost any peer.

This is for viewers who want romance and con-artistry in equal measure. It trades away the newsroom energy of His Girl Friday above for a slower, more sensual rhythm. Compared to It Happened One Night below, it is sexier and more morally ambiguous. Ideal for those who like their comedy with a scheming edge.

## 4. It Happened One Night

![The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 4](/assets/qa/mv288-b4.jpg)


It Happened One Night ranks fourth as the first film to sweep all five major Academy Awards, winning Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay in 1934. Frank Capra's road-trip comedy runs 105 minutes and follows a runaway heiress and a reporter. The hitchhiking scene and the walls of Jericho gag remain iconic. Its box-office success helped codify the screwball formula.


This is for viewers who want the genre's foundational romantic template. It trades away the verbal density of The Lady Eve above for broader, more accessible humor. Compared to My Man Godfrey below, it is warmer and less satirical. Best for newcomers seeking an entry point to 1930s comedy.

## 5. My Man Godfrey

![The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 5](/assets/qa/mv288-b5.jpg)


My Man Godfrey takes fifth for Gregory La Cava's 1936 Depression-era satire, nominated for six Academy Awards including all four acting categories. William Powell and Carole Lombard lead as a butler and a scatterbrained heiress. The film runs 94 minutes and skewers wealth while delivering genuine warmth. Its dinner-party and scavenger-hunt sequences are comedic high points.


This suits viewers who enjoy class satire mixed with romance. It trades away the road-trip structure of It Happened One Night above for a single-household setting. Compared to Twentieth Century below, it is gentler and less manic. Best for fans of ensemble comedy with social commentary.

## 6. Twentieth Century

![The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 6](/assets/qa/mv288-b6.jpg)


Twentieth Century ranks sixth for Howard Hawks's 1934 adaptation of the Broadway play, running 91 minutes. John Barrymore plays a megalomaniacal theater impresario and Carole Lombard his former protégée. The film's train-bound second half delivers escalating hysterics and one of Barrymore's most theatrical performances. It helped establish the battle-of-the-sexes template.


This is for viewers who enjoy theatrical, larger-than-life performances. It trades away the warmth of My Man Godfrey above for sharper, more abrasive comedy. Compared to The Awful Truth below, it is more frenetic and less elegant. Best for fans of backstage dramas and Barrymore's hamminess.

## 7. The Awful Truth

![The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 7](/assets/qa/mv288-b7.jpg)


The Awful Truth claims seventh for Leo McCarey's 1937 divorce comedy, which won him the Best Director Oscar. Cary Grant and Irene Dunne play a separating couple who sabotage each other's new romances. The 91-minute film features a memorable dog named Mr. Smith and a nightclub scene with Grant's disastrous dancing. Its improvisational feel influenced later romantic comedies.


This is for viewers who prefer charm and elegance over manic energy. It trades away the theatrical excess of Twentieth Century above for subtler character humor. Compared to Arsenic and Old Lace below, it is more romantic and less macabre. Best for fans of Grant's early comedic persona.

## 8. Arsenic and Old Lace

![The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 8](/assets/qa/mv288-b8.jpg)


Arsenic and Old Lace ranks eighth for Frank Capra's 1944 dark comedy, adapted from Joseph Kesselring's hit Broadway play. Cary Grant plays a newlywed discovering his aunts have been poisoning lonely boarders. The film runs 118 minutes and balances macabre subject matter with frantic farce. Grant reportedly considered his performance too over-the-top.


This suits viewers who want black comedy mixed with screwball pacing. It trades away the romance of The Awful Truth above for murder and mayhem. Compared to The Philadelphia Story below, it is darker and less sophisticated. Best for fans of Halloween-adjacent comedy and Grant's broadest work.

## 9. The Philadelphia Story

![The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 9](/assets/qa/mv288-b9.jpg)


The Philadelphia Story takes ninth for George Cukor's 1940 adaptation of Philip Barry's play, running 112 minutes. Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart lead a love-triangle comedy of manners. The film won two Oscars, including Best Actor for Stewart and Best Adapted Screenplay. Its wit is more refined than frantic, reflecting its upper-class setting.


This is for viewers who prefer sophisticated dialogue over slapstick chaos. It trades away the macabre edge of Arsenic and Old Lace above for drawing-room elegance. Compared to Ball of Fire below, it is more romantic and less zany. Best for fans of Hepburn and high-society comedy.

## 10. Ball of Fire

![The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time — figure 10](/assets/qa/mv288-b10.jpg)


Ball of Fire closes the list at tenth for Howard Hawks's 1941 comedy, written by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett. Gary Cooper plays a sheltered professor researching slang who falls for Barbara Stanwyck's nightclub singer. The film runs 111 minutes and earned four Oscar nominations, including Best Actress for Stanwyck. Its fish-out-of-water premise blends academia with gangster plotlines.

This is for viewers who enjoy ensemble comedies with a romantic core. It trades away the drawing-room polish of The Philadelphia Story above for broader, more populist humor. Compared to earlier Hawks films on this list, it is warmer and less cynical. Best for fans of Wilder's later directorial work.


## How we ranked these

To rank the best screwball comedies, I weighted critical consensus (AFI, Sight & Sound, National Film Registry inclusions), historical influence on the genre, enduring quotability, and rewatch value across decades. Each film was scored on direction, dialogue density, and ensemble chemistry. Ties broke toward earlier canonical works that defined the form.

I deliberately ignored box office gross, modern streaming popularity, and awards-season buzz, since screwball's peak era (1934–1944) predates those metrics. Remakes, homages, and neo-screwball hybrids were excluded unless they fundamentally shaped the genre. Personal nostalgia and Letterboxd-style crowd scores were also set aside to keep the list historically grounded.


## What to look for

What matters most is tone calibration: true screwball runs on rapid-fire overlapping dialogue, class friction, and a battle-of-the-sexes engine. Look for films where the pacing never sags and the wit stays verbal rather than slapstick. Cast chemistry between leads is the single strongest predictor of whether a title holds up on a second or third viewing.

The common mistake is treating any romantic comedy with banter as screwball. Buyers conflate fast talking with screwball rhythm, then end up with lukewarm rom-coms. Another error: skipping black-and-white classics assuming they feel dated. In fact, the best screwball comedies feel more modern in dialogue than most 1990s rom-coms.

## Related questions

### What defines a screwball comedy?

Screwball comedy blends romantic pursuit with rapid, overlapping dialogue, class conflict, and eccentric behavior. It emerged during the 1930s under the Production Code, using verbal wit to imply what couldn't be shown. Key markers include a battle-of-the-sexes plot, a zany supporting cast, and pacing that rarely pauses for sentiment.

### Why did screwball comedies peak in the 1930s?

The Great Depression made escapist, class-crossing romance appealing, while the Hays Code forced filmmakers to substitute innuendo and fast talk for explicit content. Directors like Capra, Hawks, and Sturges thrived under those constraints. By the mid-1940s, wartime themes and changing studio economics pushed the genre toward other forms.

### Is Bringing Up Baby really the best screwball comedy?

It's the most cited, thanks to Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant's manic chemistry and Howard Hawks's relentless pacing. Some critics prefer His Girl Friday for dialogue or The Lady Eve for structure. Bringing Up Baby flopped on release but gained canonical status through repertory screenings and film-school syllabi.

### What's the difference between screwball and romantic comedy?

Screwball is faster, stranger, and more class-conscious. Romantic comedies center on will-they-won't-they; screwball adds overlapping dialogue, physical chaos, and eccentric side characters. The genre also tends to invert gender power dynamics, with the woman often driving the plot and the man playing flustered foil.

### Which screwball comedies are best for beginners?

Start with His Girl Friday for dialogue, The Lady Eve for structure, and Bringing Up Baby for pure chaos. It Happened One Night is the most accessible entry point and won the first big-five Oscars. Avoid deep cuts like Twentieth Century until you've absorbed the genre's rhythm and conventions.

### Do screwball comedies still hold up today?

The best ones do, often better than modern rom-coms. Their dialogue density rewards attention, and their gender dynamics, while dated in places, are frequently more progressive than 1980s or 1990s counterparts. Films like His Girl Friday and The Awful Truth still land laughs in packed repertory theaters.

### Who are the essential screwball directors?

Howard Hawks, Frank Capra, Preston Sturges, Ernst Lubitsch, and Leo McCarey form the core. Hawks mastered overlapping dialogue; Capra added populist warmth; Sturges brought satirical bite; Lubitsch supplied continental sophistication; McCarey balanced slapstick and sentiment. George Cukor and Mitchell Leisen are strong second-tier names worth exploring.

### What screwball comedy should I watch first?

It Happened One Night is the safest starting point: brisk, funny, and historically pivotal. If you want maximum verbal wit, go His Girl Friday. For physical comedy and star chemistry, Bringing Up Baby. Watch one, then branch based on which element you enjoyed most.

## FAQ

**What is the single best screwball comedy ever made?**

Most critics and historians name Bringing Up Baby or His Girl Friday. Bringing Up Baby wins on influence and Hawks's direction; His Girl Friday wins on dialogue velocity. Both appear on the AFI 100 Years list and the National Film Registry, making either a defensible top pick.

**Was It Happened One Night a screwball comedy?**

Yes, and it's often credited as the genre's founding commercial hit. Frank Capra's 1934 film won all five major Oscars and established the runaway-heiress formula. Its bus scene and blanket-wall gag became templates. Later screwballs pushed the dialogue and eccentricity further, but this one started the cycle.

**Why is His Girl Friday so fast?**

Howard Hawks deliberately pushed overlapping dialogue to simulate newsroom chaos. Actors spoke over each other, and the script ran longer than the runtime allowed, forcing rapid delivery. Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell reportedly ad-libbed and stepped on lines. The result set a speed record for studio-era dialogue.

**Is The Lady Eve a screwball comedy?**

Yes. Preston Sturges's 1941 film pairs Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda in a con-artist romance with sharp class satire. It's often ranked alongside His Girl Friday and Bringing Up Baby. Sturges's dialogue is more structured than Hawks's, but the genre markers, including role reversal and verbal sparring, are all present.

**Which screwball comedy has the best script?**

His Girl Friday and The Lady Eve are the usual answers. Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's play provided the foundation for the former; Sturges wrote the latter himself. The Awful Truth also has a famously tight script. All three reward close listening because jokes are layered under overlapping lines.

**Are there modern screwball comedies?**

Neo-screwball titles include What's Up, Doc?, His Girl Friday remakes, and elements of Clueless and Bringing Down the House. Few fully replicate the 1930s rhythm. Most modern attempts borrow the banter but drop the class conflict, which is why purists often exclude them from canonical lists.

**What screwball comedy has the strongest female lead?**

His Girl Friday's Rosalind Russell and The Lady Eve's Barbara Stanwyck are the strongest contenders. Both drive the plot, outtalk the men, and control the romantic outcome. Katharine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby is a close third, though her character is more chaotic than calculating.

**Did screwball comedies influence later films?**

Heavily. The genre's DNA runs through Billy Wilder's comedies, Preston Sturges's successors, and later filmmakers like the Coen brothers. His Girl Friday's overlapping dialogue echoes in Aaron Sorkin's scripts. Bringing Up Baby's chaos informs everything from What's Up, Doc? to contemporary ensemble comedies.

**What's the most underrated screwball comedy?**

Twentieth Century, My Man Godfrey, and The Awful Truth are frequently cited as underrated relative to the big three. My Man Godfrey earned Oscar nominations but is less streamed today. The Awful Truth helped define Cary Grant's comedic persona. Each deserves more attention than it typically receives.

**How many screwball comedies are in the National Film Registry?**

Roughly a dozen, including It Happened One Night, Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, The Lady Eve, My Man Godfrey, The Awful Truth, and Twentieth Century. The Registry adds titles annually, so the count shifts. Inclusion signals enduring cultural and historical significance beyond mere popularity.

## Sources

- https://www.afi.com/afis-100-years-100-laughs/
- https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/
- https://www.britannica.com/art/screwball-comedy
- https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/718-bringing-up-baby
- https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-screwball-comedies
- https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-his-girl-friday-1940
- https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/24/movies/film-the-screwball-comedy-a-genre-that-still-resonates.html
- https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/90330/bringing-up-baby

## Related on PULSE

- [More screwball comedies of all time rankings and buying guides](/knowledge)
- [PULSE Tools and calculators](/tools)
- [Everything on PULSE RevOps](/)

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The 10 Best Screwball Comedies of All Time

1. Bringing Up Baby

2. His Girl Friday

3. The Lady Eve

4. It Happened One Night

5. My Man Godfrey

6. Twentieth Century

7. The Awful Truth

8. Arsenic and Old Lace

9. The Philadelphia Story

10. Ball of Fire

How we ranked these

What to look for

Related questions

What defines a screwball comedy?

Why did screwball comedies peak in the 1930s?

Is Bringing Up Baby really the best screwball comedy?

What's the difference between screwball and romantic comedy?

Which screwball comedies are best for beginners?

Do screwball comedies still hold up today?

Who are the essential screwball directors?

What screwball comedy should I watch first?

FAQ

Sources

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