It's fast for Hawks - which he achieved by writing overlapping dialogue, and it's more edited than usual, more angles, than his other more 'static' stuff.
A lot of it was ad libbed - the scene where Lombard tries to keep Barrymore off her with her feet was the first scene filmed, and set the style for the rest, and much of Barrymore's business (the make-up with the fake nose, and the painting of her name out while quoting Shakespeare) was as well.
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| Lombard's dress is just about on |
Hawks: "When people are as good as those two, the idea of just sticking to lines is rather ridiculous. Because if Barrymore gets going - and he had the ability to do it - I'd just say "Go do it". And Lombard would answer him; she was such a character, just marvelous."
The supporting players - particularly Roscoe Karns, Walter Connolly and Dales Fuller - are great too.
Lovely little touches, like the Pullman attendant looking at his bad cheque and tearing it up, or the black paint on the poster, and the stickers all over everybody, or when Barrymore hears a knock and says "there she is" and opens the door and it's two actor Jews... But our two favourite moments were "Ting a-ling a-ling a-ling a-ling" and the false nose. Though some of Barrymore's sudden physical moves are hilarious, and Lombard's funny pretending her actorly histrionics. The writing's brilliantly snappy.
I would still argue, like I did last time, that it's not really a screwball comedy.
Lit by the great Joseph August. Made at Columbia.
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