Review of The Palm Beach Story (1942) by Kevin N — 17 Aug 2011

Preston Sturges' anarchic masterpiece is an ode to the inexplicable strangeness rather than the easy nice things about love. It challenges itself and its viewers by starting with a marriage in tatters, and sets about to have its characters fall in love with each other even while filing divorce from one another.

It's brilliant, to say the least, and what's more is it's totally artistic while being laugh-out-loud funny. Sturges' style is meticulous, especially for the romantic comedy genre, and he isn't afraid to make his audience work for their pleasure.

The film's opening credits have puzzled viewers since their debut, and it is only the patient and attentive viewers, the ones who think, who are rewarded at the movie's end. Despite the horror stories I've heard about her real life ego, I can't help but admit that Claudette Colbert is one of the funniest and most interesting actresses that graced Hollywood in the 1930s and 40s.

She is so beautiful, and so delicate-looking, yet her comic timing is quick and jagged; she is perfect for this part. And her counterpart, Joel McCrea, is equally impressive in his deadpan role as the wild woman's husband, who cares about her, but not really, but, yeah, really does.

This is a very funny movie and a masterpiece of storytelling besides.