King of the Screwball Comedy
From 21 September to 15 October, Filmmuseum Eye in Amsterdam is hosting an exhibition about the work of Preston Sturges.
Preston Sturges is one of Hollywood’s Big Names. He took the thirties screwball comedy genre to new heights, with dialogue that still sounds surprisingly natural and mature today. Sturges’ films are witty, sharp and at times hilarious (social) comedies, with a tendency towards the absurd. He was seen as a brilliant satirist with an eye for “the American way of life”, aiming his barbs at entertainment culture, the world of advertising, politics and the veneration of the all-American hero.
Preston Sturges should really be seen as on a par with directors such as Frank Capra, Howard Hawks and Billy Wilder. But his name is often overlooked in such summaries, and in the Netherlands in particular he is still a little-known “auteur”. High time then to rediscover the work of this remarkable director and screenwriter – a great inspiration to the Coen Brothers – on the big screen.