#742: STURGES, Preston: The Palm Beach Story (1942)

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STURGES, Preston (United States)
The Palm Beach Story [1942]
Spine #742
Blu-ray


This wild tale of wacky wedlock from Preston Sturges takes off like a rocket and never comes down. Joel McCrea and Claudette Colbert play Tom and Gerry, a married New York couple on the skids, financially and romantically. With Tom hot on her trail, Gerry heads for Florida on a mission to solve the pair's money troubles, which she accomplishes in a highly unorthodox manner. Both witty and utterly absurd, The Palm Beach Story is a high-water mark of Sturges's brand of physical comedy and verbal repartee, featuring sparkling performances from its leads as well as hilarious supporting turns from Rudy Vallee and Mary Astor as a brother and sister ensnared in Tom and Gerry's high jinks.

88 minutes
Black & White
Monaural
1:37:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2015
Director/Writer


Preston Sturges was 44 when he wrote and directed The Palm Beach Story.

Other Sturges films in the Collection:

#103: The Lady Eve (1941)
#118: Sullivan's Travels (1941)
#292: Unfaithfully Yours (1948)

The Film

A

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Ten-page wraparound featuring an essay by critic Stephanie Zacharek.

Commentary

None.

Interview 1

With writer and film historian James Harvey.

Interview 2

With actor and comedian Bill Hader.

Safeguarding Military Information

A 1941 World War II propaganda short written by Sturges.

Screen Guild Theater

Radio adaptation of the film from March 1943.

Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

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