The Awful Truth is a classic romantic comedy from 1937, directed by Leo McCarey, and starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne as Jerry and Lucy Warriner, a wealthy Manhattan couple on the brink of divorce. The film opens with both parties accusing each other of infidelity, which they use as a pretext to file for divorce. The rest of the movie is a battle of wits between Jerry and Lucy, as they try to prove to each other that they're better off without the other.
Jerry is initially suspicious of Lucy's new friend Dan Leeson (Ralph Bellamy), and begins to follow them around town, disguised as a clumsy but wealthy Texan, with his faithful dog Mr. Smith. Lucy, for her part, starts dating Dan in earnest, and even contemplates marriage, until Jerry intervenes by exposing Dan as a dull, unimaginative bore. Lucy retaliates by dating her singing teacher Armand Duvalle (Alexander D'Arcy), a dashing, sophisticated European, who charms her with his French accent and his love of art.
Meanwhile, Jerry tries to make Lucy jealous by pretending to be engaged to a vivacious socialite named Barbara Vance (Molly Lamont), whom he met while playing poker. The ruse backfires, however, when Barbara falls in love with Jerry for real, and Lucy decides to win him back by pretending to be engaged to Armand. The final act of the movie takes place in Jerry's apartment, where all the couples converge for a hilarious game of cat and mouse, involving mistaken identities, secret codes, and a stolen purse.
In the end, of course, true love triumphs over suspicion and deceit, and Jerry and Lucy are reunited in their happy, albeit slightly wiser, marriage. The Awful Truth was a critical and commercial success, and established Cary Grant as one of Hollywood's most charming and versatile leading men. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won the Oscar for Best Director.
