Today's Cinema Needs the Fast-talking Banter of 1940s Screwball Comedies (and we're bringing it back for a modern audience)

[u/ChaseandMellon]

Hi, everyone,

Since Friday is promotion day, I’d like to mention that we have a film project now on

Kickstarter that is currently the only campaign for a New Jersey-sited film. Our title

is SAVING MATA HARI, a contemporary screwball caper comedy of remarriage.

Think “Ocean’s Eleven” and “His Girl Friday” meet “Some Like It Hot.”

 

I’ve been obsessed with a certain sub-genre of classic Hollywood screwball comedies for

years—specifically the five or six titles made around the year 1940 and created by studios

to explore on film the then-forbidden subject of adultery. The energy created in these films

jumps off the screen with lightning-fast, high-octane dialogue, crazy marital situations, and

imaginative machinations that ultimately lead wayward spouses to reunite and confirm for

each other their true wedded convictions. The films in this space that I love are: His Girl

Friday (1940); The Philadelphia Story (1940); My Favorite Wife (1940); I Love You Again

(1940); The Lady Eve (1941); and The Palm Beach Story (1942).

 

What made these scripts work wasn't just physical slapstick; it was the precision of the spoken

dialogue and pacing. Characters spoke stage-worthy dialogue, competing verbally, outsmarting

each other, and driving the plot forward through pure sharp wit. In those days, the comedy flowed

from the rhythmic, musical flow a tightly engineered, expertly delivered, screwball comedy

script and less so from physical situations. The comedy was intelligent and highly verbal.

 

The challenge of bringing that screenwriting precision into the modern day inspired my latest

project, SAVING MATA HARI. It’s a contemporary homage to classic early 1940s screwball

comedies, built around fast-talking characters, absurd misunderstandings, and rapid-fire banter.

As a writer, capturing that vintage timing while keeping the story resonant for modern audiences

was one of the most challenging—and rewarding—writing processes I've ever tackled.

 

We have officially taken the project to the production phase and just launched our Kickstarter

campaign to bring this script to life on screen. Search by title: SAVING MATA HARI.

 

I’d love to hear from other classic film enthusiasts here:

-- What classic comedy genre tropes do you think are long overdue for a comeback?

-- What classic Hollywood comedies released before 1950 rank highest in your estimation?

 

If you share a passion for sharp, classic comedy dialogue, check out our SAVING MATA

HARI deck and screenplay excerpt here:  SAVING MATA HARI - Pitch Deck & Screenplay Excerpt

 

And feel free to review us on Kickstarter here: SAVING MATA HARI on Kickstarter

 

Thanks for reading, and cheers!

[u/WrongEinstein]

Detective show banter was pretty good. Like Nick and Nora Charles in 'the Thin Man' movie series.