Films, talks & events
Written and Directed by Preston Sturges
King of the Screwball Comedy
21 September — 15 October 2023
still from Preston Sturges: The Rise and Fall of an American Dreamer (Kenneth Bowser, US 1990)
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 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.
still from Preston Sturges: The Rise and Fall of an American Dreamer (Kenneth Bowser, US 1990)
still from Unfaithfully Yours (Preston Sturges, US 1948)
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.
The forties: career skyrockets
Sturges made his best films in the five-year period from 1940 to 1944: no less than seven titles, including classics such as The Great McGinty, The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek and Hail the Conquering Hero. He had status – first as a writer and later as a screenwriter-director – and was richly remunerated for his services during a period when the average writer of screenplays went unmentioned and underpaid.
still from Hail the Conquering Hero (Preston Sturges, US 1943)
still from The Great McGinty (Preston Sturges, US 1940)
As a screenwriter, Sturges became increasingly dissatisfied with the way in which his work was being filmed. He therefore offered his screenplay for The Great McGinty for just one dollar if he could direct the film himself. The rest is history.
Kissproof lipstick
Talking of history: Sturges, whose mother had her own cosmetics business, was an inventor as well as a filmmaker, and gave the world kissproof lipstick. He died in 1959 at the age of 61, with thirteen films under his belt, at least seven of which are seen as masterpieces – and which can now be seen in Eye.
still from The Lady Eve (Preston Sturges, US 1941)
still from The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (Preston Sturges, US 1944)
still from The Palm Beach Story (Preston Sturges, US 1942)
Films, talks & events
still from Sullivan's Travels (Preston Sturges, US 1941)
Planning on having a drink or a bite to eat? Book online for Eye Bar Restaurant.
Share your love for film and become a member of the Eye Society.