Written and directed by Preston Sturges

This autumn, Eye is dedicating a retrospective to Preston Sturges (1898-1959), the man who forced the studios to take the business of screenwriting seriously. Sturges went on to become the best-paid writer in Hollywood, and battled to be allowed to direct his own screenplays. The result was seven brilliant comedies, shot between 1940 and 1945.

Sturges was seen as a biting satirist – a director who excelled at social comedies that strip the sheen from the cheap tinsel of the American Dream. He added incisive social commentary to the screwball comedy of the ’30s, wrapping this in hilarious satire.

With screenwriters Annelouise van Naerssen (Tuscan Wedding) and Luuk van Bemmelen (Soof 3), Martin Koolhoven will try to get to the bottom of Sturges’ talent and skill as a screenwriter. To anatomically dissect his text, illustrated by clips from films including The Great McGinty (1940), Hail the Conquering Hero (1944) and The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944, 98’). The discussion will be in Dutch.