How a director's piano solo secured a Hollywood masterpiece

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How a director's piano solo secured a Hollywood masterpiece
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In short: In 1937, Columbia Pictures head Harry Cohn was hesitant to pay director Leo McCarey his requested fee. The solution wasn't a business negotiation, but a musical performance. This improvised screwball comedy would eventually launch Cary Grant to superstardom and become a cornerstone of cinematic history.

Directed by Leo McCarey, "The Awful Truth" is a definitive screwball comedy that centers on a wealthy, distrustful couple undergoing divorce proceedings. The plot follows Jerry and Lucy Warriner as they engage in a series of petty sabotages and misunderstandings, ranging from disputed pet custody to accidental encounters with romantic rivals. While the film was based on Arthur Richman's 1922 play, McCarey famously discarded much of the original script's structure and moralistic tone to focus on the characters' pride and comedic friction.

The production was marked by significant creative tension and improvisation. Cary Grant, who was eager to work with McCarey, used the set to develop his signature style of on-set improvisation, a move that helped cement his status as an A-list star. Irene Dunne, earning $75,000 for the role, provided a "genteel" contrast that McCarey felt was essential for the film's humor. The film's success was so profound that it was selected by the Library of Congress in 1996 for preservation in the National Film Registry due to its cultural and aesthetic significance.

The film's path to the screen was unconventional. Originally, Columbia head Harry Cohn was reluctant to meet McCarey's $100,000 demand. However, after watching the director play show tunes on a piano, Cohn decided the musical talent was a sign of true artistry and agreed to the fee. This gamble paid off; the film became a massive box office success and earned six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, ultimately winning for Best Director.

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