The term “revolutionary” is often used too frequently to refer to films that are only mildly impactful – anytime a director does something slightly different or ahead of their time, they are immediately labelled as being a pioneer, which can sometimes be a decent way to immortalize their legacy (especially amongst those that are not as well-known as later directors that would appropriate their style to a broader audience), but also sometimes an unnecessary burden, especially when we encounter the inevitable discovery of an even earlier work that retained those same traits. It becomes even more challenging when we are talking about something as broad as genre since every style of film has to have a specific work that we can pinpoint as the earliest example of that specific style or concept. William A. Wellman may not have made the first screwball comedy (that honour is rightly reserved for Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night, which remains entirely uncontested), but he did make one that occupies a very specific place in the genre – Nothing Sacred may not be the first screwball comedy, but it is the one that opened doors for many that were to follow, especially since it was the very first filmed in Technicolor, an element that gives the film an even more modern atmosphere that can be quite surprising for a story that predates many of the canonical classics like His Girl Friday and The Philadelphia Story, both of which owe a considerable debt to this film, which is a charming and hilarious romp through the New York high society and its penchant for scandal and intrigue, all of which is compacted into this delightfully entertaining romantic comedy that features all of the most iconic traits of the genre, explored so exceptionally well by a director and team of writers who understand exactly how to draw out the funniest moments, and make them all feel sincere.

Screwball comedy is the kind of genre that is difficult to condense into a few key components, and often works best under the general definition of “you know it when you see it” – while there have been attempts to revive the genre, nothing has ever come close to these classic works – and Nothing Sacred is certainly amongst the most memorable for several reasons. It contains all the elements we have grown to adore when it comes to this genre – rapid-fire dialogue, an abundance of hilarious jokes (which oscillate between witty barbs and physical humour, a remnant of the silent era where slapstick reigned supreme) and soaring romance, which often comes about in the most unexpected of circumstances, almost as if it was accidental, which it never intends to be with these films. Wellman is not a name that many who aren’t well-versed in this era of filmmaking may know, and even those who are aware of his work tend to underpraise him, viewing him primarily as a director-for-hire, someone brought in to simply shepherd the stories commissioned by the producer (in this case David O. Selznick, whose stature in the industry can be summarized by the simple fact that his films frequently featured his name in the position normally reserved for the director, Selznick making it clear that he was the ultimate authority in the production of this film), and composed by the screenwriters, who were simply tasked with telling a story and inserting a few delightful jokes at regular intervals. However, while he may not be on the same level as the likes of George Cukor and Howard Hawks in terms of being auteurs of the screwball genre, he was extremely competent, and his work is beyond impeccable when he is given a good script. Nothing Sacred had quite a storied journey to the screen, with the original screenwriter Ben Hecht departing due to creative differences, and instead of hiring a replacement, Selznick enlisted a team of over half a dozen screenwriters (among them iconic writers like Dorothy Parker and Moss Hart) to cobble together this story – and considering this small detail, we can find even more worthy reasons to praise what Wellman does with the material, making it appear entirely seamless.

However, Nothing Sacred isn’t particularly notable for how it follows the familiar pattern of the screwball genre – it doesn’t do anything all that special beyond knowing where to draw the division between comedy and romance, which is an important distinction. What has made this such a cherished film are those details that are unique to this film. We have to keep in mind that this was produced in the late 1930s, and as a result, we have to remember that this was a product of its time – but yet it still feels so profoundly modern in its line of thought, going about exploring the world in a way that is quite inventive, both in terms of narrative and execution. The Hayes Code was in full effect, and thus censorship was at its peak in Hollywood – yet this is a film that openly talks about matters around the moral corruption of the media (at a time when many viewers depended on it to be a source of unbiased, truthful content) and suicide – and while it’s not the first film to make use of these ideas, they’re not hidden under layers of implication or inference. It’s a film built on the principle of calling a spade a spade since there isn’t any good reason to mislead the audience to feel something that simply isn’t there, nor is there any logic behind thinking that viewers at the time were unable to surmise what was meant by many of these ideas. Nothing Sacred is a film that is singularly unafraid to be irreverent, and it often finds value in pushing the boundaries of the medium – it does so with elegance and strategy, so there isn’t any need for it to distract from what was a sobering message wrapped up in a veneer of off-the-wall, outrageous comedy. Sometimes the best satires are those that carry a sinister quality within, even if it isn’t particularly overt – it only leads to more thought-provoking content, which the film masters while still finding a way to make us laugh frequently. That’s the true brilliance of the film and the reason it has stood the test of time much better than some other entries into a genre.

On the subject of brilliance, there was no one better suited for screwball comedy than Carole Lombard. As excellent as the likes of Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn may have been, no one has ever been more defining of the genre than Lombard. Perhaps this is because she lived a tragically short life in which almost all of her best work was in this genre, but it’s impossible to look back at her career and feel anything less than spellbound by how she managed to navigate what is already quite a complex genre, and one that required a very specific set of talents to master. She was such a delight to watch on screen – her ability to convey absolutely any emotion (including several at the same time), coupled with her iconic delivery and remarkable screen presence that often made us forget that there were any other actors in the scene are all reasons behind her status as one of the most intimidatingly brilliant performers of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and the tragic reality is that the only reason she’s not considered the funniest actor of her generation is that we didn’t get to see nearly enough of what she was capable of doing – but what we do have is enough to make it very clear that she was a talent that was undeniably gone far too soon. She’s paired with Fredric March, another similarly versatile and incredibly gifted actor, who can work in every conceivable genre. He could terrify us in his dual roles in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and could break our hearts in The Best Years of Our Lives. Yet, his forays into comedy are some of his most unforgettable endeavours, with his quick-witted demeanour and effortless charm being exceptionally exciting, especially when he was coupled with an actor of Lombard’s stature, who would match him in energy and delivery. The pair have astonishing chemistry – a good screwball comedy is akin to a well-choreographed dance number, where the partners have to be perfectly in sync, while still being distinct enough to be seen as individuals. March and Lombard are well-equipped to handle these challenges and turn in terrific performances that make it very clear why they have always been seen as actors who delivered, regardless of the material they were given.

The word often used to describe screwball comedy is “daffy”, and that’s a perfectly appropriate term that summarizes the genre as a whole. However, like the films themselves, this is only a placeholder used to refer to what propels these works, rather than what defines them, since nearly every well-made screwball comedy has deeper intentions, blending a range of different ideas in its continuous pursuit of something that is both engaging and entertaining. Nothing Sacred is a film that understands its audience and our expectations – we anticipate 77 minutes of charming, offbeat humour that is counterbalanced with a sincere approach to romance, which is where the film is at its most charming. The presence of two masterful actors, who are given a script that is tailor-made to suit their sensibilities, only makes it a more entertaining affair, and under the careful direction of Wellman, we find the film gradually becoming a wildly compelling work that may be predictable to an extent but still has a genuine degree of heartfulness that drives the story and makes it so unique. It is not against more serious concepts, and we gradually see the layers peel away to reveal a more complex core, where real-world issues are not only factored into the story but mentioned outright, never once misleading us to believe that the intentions behind the story were anything other than what we saw presented to us directly on screen. Nothing Sacred is considered one of the greatest comedies of its era, and this is not without reason – the jokes are funny, the storyline refreshing and the performances genuinely brilliant. The heartfulness and dedication to certain ideas make for a thrilling romance, and the humour is razor-sharp. As a whole, there’s very little reason to doubt the impact a well-made screwball comedy can have, but sometimes even those of us well-versed in the genre can be surprised, and Nothing Sacred manages to be incredibly original while still maintaining all the components of the genre that we adore, which only further emphasizes is undeniable brilliance.