Love is pain, which is why it’s so much fun to laugh at. Here are 58 of the best romantic comedies of all time, presented in chronological order.
It Happened One Night (1934)
Directed by: Frank Capra
Written by: Frank Capra and Harry Cohn
Socialite Ellie Andrew (Claudette Colbert) runs away and ends up crossing paths with handsome reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable). As Peter gets Ellie's story, they begin to fall for each other. Because the film predates the enforcement of the production code, it was rather racy for the time, including a scene where Ellie shows off her leg.
Columbia Pictures
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Directed by: Howard Hawks
Written by: Dudley Nichols and Hagar Wilde
The first of three romantic comedies starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn on this list, Bringing Up Baby also stars a leopard as the titular Baby. It's a wickedly funny screwball comedy that showcases the chemistry between its two stars, who stand out even with a distractingly dangerous big cat between them.
Turner Home Entertainment
Holiday (1938)
Directed by: George Cukor
Written by: Donald Ogden Stewart and Sidney Buchman
Like Bringing Up Baby before it and The Philadelphia Story after, Holiday stars the inimitable onscreen duo of Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. It's also a comedy of remarriage, as are the other two, which — by featuring divorced characters — allowed for bawdier jokes in the face of contemporary censorship.
Columbia Pictures
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Directed by: George Cukor
Written by: Donald Ogden Stewart
Socialite Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn) is all set to remarry, but her wedding is thrown off course by the arrival of her ex-husband C.K. Dexter Haven (Cary Grant) and tabloid journalist Mike Connor (Jimmy Stewart). An unequivocal classic, The Philadelphia Story is largely considered the greatest of all romantic comedies.
MGM
