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Crooked, but Never Common: The Films of Preston Sturges
In a burst of creativity unmatched in Hollywood history, Preston Sturges directed a string of all-time classic comedies from 1939 through 1948—The Great McGinty, The Lady Eve, Sullivan’s Travels, The Palm Beach Story, and The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek among them—all from screenplays he alone had written. Cynical and sophisticated, romantic and sexually frank, crazily breakneck and endlessly witty, his movies continue to influence filmmakers and remain popular to this day. Yet despite this acclaim, Sturges’s achievements remain he is too often categorized as a dialogue writer and plot engineer more than a director, or belittled as an irresponsible spinner of laughs.
In Crooked, but Never Common, Stuart Klawans combines a critic’s insight and a fan’s enthusiasm to offer deeper ways to think about and enjoy Sturges’s work. He provides an in-depth appreciation of all ten of the writer-director’s major movies, presenting Sturges as a filmmaker whose work balanced slapstick and social critique, American and European traditions, and cynicism and affection for his characters. Tugging at loose threads—discontinuities, puzzles, and allusions that have dangled in plain sight—and putting the films into a broader cultural context, Klawans reveals structures, motives, and meanings underlying the uproarious pleasures of Sturges’s movies. In this new light, Sturges emerges at last as one of the truly great filmmakers—and funnier than ever.
In Crooked, but Never Common, Stuart Klawans combines a critic’s insight and a fan’s enthusiasm to offer deeper ways to think about and enjoy Sturges’s work. He provides an in-depth appreciation of all ten of the writer-director’s major movies, presenting Sturges as a filmmaker whose work balanced slapstick and social critique, American and European traditions, and cynicism and affection for his characters. Tugging at loose threads—discontinuities, puzzles, and allusions that have dangled in plain sight—and putting the films into a broader cultural context, Klawans reveals structures, motives, and meanings underlying the uproarious pleasures of Sturges’s movies. In this new light, Sturges emerges at last as one of the truly great filmmakers—and funnier than ever.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2023
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February 26, 2023Just finished “Crooked, But Never Common: The Films of Preston Sturges” by my old friend Stewart Klawans, and as expected, it’s smart, thoughtful, and splendidly written. Nowadays my overall view of Sturges remains high but isn’t as lofty as it used to be – while he’s a terrific screenwriter and a splendid director, his weakness for excess and overstatement can be irksome – but Stewart’s canny analyses are illuminating and entertaining, although when he suggests that “Unfaithfully Yours” might be the equal of “Vertigo’’ methinks he goes a bit too far. Highly recommended for cinephiles and anyone who likes good movies.
July 15, 2024
A book as delightful as the films of Preston Sturges.
I don't think I've really liked Klawans as a critic in the past, but this book utterly won me over. He approaches the films Sturges wrote and directed (although he does talk about "Easy Living" a good deal) with fresh eyes, coming up with topics and approaches that have not been done to death, and he makes you want to see the movies again.
An absolute charmer of a book. Glad I read this one.
I don't think I've really liked Klawans as a critic in the past, but this book utterly won me over. He approaches the films Sturges wrote and directed (although he does talk about "Easy Living" a good deal) with fresh eyes, coming up with topics and approaches that have not been done to death, and he makes you want to see the movies again.
An absolute charmer of a book. Glad I read this one.
February 13, 2023
If you are a Preston Sturges fan then this book is for you! Part biography, part movie synopsis/theme analysis and also interesting information about how each movie came to be. There are tons of details on writing the scripts and the deals with the studio's to get each film made. Basically it's a smorgasbord of all things Preston Sturges.
January 24, 2023
This book is exceptionally well-researched and gives an in-depth look into the films of Preston Sturges and how they relate to other events in early Hollywood. I enjoyed the writing style. That said, if you don't have a basic understanding of the running and history of early Hollywood, you might easily get lost. This is especially true if you have not watched any Preston Sturges films. I have seen several, but there were still references that I did not get, despite enjoying the book's topic. I give this 4/5 stars, but with the understanding, it might not be for everyone.
December 22, 2022
Preston Sturges had one of the greatest winning streaks in screen history. During the 1940s, Sturges wrote and directed a string of sexy, witty comedies that continue to influence contemporary filmmakers. It’s impressive enough that Sturges won an Oscar for scripting the pic that kicked off that incredible run (The Great McGinty); he topped that by scoring two of the five Original Screenplay nominations in 1944. Yet like a comet, Sturges burned hot, fast and bright before flaming out and dying at age 60 in 1959.
Sturges’ talent attracted top actors, from Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda, to Joel McCrea and Claudette Colbert. A desire to direct, borne out of frustration with how others interpreted his screenplays, helped Sturges kick open the door for hyphenates who followed, like John Huston and Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
As a longtime Sturges fan, I couldn’t wait to get my mitts on Crooked, But Never Common. Less linear biography than 10 case studies of Sturges gems released from 1940 to 1948, Stuart Klawans offers fresh insights into movies I thought I knew well; captures the creative alchemy that made Sturges a legend; and makes me appreciate the brazen originality of Sturges films I haven’t always embraced.
For instance: I find the frantic Betty Hutton unwatchable, so I’ve never warmed to The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek. At the same time, I marvel that Sturges managed to get the name (no less the predicament) of Hutton’s ditzy character Trudy Kockenlocker (knocked up in a one-night stand with a soldier), past the Production Code’s purity squad. That alone is worth giving the film a closer look.
I appreciate how Klawans links Sturges’ posh but peripatetic life to the world he creates on screen – a world of kindly tycoons and realistically messy relationships. I like Klawans’ focus on Sturges’ visual sense, which I take for granted in my admiration for Sturges’ snappy dialogue. I gained new respect for Sullivan’s Travels, thanks to Klawans’ spotlight on moments like the docu-realism style used in a seven-minute, wordless sequence, or the almost-stupidly-cut-by-studio-suits scene featuring a Black preacher in the movie’s key turning point.
Klawans inspired me to fire up my copy of Palm Beach Story, by doing an autopsy of what makes it work: He nails it by calling the comedy “It Happened One Night run backward.” He notices little touches I hadn’t – how the "Bickersons” at the center of the tale are named “Tom” and “Gerry” (and like the animated cat ‘toons, spar like them).
I was less fond of Klawans’ repeated comparisons of Sturges and Orson Welles, yet disappointed that Klawans hadn’t dished any dirt about Sturges and Billy Wilder, both of whom wrote, directed and scored box-office hits over the same time period at Paramount. (Were they friends? Rivals? Jealous of each other’s genius?) Minor quibbles aside, Crooked, But Never Common is a highly satisfying book that will appeal to Sturges aficionados and newcomers alike.
Reviewed from a copy provided by Columbia University Press
Sturges’ talent attracted top actors, from Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda, to Joel McCrea and Claudette Colbert. A desire to direct, borne out of frustration with how others interpreted his screenplays, helped Sturges kick open the door for hyphenates who followed, like John Huston and Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
As a longtime Sturges fan, I couldn’t wait to get my mitts on Crooked, But Never Common. Less linear biography than 10 case studies of Sturges gems released from 1940 to 1948, Stuart Klawans offers fresh insights into movies I thought I knew well; captures the creative alchemy that made Sturges a legend; and makes me appreciate the brazen originality of Sturges films I haven’t always embraced.
For instance: I find the frantic Betty Hutton unwatchable, so I’ve never warmed to The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek. At the same time, I marvel that Sturges managed to get the name (no less the predicament) of Hutton’s ditzy character Trudy Kockenlocker (knocked up in a one-night stand with a soldier), past the Production Code’s purity squad. That alone is worth giving the film a closer look.
I appreciate how Klawans links Sturges’ posh but peripatetic life to the world he creates on screen – a world of kindly tycoons and realistically messy relationships. I like Klawans’ focus on Sturges’ visual sense, which I take for granted in my admiration for Sturges’ snappy dialogue. I gained new respect for Sullivan’s Travels, thanks to Klawans’ spotlight on moments like the docu-realism style used in a seven-minute, wordless sequence, or the almost-stupidly-cut-by-studio-suits scene featuring a Black preacher in the movie’s key turning point.
Klawans inspired me to fire up my copy of Palm Beach Story, by doing an autopsy of what makes it work: He nails it by calling the comedy “It Happened One Night run backward.” He notices little touches I hadn’t – how the "Bickersons” at the center of the tale are named “Tom” and “Gerry” (and like the animated cat ‘toons, spar like them).
I was less fond of Klawans’ repeated comparisons of Sturges and Orson Welles, yet disappointed that Klawans hadn’t dished any dirt about Sturges and Billy Wilder, both of whom wrote, directed and scored box-office hits over the same time period at Paramount. (Were they friends? Rivals? Jealous of each other’s genius?) Minor quibbles aside, Crooked, But Never Common is a highly satisfying book that will appeal to Sturges aficionados and newcomers alike.
Reviewed from a copy provided by Columbia University Press
July 15, 2022
Crooked, But Never Common: The Films of Preston Sturges, by Stuart Klawans, primarily looks at his classics and ties them together in a way that offers a much more coherent and appreciative view of his work as a whole.
While I have watched the main ten films at least once, this volume took me back to the times we studied one in a film course. Because none of the courses were devoted to Sturges, it seemed very much like we would have fun discussing the movie, the professor would comment on Sturges being the writer and director, but we never seemed to talk about him as a true groundbreaker. Yet he was, though admittedly not on the grand scale of those who are usually cited as such. Klawans does a great job of remedying that situation.
The chapters, each devoted to one of the films, offer wonderful readings largely through connecting them to Sturges' personal life as well as the society which they were critiquing. As we move from film to film, we begin to see what his strengths during this red-hot period of his career were as well as anticipate why it wasn't going to last.
For those less interested in film history, this is still an ideal book to use to revisit these films, The different ways into each film will make them speak to you in new ways. And if you've never seen any of his films, or maybe don't remember them, this is a great companion.
I found the attempt to trace a genealogy of Sturges into contemporary film artists to be particularly interesting. For me, I find the directors and screenwriters who treat all of the characters lovingly to be the ones I would associate with Sturges. I don't necessarily think that is because they are directly descended from him but rather that that feeling toward the characters is what I most enjoy in Sturges, and what I most enjoy in a lot of contemporary film.
While not extensive, I think the bibliography offers a number of key texts not only on Sturges but also a handful of general books that are well worth reading.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
While I have watched the main ten films at least once, this volume took me back to the times we studied one in a film course. Because none of the courses were devoted to Sturges, it seemed very much like we would have fun discussing the movie, the professor would comment on Sturges being the writer and director, but we never seemed to talk about him as a true groundbreaker. Yet he was, though admittedly not on the grand scale of those who are usually cited as such. Klawans does a great job of remedying that situation.
The chapters, each devoted to one of the films, offer wonderful readings largely through connecting them to Sturges' personal life as well as the society which they were critiquing. As we move from film to film, we begin to see what his strengths during this red-hot period of his career were as well as anticipate why it wasn't going to last.
For those less interested in film history, this is still an ideal book to use to revisit these films, The different ways into each film will make them speak to you in new ways. And if you've never seen any of his films, or maybe don't remember them, this is a great companion.
I found the attempt to trace a genealogy of Sturges into contemporary film artists to be particularly interesting. For me, I find the directors and screenwriters who treat all of the characters lovingly to be the ones I would associate with Sturges. I don't necessarily think that is because they are directly descended from him but rather that that feeling toward the characters is what I most enjoy in Sturges, and what I most enjoy in a lot of contemporary film.
While not extensive, I think the bibliography offers a number of key texts not only on Sturges but also a handful of general books that are well worth reading.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
January 9, 2023
Preston Sturges was an extraordinary figure in the history of moving pictures. When he accepted the Best Screenplay Oscar for “The Great McGinty” (1940), Sturges’ face was so unfamiliar to Hollywood insiders that he joked that the winner could not personally come to the gala, because winning was too overwhelming for him. Over the next few years, he made a number of excellent films which went down in film history. He was the first screenwriter to direct his own scripts (he couldn’t stand what other writers did to his source material). Although he is not widely recognized in all parts of the world, Americans list his name among the greatest filmmakers, next to Ernst Lubitsch, Frank Capra, Howard Hawks or Billy Wilder, to whom he opened the door to directing. Sturges is an important person in the Hollywood Dream Factory – the more successful he was in the 1940s, the more painful was his downfall in the following decade, culminating in his death in 1959.
Stuart Klawans, author of “Crooked, But Never Common: The Films of Preston Sturges”, another book that fans of the director can set on their shelves, looks at the director’s profile, analyzing ten of his films in ten separate chapters. Klawans does an excellent job. His sense of interpretation is simply extraordinary. And it is precisely on analyses that Klawans focuses. He is not interested in recalling facts from Sturges’ biography, because these – as he states – can be found in other publications, including books by James Curtis or Diane Jacobs. What is an advantage is also a problem. The book is like a stream of consciousness, even if brilliant. Klawans does not summarize the plots of the films. He just puts his thoughts on paper. Therefore, the book is primarily for those who know Sturges’ movies almost by heart. Those who have never seen them should refrain from reading, as they may get lost in the thicket. And those who have seen Sturges’ films long ago should revisit them, preferably picture by picture, reading chapter by chapter.
Stuart Klawans, author of “Crooked, But Never Common: The Films of Preston Sturges”, another book that fans of the director can set on their shelves, looks at the director’s profile, analyzing ten of his films in ten separate chapters. Klawans does an excellent job. His sense of interpretation is simply extraordinary. And it is precisely on analyses that Klawans focuses. He is not interested in recalling facts from Sturges’ biography, because these – as he states – can be found in other publications, including books by James Curtis or Diane Jacobs. What is an advantage is also a problem. The book is like a stream of consciousness, even if brilliant. Klawans does not summarize the plots of the films. He just puts his thoughts on paper. Therefore, the book is primarily for those who know Sturges’ movies almost by heart. Those who have never seen them should refrain from reading, as they may get lost in the thicket. And those who have seen Sturges’ films long ago should revisit them, preferably picture by picture, reading chapter by chapter.
March 11, 2023
Princess Fuzzypants here: My family love the films of Preston Sturges. They are movies we bring out often to watch again and again. This book was interesting in the way it looked at his work. The author seemed determined to equate some of his personal tales with what he put on the screen. No doubt most directors, like most actors, take a certain amount of their own experiences to colour those of the characters. But I did find there were times when the connections were more ponderous than obvious and I had to wonder who was psychoanalyzing whom.
I did enjoy some of the behind the scenes stories particularly about my favourite ones. I especially enjoyed when I read that Eddie Bracken was so upset that Sturges had been bullying his female stars that he threatened to deck him. One would think- Eddie Bracken? Naw. Turns out Bracken was a pugilist so the threat was not a hollow one.
If you are not familiar with Sturges and his work, check out some of his films. They are lampoon the social mores of the times and are filled with slapstick and humour. Sometimes it is best just to appreciate the movie and let it go at that. Three purrs and two paws up.
I did enjoy some of the behind the scenes stories particularly about my favourite ones. I especially enjoyed when I read that Eddie Bracken was so upset that Sturges had been bullying his female stars that he threatened to deck him. One would think- Eddie Bracken? Naw. Turns out Bracken was a pugilist so the threat was not a hollow one.
If you are not familiar with Sturges and his work, check out some of his films. They are lampoon the social mores of the times and are filled with slapstick and humour. Sometimes it is best just to appreciate the movie and let it go at that. Three purrs and two paws up.
June 29, 2022
I would like to thank Columbia University Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. This is an intriguing premise for a book. Preston Sturges died in 1959. His best films were made in the mid 40's- 80 years ago. So it begs the question, why now? I am not entirely sure we get the answer to that question. There is a lot of information in this book. It traces Sturges's film career through all of his movies. Each movie is given a chapter with a full description, along with a great deal of information about the shooting of the film itself.It also gives a running commentary showing how the characters in the movies coincide with various points in Sturges's life. It was clearly well researched and there was a wealth of information. I have seen several of these films, however many years ago. I think this would be better served as part of a film study class, watching the movies, and then reading the corresponding sections. I fear it had been too long since I had seen the films for the information to have as much an impact as it should have made. This is a serious book for serious film students.
January 13, 2023
This is a detailed discussion of Preston Sturges' films beginning in 1939 and continuing through 1948, after which Sturges began to deteriorate creatively and mentally. All of these films were written by Sturges, some as he was filming them, and they almost always follow the same pattern.
Each of his films follow a man who thinks he is controlling his life, but in reality is being controlled by those around him and the intervening period of the film. Though Klawans spends large amount of time explaining (his opinion of course) what he thinks Sturges is doing, he also compares each new film to the prior ones that have been done.
Even from the beginning of his filming things are a bit eccentric they become more a more weird. His marriage is almost a copy of the plots of his movies and it becomes hard to tell what's real and what is cinema. It's an unusual story about an unusual man.
Each of his films follow a man who thinks he is controlling his life, but in reality is being controlled by those around him and the intervening period of the film. Though Klawans spends large amount of time explaining (his opinion of course) what he thinks Sturges is doing, he also compares each new film to the prior ones that have been done.
Even from the beginning of his filming things are a bit eccentric they become more a more weird. His marriage is almost a copy of the plots of his movies and it becomes hard to tell what's real and what is cinema. It's an unusual story about an unusual man.
January 25, 2023
As the author says at the outset, this book is not meant to be an overview or biography of Preston Sturges' life. However, he does a great job weaving aspects about his personal and professional challenges as he dissects each of his films. In the descriptions of each of the films, Klawans gives an incredibly detailed description of what we seen on screen as well as the motivations and drama behind-the-scenes. I now am inspired to watch these films again (I had seen many of them over the years) or for the first time. This book will be a great companion to really seeing what is happening in these films. I recommend this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Columbia University Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and Columbia University Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
May 23, 2023
This book focuses on the meteoric rise and fall of Preston Sturges, covering in depth the movies he wrote and directed in the 1940s. The book is a bit esoteric. At times it seems Klawans is writing for fellow film critics rather than the classic movie buff.
Still, the author notes that few screenwriters have been as witty as Sturges, "deploying parody, doubletalk, double entendre, personification, metaphor, metonymy, parallel construction, self-contradiction, sudden candor, dialect, diatribe, cant, argot, and enough elegant variation to fill a thesaurus."
Klawans, who cites "The Palm Beach Story" as the filmmaker's most insightful motion picture, says Sturges stands alone in presenting business tycoons as decent, likable men.
Still, the author notes that few screenwriters have been as witty as Sturges, "deploying parody, doubletalk, double entendre, personification, metaphor, metonymy, parallel construction, self-contradiction, sudden candor, dialect, diatribe, cant, argot, and enough elegant variation to fill a thesaurus."
Klawans, who cites "The Palm Beach Story" as the filmmaker's most insightful motion picture, says Sturges stands alone in presenting business tycoons as decent, likable men.
February 2, 2023
An absolute blast, this volume caused me to laugh out loud several times while reading it, which is just as it should be for a study of Preston Sturges. While I found several points of disagreement with Klawans (I evidently enjoy "Sullivan's Travels" far more than Klawans does, and I feel that the Coen Brothers [and Aaron Sorkin, who goes unmentioned in Klawans' summation] are Sturges' most direct legatees) on the whole I found his opinions and conclusions to be entirely sound and well-reasoned. I especially appreciated the parallels and divergences he explicates between the careers of Sturges and Orson Welles.
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April 11, 2023[Essay Review: Klawans, “Crooked, but Never Common: The Films of Preston Sturges”] ~ For the filmmaker and master of the screwball comedy, how we presented ourselves was far more interesting than our inner feelings—Rachel Syme @NewYorker https://bit.ly/43pAoRV
September 15, 2024
This is not a biography . It is an astute analysis of the films Sturges both wrote and directed . It is entertaining and informative . It deepens your appreciation of these marvelous movies Refreshingly serious yet jargon free .
January 28, 2023
A sizzling ride through Sturges’s filmography.
February 6, 2023
Here's my review on the Arts Fuse.
https://artsfuse.org/268153/book-revi...
https://artsfuse.org/268153/book-revi...
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