Nora Ephron’s Favorite Love Stories
Nora Ephron (born on this date in 1941) wrote a piece shortly before she died about her favorite romantic comedies. The novelist, journalist and filmmaker knew quite a lot about the subject, having herself written and produced WHEN HARRY MET SALLY(1989) and having written and directed SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE (1993).
Here is the article, and for convenience’s sake, here is the list:
THE LADY VANISHES (1938)
“In addition to everything else he did, Hitchcock made great romantic movies.”
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
“Starring Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable, it was made in those long-ago days when women looked like women and men looked like men.”
HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940)
“If there’s a better movie about journalism, I don’t know what it is.”
THE PALM BEACH STORY (1942) (pictured above)
“I tell everyone I know who wants to be a screenwriter to watch the scene at the beginning of the movie, where Colbert is stuck in the bathroom with the Wienie King. It’s a lesson in specificity.”
THE THIN MAN (1934)
“One of the only movies about marriage. Of course it’s also about drinking.”
THE APARTMENT (1960)
“This movie is (I think) the first to use what’s now become a staple of romantic-comedy endings, the “R” scene. “R” stands for running, of course.”
CHARADE (1963)
“Once again, there’s a plot, which always helps: This is a mystery and a love story.”
SPLASH (1984)
“Among the movie’s long-lasting effects: the popularity of the name Madison.”
HANNAH & HER SISTERS (1986)
“It’s not strictly a romantic movie, but the scene at the end in Tower Records between Dianne Wiest and Allen is one of the greatest falling-in-love scenes ever filmed.”
CASABLANCA (1942)
“How many times can you see it? Never enough.”
SENSE & SENSIBILITY (1995)
“A lot of Jane Austen movies founder on the fact that the plot almost always includes a letter that changes everything. It’s hard to do letters in movies. But in this one, everything works.”
