Theodora Goes Wild

This 1936 comedy is a story of a double life in a small town. Theodora, from Lynnfield's most respectable family, hides something nobody knows: she is the author, under a pen name, of the scandalous bestseller driving the town's moral guardians to fury. When Michael, who illustrated the book's jacket, discovers her secret, he does not threaten to expose her but sets about, as he puts it, liberating her, launching a project to free her from the town's rules. Once Theodora agrees to play, it turns out Michael has a secret too and that the game will cost him more. It was Irene Dunne's first comic role, it changed the direction of her career, and it brought her an Academy Award nomination. It holds a respected place in the thirties screwball tradition. Who it's for: viewers who love classic Hollywood comedy and screwball centred on a woman. Who it's not for: anyone wanting modern pace and depth of social criticism.