Preston Sturges (1898-1959) worked on stage productions for his mother's friend Isadora Duncan, developed a kiss-proof lipstick, and invented a photo-etching process, before he became a playwrite.

Paramount Studios hired Mr. Sturges to direct his own screenplay, The Great McGinty (1940), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay. He was particularly adept at comic pacing, dialogue and slapstick. His commercial success wained when he became an independent filmmaker.

Preston Sturges

filmography (chronological)

Joel McCrea and Claudette Colbert in
Preston Sturges' The Palm Beach Story (1942)

Preston Sturges directed the following movies:

The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend (1949)

Starring: Betty Grable, Cesar Romero

Unfaithfully Yours (1948)

Starring: Rex Harrison, Linda Darnell

The Sin of Harold Diddlebock (1947)

Starring: Harold Lloyd, Frances Ramsden

The Great Moment (1944)

Starring: Joel McCrea, Betty Field

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944)

Starring: Eddie Bracken, Betty Hutton

Hail the Conquering Hero (1944)

Starring: Eddie Bracken, Betty Hutton

The Palm Beach Story (1942)

Starring: Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea

Sullivan's Travels (1941)

Starring: Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake

The Lady Eve (1941)

Starring: Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda

Christmas in July (1940)

Starring: Dick Powell, Ellen Drew

The Great McGinty (1940)

Starring: Brian Dunlevy, Muriel Angelus

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