Romantic Comedy
By Kiera Tolhurst
Detailed Analysis (Genre Research)

What is a Romantic Comedy?
• A romantic comedy (or rom com) is defined as "a movie or play that
deals with love in a light, humorous way”. Some television series can
also be classified as romantic comedies.
• In a typical romantic comedy the two lovers tend to be young,
likeable, and apparently meant for each other, yet they are kept apart
by some complicating circumstance (e.g., class differences, parental
interference; a previous girlfriend or boyfriend) until, prevailing all
obstacles, they are finally reunited. A fairy-tale-style happy ending is a
common convention.

History of Romantic Comedies
William Shakespeare influenced the idea of romance
in modern times by his plays. Much Ado About
Nothing and A Midsummer Night's Dream gave the
basic setup of early (and many modern) romantic
comedies: Two people meet, have a conflict in their
way, and reunite to live happily ever after.
But in film, the first romantic comedies stemmed
from the 1920s. In 1924, Sherlock Jr. (starring the
silent film star Buster Keaton) and Girl Shy were two
silent films that classified in the genre of romantic
comedy. All dialogue was captured with title cards
that appeared between each scene of action —
which means the true comedy in the characters'
dialogue could not be captured until 1928, when
diegetic films took the world by storm.

History of Romantic Comedies
An early form of romantic comedies were called
"comedies of manners." The plot surrounded the
idea that a rich person would fall in love with a
deprived, non-wealthy person (The importance of
class in marriage was prominent in this time). A
great example of this would be It Happened One
Night (1934). A wealthy woman (Claudette Colbert)
runs away and takes up with a handsome out-of-
work newspaper reporter (Clark Gable). The movie
won five Oscars (Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress
and Screenplay). This genre in particular
demonstrated to poorer audiences that money
doesn't buy everything—it gave people optimism
and hope.

History of Romantic Comedies
Screwball comedies became popular in the 1930s.
The phrase, originating from the sport baseball,
refered to the pitchers that threw the screwballs in
unexpected ways. Similarly, screwball comedies were
common films that generated surprise in the
audience and moved in unexpected directions.
These movies can be identified by slapstick scenes
and fast-paced, witty dialogue, shown in Katharine
Hepburn rom coms. Bringing Up Baby (1938) and
The Philadelphia Story (1940 interestingly showed
how the female could be the protagonist and the
hero.
The heroic role of the female empowered women in
this time.

History of Romantic Comedies
Sex comedies, from the 1950s to the early 1970s,
focused on the differences between men and women.
Commonly, conflicts began with two rivals which
resulted in fierce competition of the sexes. Eventually
they found love in each other. Sex comedies include the
Katharine Hepburn-Spencer Tracy classic Desk Set (1957),
the Rock Hudson-Doris Day hit Lover Come Back (1961),
and the Battle of the Sexes (1960).
One of the reasons this dramatic change in film began
was when sexual research opened up the conversation
that women do have sex drives and engage in premarital
sex. As well as this, Playboy magazine began publication
in 1953, which began to give men guides to developing
relationships with women. Finally, the industry's strict
moral production code ended and gave way to the rating
system, which meant less censorship in films, easily
explaining the growth of sex comedies.

History of Romantic Comedies
The sexual revolution of the 1960s introduced the
radical romantic comedies of the 1970s. The public
began to view romantic comedies differently from
the way they had previously. In this new time era,
men and women could speak freely about sex and
love without the innuendos and insinuations often
found in earlier films. These new films were cynical
and questioned whether or not true love existed at
all. The previous stereotypical ending of “happily
ever after” was not required in this new period of
romantic comedy. Movies like Annie Hall (1977)
focused on personal happiness, the needs of self
love and a realization that romantic love does not
solve all troubles.

History of Romantic Comedies
• Neo-traditional romantic comedies are the dominant
genre today. They are popular because they follow the
traditional boy meets girl, boy loses, girl boy gets girl
back structure, but are more realistic. The couples in
neo-traditional romantic comedies have problems, but
they still get their happily ever after. Neo-traditional
romantic comedies have also been popular for so long
because popular culture is tied in, making them
accessible to the audience years and years later. The
de-emphasis of sex makes neo-traditional romantic
comedies more family friendly, which could add to
popularity. Trainwreck (2015) is easily considered a
neotraditional romantic comedy.
• Throughout film's history, romantic comedies mirror
the society in which we live. Whether the story takes
place in the modern world we inhabit, a futuristic
planet, or an era long past, the moment a movie is
created, it shows the current society's general feelings
on love.