The golden age of screwball comedies lasted from about 1932 until 1944. It would have ended at the start of World War II, if Preston Sturges hadn’t almost single handedly kept it going. There were many fine comedies after World War II, but none had the same sense of comedic abandon that was shown mostly perfectly in the 20 films below.

(1) Duck Soup (1933; directed by Leo McCarey)

(2) Bringing Up Baby (1938; directed by Howard Hawks)

(3) His Girl Friday (1940; directed by Howard Hawks)

(4) Holiday (1938; directed by George Cukor)

(5) The Merry Widow (1934; directed by Ernst Lubitsch)

(6) The Awful Truth (1937; directed by Leo McCarey)

(7) Twentieth Century (1934; directed by Howard Hawks)

(8) The Palm Beach Story (1942; directed by Preston Sturges)

(9) The Lady Eve (1941; directed by Preston Sturges)

(10) It Happened One Night (1934; directed by Frank Capra)

(11) Sullivan’s Travels (1941; directed by Preston Sturges)

(12) The Philadelphia Story (1940; directed by George Cukor)

(13) The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944; directed by Preston Sturges)

(14) My Man Godfrey (1936; directed by Gregory La Cava)

(15) Christmas in July (1940; directed by Preston Sturges)

(16) The Good Fairy (1935; directed by William Wyler)

(17) Easy Living (1937; directed by Mitchell Leisen)

(18) Hail the Conquering Hero (1944; directed by Preston Sturges)

(19) Midnight (1939; directed by Mitchell Leisen)

(20) To Be or Not to Be (1942; directed by Ernst Lubitsch)