Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Preston Sturges's eleven rules for box office appeal

Preston Sturges, director, screenwriter and the father of screwball comedy put down these 11 rules for box office appeal:


(Source: The Cinema of Preston Sturges: A Critical Study; Image: Preston Sturges, via PBS.)


  1. A pretty girl is better than an ugly one.
  2. A leg is better than an arm.
  3. A bedroom is better than a living room.
  4. An arrival is better than a departure.
  5. A birth is better than a death.
  6. A chase is better than a chat.
  7. A dog is better than a landscape.
  8. A kitten is better than a dog.
  9. A baby is better than a kitten.
  10. A kiss is better than a baby.
  11. A pratfall is better than anything.
---o0o--- 


No comments: