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.

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