Laughter
US (1930): Comedy/Romance
Laughter earned an Oscar® nom for Best Original Story -- it isn't much. What the Academy overlooked was the stylish Art Direction which did deserve a nom. The story is slight -- former Follies girl Peggy Gibson (Nancy Carroll) has married a millionaire (Frank Morgan) but finds life boring. An old flame (Fredric March) re-enters her life and lifts her spirits with reminders of the fun they used to have. Carroll and March are quite engaging as performers and work well together, but the pace is stifling and the story is not very interesting. There isn't much drama, considering what could have been made of the story, although some big names were involved here (Herman J. Mankiewicz, Donald Ogden Stewart). All in all, a curio and not really worth seeking out unless you're a fan of the stars. Co-written and directed by Harry d'Abbadie D'Arrast for Paramount. (Arne Andersen, IMDb)
1 nomination
· Writing (Original Story) 1930-31: Harry d'Abbadie D'Arrast, Douglas Doty, Donald Ogden Stewart