The Park Ridge Public Library Classic Film Series resumes its “Legends of Laughter” trilogy, paused in early March 2020, with a look back at the great screwball comedies of the 1930s and early 1940s. The screwball comedy was a madcap version of the romantic comedy, often featuring strong heroines matching wits with their male counterparts. Their themes also highlighted class division in which a character from one social class enters another, usually as a poseur. There was always an emphasis on slapstick with plotlines more outlandish than your typical romance. The screwball genre turned traditional courtship on its head.

“Comedies have always been a successful component of what we do at the Park Ridge Public Library,” explains series host Matthew C. Hoffman, who programmed a series of British comedies in 2018. “LOL 3 is a powerhouse line-up of the biggest films and stars of the era, including The Philadelphia Story (May 12), which won James Stewart an Academy Award for Best Actor.”

Join us Thursday nights this spring for a wild ride of misadventures featuring spoiled heiresses, fast-talking reporters—and a pet leopard named Baby.

Films begin at 7 p.m. with a special introduction by Matthew C. Hoffman. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Free admission. Seating is limited to 50 and registration is not  required.

March 3: IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)

March 10: TWENTIETH CENTURY (1934)

March 17: EASY LIVING (1937)

March 24: NOTHING SACRED (1937)

March 31: THE AWFUL TRUTH (1937)

April 7: BRINGING UP BABY (1938)

April 14: MIDNIGHT (1939)

April 21: HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940)

April 28: MY FAVORITE WIFE (1940)

May 5: Friends of the Library Spring Book Sale

May 12: THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)

May 19: THE LADY EVE (1941)

May 26: THE PALM BEACH STORY (1942)