Comedy films have traditionally not received their due from Hollywood, cineastes and academics. There seems to be an erroneous perception that because material is handled in a light fashion, it is without substance. When histories examine the great film directors of the 1930s and 40s, the list of names include well-known figures like Howard Hawks, Preston Sturges, Frank Capra, etc. occasionally at the expense of fine craftsmen like W.S. Van Dyke ("The Thin Man" 1934) and Gregory La Cava. La Cava, in particular, is often overlooked despite directing "My Man Godfrey" (1936), arguably one of the greatest "screwball" comedies. One may assert that he is sometimes neglected because his more dramatic fare is not on the same par with his comedy movies. His own contemporary reputation as "difficult" (stemming in part from his alcoholism) and the fact that he moved from studio to studio undoubtedly figures into this assessment. Still, in examining his oeuvre from the silent comedies through to his less than stellar final output, one can see the sponteneity (he was a proponent of improvisation on set) as well as a subversive social undertone that many have missed.