nominate for six academy award ( include best picture and best screenplay ) and a huge box office hit when originally release and the awful truth be a screamingly hysterical marital comedy that hasn not lose one iota of it punch in the seven decade since it release . irene dunne be amaze in a layered performance that be both subtly affect and side splittingly funny sometimes within the same scene . the scene in which dunne masquerade a grant floozy and night club dwell sister be one of the bright highlight in film comedy history . dunne receive a well deserved oscar nomination for her inspired work in this film and which endure a a reminder of why she be one of hollywood top actress during the thirty and forty . after flirt with success in she do him wrong ( 1933 ) and sylvia scarlett ( 1935 ) and and topper ( 1937 ) and cary grant finally become a bonafide superstar with his performance in the awful truth . grant be an absolute master when it come to deliver one liner and and the prowess that he display in the film many moment of physical comedy be nothing short of phenomenal . exceptional performance be also deliver by the rest of the cast ( include best support actor oscar nominee ralph bellamy ) and but the film real scene stealer be the incredible canine performer asta a mr. smith and which be easily the best performance by a dog ever . leo mccarey win a much deserve academy award for his frenetic direction of what be surely one of the all time great comedy .