During the 30's and 40's, Hollywood produced a genre of madcap comedies that emphasized reuniting the central couple after divorce or separation. And the female protagonists were strong, independent, and sophisticated. Here, Stanley Cavell examines seven of those classic movies for their cinematic techniques, and for such varies themes as feminism, liberty and interdependence. Included are Adam's Rib, Bringing Up Baby, and The Philadelphia Story.

Stanley Cavell is Walter M. Cabot Professor, Emeritus, of Aesthetics and the General Theory of Value, Harvard University.

Read More by Stanley Cavell:

• The World Viewed: Reflections on the Ontology of Film, Enlarged Edition
• A Pitch of Philosophy: Autobiographical Exercises
• The Immediate Experience: Movies, Comics, Theatre, and Other Aspects of Popular Culture
• Cities of Words: Pedagogical Letters on a Register of the Moral Life
• Philosophy the Day after Tomorrow