GENRE – ROM-COM History

Rom-com history

What is a Rom-Com?

A rom-com is a hybrid genre as it's a mixture of romance and comedy. These are 

normally light hearted films with funny plot lines and are normally centred on romantic

 ideals such as true love can overcome an obstacle. In a typical rom-com the two main

 protagonists tend to be young, likeable and "meant for each other" but they're kept apart

 by a complicated situation, (e.g. Class differences, unwilling parents and them interfering, 

another male/female etc.) they then defy the odds and are reunited at the end of the film.

 This genre is suited to a female audience because of the romance and it's commonly 

referred to as a "chick-flick" but it also brings in a male audience with the added comedy. 

History
Rom-Coms had been around since Shakespearian times but the first film that we can 

class as a Rom-Com didn't come about until the 1940's. The Seven Year Itch is probably

 one of the first and most iconic Rom-Coms ever made.

Examples of Rom-Coms and Directors
I found these examples of films on this list of the 101 best Rom-Coms of all time 
1) Pretty Woman - Garry Marshall
2) Knocked up - Judd Apatow
3) When Harry Met Sally - Rob Reiner
4) How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days - Donald Petrie
5) The Wedding Singer - Frank Coraci
6) Romancing the Stone - Robert Zemeckis
 7) Bridget Jones Diary - Sharon Maguire
8) Splash - Ron Howard
9) What Women Want - Nancy Meyers
10) The Seven Year Itch - Billy Wilder