Crossword Genius

Screwball comedy that needs work put into it (3,3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

top hat

'screwball comedy' is the definition.
(1935 film)

'needs work put into it' is the wordplay.
'needs' becomes 'tha' (I can't explain this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'work' becomes 'op' (abbreviation for opus).
'put into' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'it' becomes ''t' (abbreviation. e.g. in 'tis).
'tha' placed around 'op' is 'topha'.
'topha'+'t'='TOP-HAT'

'that' is the link.

(Other definitions for top hat that I've seen before include "Wear it with tails" , "It's seen with tails" , "14 headgear" , "Man's headgear with a tall crown" , "Headgear (for those in tails?)" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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