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Cary Grant is one of Hollywood's greatest rags-to-riches stories. Born Archibald Leach in Bristol, UK, in 1904, he survived an impoverished and neglected childhood in which his mother was falsely declared dead (he would find out she was still alive until was in his 30s) and went on to become one of the greatest romantic leading men that Tinseltown has ever produced. Known for his distinctive and often-imitated mid-Atlantic accent, dashing good looks, and a faint air of aristocratic amusement, Grant appeared in over 70 movies during his career, ranging from Boys' Own adventures ("Gunga Din") and film noir ("Notorious") to slick espionage thrillers ("North by Northwest"). Yet his particular debonair charms were always better suited to light comedy, perhaps best demonstrated in one of his best screwball movies: Howard Hawks' 1940 classic "His Girl Friday," now streaming free on Pluto TV.

"His Girl Friday" was Grant's third collaboration with Howard Hawks after...

The restoration of a newly rediscovered director’s cut of the 1931 The Front Page prompts this two-feature comedy disc — Lewis Milestone’s early talkie plus the sublime Howard Hawks remake, which plays a major gender switch on the main characters of Hecht & MacArthur’s original play.

His Girl Friday / The Front Page

Blu-ray

The Criterion Collection 849

Available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date January 10, 2017 / 39.96

His Girl Friday:

1940 / B&W /1:37 flat Academy / 92 min.

Starring Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy, Gene Lockhart, Porter Hall, Ernest Truex, Cliff Edwards, Clarence Kolb, Roscoe Karns, Frank Jenks, Regis Toomey, Abner Biberman, Frank Orth, John Qualen, Helen Mack, Alma Kruger, Billy Gilbert, Marion Martin.

Cinematography Joseph Walker

Film Editor Gene Havelick

Original Music Sidney Cutner, Felix Mills

Written by Charles Lederer from the play The Front Page by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur

Produced and Directed by Howard Hawks

The Front Page:...