His Girl Friday

"His Girl Friday" is a romantic comedy that belongs almost entirely to the screwball tradition. The screenplay is adapted from the 1928 play "The Front Page" by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. This is the second, and by far the most successful, film adaptation of that story.

We follow former star reporter Hildy Johnson, who is about to marry insurance agent Bruce Baldwin. Their plan is simple: to start a family and settle into a quiet life in Albany. But there's a catch-Hildy happens to be the ex-wife of Walter Burns, a ruthless and manipulative newspaper editor determined to derail their plans. Walter convinces Hildy to cover just one more story before she leaves with Bruce. The case seems simple-a chance killing-but beneath it lies a tangle of political corruption. Hildy agrees, on the condition that Walter buys a life insurance policy from Bruce, but by doing so she steps straight into Walter's treacherous game...

Howard Hawks directs with a whirlwind pace: the lines are exchanged at lightning speed, often without pause, like bursts of rapid-fire. This rhythm adds energy to the comedy and makes the escalating entanglements feel endless. Hawks was known to allow improvisation, cutting a scene only when it was necessary to move on to the next sequence. The result is that the audience feels immersed in the true circus of a newsroom. The camera faithfully follows the protagonists, while close-ups highlight the irony and satirical edge of their relationships. Romance here takes a back seat, almost as if life itself is unfair to Hildy. It's clear, however, that ambition drives every character forward.

Thematically, the film exposes corrupt politics and the sensationalism of the press, through the fate of a condemned man abandoned by the justice system. Its characters move through a sharp, cynical game that raises questions about ambition, marriage, emancipation, and honesty in relationships.

Cary Grant is outstanding as Walter Burns-manipulative, unscrupulous, and yet irresistibly charming. He is both an editorial demon and a slippery seducer, and yet the audience can't help but root for him. His charisma makes us sympathize with him, even when we cannot fully grasp his motives. Once again, Grant is flawless in his element.

Rosalind Russell plays Hildy Johnson, the beating heart of the film. Hildy is smart, witty, and resourceful-a woman torn between her desire for domestic peace and the irresistible pull of reporting. She holds her own against Walter in every exchange, and their chemistry, especially in their quarrels, is nothing short of electric.

Ralph Bellamy, as Bruce Baldwin, is the good-natured, gentlemanly fiancé who is hopelessly out of place in the chaos of journalism. His character is the complete opposite of Walter and Hildy, providing a perfect counterbalance that deepens the comedy. Bellamy is superb in the role, though one might joke that his fans should start a petition never to cast him opposite Grant again-because no one escapes Walter's tricks unscathed.

"His Girl Friday" is a film about the speed of life, the power of words, and the manipulative games that unfold within the noisy world of politics and journalism. Love and professional passion collide in a single point, while truth remains as slippery and fleeting as a tabloid headline. For lovers of romantic comedy, this film is essential viewing and stands as one of the finest examples of the genre from the 1940s.

When I learned about Howard Hawkes screwball comedy "His Girl Friday," one of the biggest attractions, I was told, was the fast-paced/overlapping dialogue. During this time in Hollywood, dialogue would only be spoken by one person at a time. "His Girl Friday" was one of the first films to have characters speaking at the same time, often over one another; this would create an environment that was more realistic, especially in a place such as a newspaper room. Well, if that's what Hawkes was going for, he certainly achieved it.

The best thing about the film IS the dialogue. Characters speak at a break-neck speed, throwing witticisms left and right as if they were candy. Many times, while one is laughing at one joke, they would miss another right after it. That is how quickly the jokes are thrown out in the film. Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell are great at spilling lines out seemingly without any problem. It's a real testament to how professional these two were (along with the rest of the cast) with the amount of verbal meat they had to chew; I can't think of an actor today that could possibly pull of the kind of dialogue that was given in this film.

The problem that I had with the film was that the dialogue was the ONLY great thing about it. Unfortunately, the characters and situations presented in the film had little sympathy and lack of any kind of real depth. The situation with the falsely accused murderer was handled poorly given the context of his predicament; instead of really caring about this person and really trying to help him become cleared of charges, the Grant and Rosalind characters instead used him for their own purposes in getting "the big scoop." Now, of course one can argue that that WAS the reason they treated him the way they did, my issue is that such a serious subject was handled in a supposed "comedic" fashion; as if it was OK that this falsely accused person can be treated in such a horrible way, simply because it handled comedically. The last-second deus ex machina that sealed this person's fate supports the idea that his story wasn't really handled with any kind of importance.

The thing the really hurt the film was the love triangle between the Grant and Rosalind characters, and the Rosalind's character's fiancé. We are told in the beginning of the film that Grant and Rosalind are divorcees, and Rosalind is set to marry her fiancé the very next day in Albany. Of course, in a film like this, we are supposed to root for the Grant and Rosalind characters to get together at the end. the problem is, the Grant character is such a manipulative creep that at the end of the film I found myself actually rooting for the fiancé to the win the girl. Three times in the movie, the Grant character manipulates the situation, causing the fiancé to be thrown in jail, and preventing the would-be married couple from leaving the city. This in turn gives the Grant character enough time to convince Rosalind that she will always be "a newspaperman." The Rosalind character isn't much better either. Throughout the beginning of the film, she keeps explaining to others that she is through with the newspaper business, that she wants to settle down, raise a family, and not have to deal with the daily grind of hunting down a story. Well, does settling down and having a family sound like a bad thing to you? I didn't think so. Every time she tries to leave, she gets bogged down and distracted by the story (many times through the very fault of the Grant character). It gets so bad, that when the fiancé comes to her, begging her to leave with him, she brushes him off like a fly, barely acknowledging him. Even worse, when the fiancé's mother comes into play, the Rosalind character actually ALLOWS Grant to have her kidnapped and taken away! "His Girl Friday" would've worked if the filmmakers had cared enough about the characters than they did about the dialogue. The actor playing the fiancé did a thankless job; without much to work with, he actually created a character we cared about more so than the two leads. Sure he was a little simple, but that's a lot more than can be said about the other two. At the end of the film, I thought to myself "these two characters were divorced before the film started. Based on all the manipulative actions these two had throughout the story, is there any evidence that they'll stay together once the movie is over?" Maybe they deserve each other, because they certainly don't deserve anyone else.

A very, very funny movie, this rapid-fire farce combines a terrific cast, a great script, and a plot that lends itself wonderfully both to comedy and satire. There are more funny lines and good gags than you can count, even when you've already seen it a few times.

Cary Grant is excellent at this kind of manic comedy, and Rosalind Russell gives what had to be one of her very best performances, as a worthy foil for Grant's domineering character. Ralph Bellamy is also ideal as the naive insurance salesman, and they are backed up by a cast filled with fine comic character actors. Some of the supporting cast do a terrific job of getting laughs with very limited screen time. They all get great material to work with, too. The dialogue is just amazing, with funny, creative lines coming constantly - sometimes literally on top of each other. The setting and the plot create hilarious situations and some great opportunities to satirize politicians and the news media. If anything, the satire is even funnier and more appropriate as regards today's institutions than it was in 1940.

"His Girl Friday" is absolutely hilarious, a classic comedy that you can watch and enjoy over and over.

This gloriously funny romp by Howard Hawks is rightly remembered as one of the fastest-talking movies ever made. Originally done as 'The Front Page', the play by Hecht and McArthur takes on new life here as the character of Hildy Johnson metamorphoses in this version to be a sparky woman (played by Rosalind Russell), former wife of the harassed columnist Walter Burns (played with characteristic bewilderment and charm by Cary Grant). Hildy is about to marry again, to the nice but dull Bruce Baldwin (played by Ralph Bellamy as a character so boring he 'is like Ralph Bellamy' - how Hollywood liked its in-jokes).

With that fire-cracking script, a sizable amount of sparks between Grant and Russell, and good support from Bellamy and a cast which includes Gene Lockhart, Cliff Edwards, Clarence Kolb, and Regis Toomey, 'His Girl Friday' is one of those classic gems which never age and which remain hugely entertaining.

Every good thing you've heard about this movie is true. It may very well be the fastest paced movie I've ever seen. Jerry Bruckheimer's most hyperbolic action movie ain't got nothing' on this one.

Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell were a brilliant screen pair (indeed, it seems that no one was bad casting when paired with Cary Grant) as rival reporters in a furiously paced news office. Russell is the odd man, or should I say odd girl, out, due to her lack of a penis, but she proves herself more than capable of holding her own with the boys.

Russell charges across the screen and never loses momentum for a second. She's goofy, sexy and hysterical. The funniest moment in the film comes when she's chasing a man down the street (I won't go into details) and dive tackles him to the ground.

One of the first films from the 40s and a highlight of the decade.

Grade: A+