Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell make great sparring partners in "His Girl Friday," a remake of "The Front Page." Grant plays the conniving newspaper publisher Walter Johnson, and Rosalind Russell is the reporter Hildy Johnson, a woman this time, and Johnson's ex-wife. She's trying to get remarried, move to Albany, and quit the newspaper business, but Walter can't bear it. He cons her into helping out with a controversial death row case and then makes sure her fiancée (Ralph Bellamy) suffers a series of mishaps - arrest for stealing a watch, arrest for "mashing," arrest for counterfeiting, and the theft of his wallet. This all happens while Hildy interviews Earl Williams, a man due to be hung the next day... and then hides him in a roll-top desk in the courthouse press room when he escapes during a psychiatric evaluation.
It's madcap, all right, and there are no two better people to carry it off than Grant and Russell, who make a great team. It's a hilarious story, with the most rapid-fire, non-stop dialog ever heard anywhere, often with several conversations going on at once. It's exhausting trying to keep up with it.
Strangely, without computers and cell phones, the story of journalists working on a story holds up because the emotions and activities are realistic and still go on. It's as Hildy describes - no set schedule, no normal meals, and long hours. Nothing much has changed.
This is a frenetic comedy, and while the impending hanging of Earl Williams is certainly serious, this plot is more of an excuse to observe the machinations of Hildy and Walter - it's a subplot, though it drives the main story.
"The Front Page" is a favorite of Hollywood's, remade many times - three versions under its original title, a TV series, two TV productions, plus the film "Switching Channels." And of course, "His Girl Friday," possibly the best of all of them.
His Girl Friday
1940
Action / Comedy / Drama / Romance
His Girl Friday
1940
Action / Comedy / Drama / Romance
Plot summary
Having been away for four months, Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) walks into the offices of the New York City-based The Morning Post, where she is a star reporter, to tell her boss, editor Walter Burns (Cary Grant),that she is quitting. The reason for her absence was among other things to get a Reno divorce, from, of all people, Walter, who admits he was a bad husband. Hildy divorced Walter largely because she wanted more of a home life, whereas Walter saw her more as a driven hard-boiled reporter than subservient homemaker. Hildy has also come to tell Walter that she is taking the afternoon train to Albany, where she will be getting married tomorrow to staid straight-laced insurance agent, Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy),with whose mother (Alma Kruger) they will live, at least for the first year. Walter doesn't want to lose Hildy, either as a reporter or a wife, and if he does, doesn't believe Bruce is worthy of her. Walter does whatever he can at least to delay Hildy and Bruce's trip, long enough to persuade Hildy to stay for good. His plan includes doing whatever he can to place Bruce in a bad light, while dangling a big story under her nose, namely covering what the newspaper believes is the unfair imminent execution of convicted cop killer, Earl Williams (John Qualen). Hildy doesn't trust Walter in dealing with her and Bruce in an above-board manner, but the lure of what potentially may become the biggest story in years, which includes true love, a bumbling sheriff (Gene Lockhart) and a corrupt mayor (Clarence Kolb),the latter's actions largely in light of an upcoming election, may prove to be too much for Hildy to resist, especially if it ends up being an exclusive. Regardless of the story outcome, Hildy will have to decide if the thrill of the chase was worth the anguish on her personal life.
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Another version of "The Front Page" starring Grant and Russell
about as perfect a film as you can find
This and ARSENIC AND OLD LACE are my two favorite Cary Grant movies. Both are nearly perfect and, for once, I have NO CRITICISMS WHATSOEVER about either film.
Well, HIS GIRL Friday is a remake of the fine film THE FRONT PAGE. However, bucking a general trend, this film is definitely better than the original, as it is jam packed full of energy and snappy dialog. Just listening to the dialog between Grant and Russell is something to behold! I really think if they slowed down the film to normal speed, it would last about 30 minutes longer! But, despite its blistering speed, it works great. Watch and laugh--it just doesn't get much better than this.
By the way, there are several wonderful inside jokes in the film. The first, and the funniest, is when Cary is describing his ex-wife's boyfriend to someone. He's at a loss for how to describe him and finally says that the guy "looks like that actor,...Ralph Bellamy"--and the guy playing the boyfriend IS Bellamy!! Then later, Cary is talking about a guy he knew named "Arichie Leach". Archie Leech is Cary Grant's REAL name! Cute touches like this, combined with the lightning-fast pacing, wonderfully overlapping dialog and general kookiness make this a MUST-SEE. Amazingly enough, Grant's comedies BRINGING UP BABY and ARSENIC AND OLD LACE are even better--if it's possible!!! See them all--you deserve it!!
By the way, IF you can find a decent copy of THE FRONT PAGE (1931),it is well worth seeing and almost as good as HIS GIRL Friday. However, be forewarned that many DVD and videotapes are public domain copies that are unwatchable due to serious volume and print problems.
Brilliant
As a fan of Cary Grant I watched His Girl Friday and I wasn't disappointed at all. His Girl Friday is very clever, very witty and at the end of the day very satisfying. The story is engaging with a great black comedy situation, and the script is wonderful even after about half an hour after watching you still have a smile on your face, you are quoting the dialogue and you are even laughing. The sets are limited to just two, but this limitation works, I personally think otherwise it would have distracted too much. The music is memorable too, while the direction and pacing are spot on. The acting is marvellous, for me Cary Grant has never been better and I have yet to see a movie where Rosalind Russell was as tough as she was here. All in all, brilliant film that works primarily due to the wonderful script and the amazing interplay between the leads. 10/10 Bethany Cox