Classic Drama Film: His Girl Friday - A newspaper editor uses every trick in the book to keep his ace reporter ex-wife from remarrying.
His Girl Friday (1940)
Director: Howard Hawks
Writers: Charles Lederer(screen play), Ben Hecht(from the play "The Front Page"), Charles MacArthur(from the play "The Front Page")
Stars: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: United States
Language: English
Also Known As: Howard Hawks' His Girl Friday
Release Date: 11 January 1940 (USA)
Filming Location: Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
Storyline:
Having been away for four months, Hildy Johnson 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, 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, with whose mother 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. 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 and a corrupt mayor, 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.
Reviews:
"This screen adaptation of the Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur play "The Front Page" was adapted for the talents of Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell -- there is no such character as Hildy Johnson (Russell) in that play.
Director Howard Hawks wanted to show the whirlwind pace of the newsroom in the criminal courts system so he had his actors overlap their lines -- so much so that at times it seems as though everyone is talking at once; it even gets difficult to understand all that is going on.
He also had the cast move FAST so the film looks totally frenetic from scene to scene with no respite -- either from the laughs or from the action.
There are two really good "inside" jokes in the script: The first is where Walter Burns (Grant) is describing Hildy's fiancee and says that "he looks like that guy in the movies -- Bellamy," Well, it WAS Ralph Bellamy playing that part!
The other is when Burns says something about someone he once knew named "Archie Leach" which just happens to be Cary Grant's real name.
This is one of the true gems of Hollywood's most prolific era. It has incredible pacing, acting, photography and an authentic gritty feeling that would be associated with hard-boiled, "anything for a story" newspaper people.
It has long been one of my favorite films and deserves to be watched over and over again -- just for all the dialogue and great acting that may have gone by so fast you missed it the first time."
- written by "TuckMN" on IMDb.com
Also Known As (AKA):
(original title) His Girl Friday
Canada (French title) La dame du vendredi
Czechia Jeho dívka Pátek
Denmark Sensationen
Israel (Hebrew title) Na'arato Sheshet
Italy La signora del venerdì
Japan (Japanese title) ヒズ・ガール・フライデー
Slovenia Njegovo dekle Petek
Soviet Union (Russian title) Его девушка Пятница
Spain Luna nueva
UK His Girl Friday
USA His Girl Friday
Venezuela Mi asistente favorita
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