His Girl Friday Movie Review 1940

Classic, unrelentingly hilarious war-between-the-sexes comedy. Cynical newspaper editor Walter Burns (Grant) wants to get a big scoop on political corruption, which involves convincing star reporter (and ex-wife) Hildy Johnson (Russell), to come back to work and put off her marriage to dull Bruce Baldwin (Bellamy). Hildy can't resist covering a good story, even when it mean helping a condemned man (Qualen) escape the law. One of Hawks's most furious and inventive screen combats in which women are given uniquely equal (for Hollywood) footing, with staccato dialogue and wonderful performances. Based on the Hecht-MacArthur play "The Front Page," which was filmed in 1931, remade in 1974, and again in 1988 (as "Switching Channels").

Distribution

Valencia Entertainment International, 26030 Avenue Hall, Ste. 5, Valencia, CA 91355, Phone: (661)257-8000, Fax: (661)257-1780, URL: http://

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 92 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Front Page, Adapted from a Play, War Between the Sexes, Otherwise Engaged, Corporate Shenanigans, New York, New York, 4 Bones

Screenplay

Charles Lederer

Cast

Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy, Gene Lockhart, John Qualen, Porter Hall, Roscoe Karns, Abner Biberman, Cliff Edwards, Billy Gilbert, Helen Mack, Ernest Truex, Clarence (C. William) Kolb, Frank Jenks

Cinematography

Joseph Walker

Director

Howard Hawks

Music

Morris Stoloff

Other

Gene Havlick, Lionel Banks

Producer

Columbia Pictures

Awards

Natl. Film Reg. 1993.