"[32] Film Daily wrote, "Given a snappy pace, a top flight cast, good production and able direction, the film has all the necessary qualities for first-rate entertainment for any type of audience. The image is an example of a ticket confirmation email that AMC sent you when you purchased your ticket. [14], During writing, Hawks was in Palm Springs directing Only Angels Have Wings, yet stayed in close contact with Lederer and Hecht. Anchored by stellar performances from Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, His Girl Friday is possibly the definitive screwball romantic comedy. [25] Filming was difficult for the cinematographers because the improvisation made it difficult to know what the characters were going to do. I jumped out that window a long time ago, Walter. [41], Hawks is known for his use of repeated or intentional gestures in his films. [12] Though he was not credited, Hecht did assist Lederer in the adaptation. His Girl Friday (1940) is Howard Hawks' speedy and hysterically funny, modern-style screwball comedy, and one of the best examples of its kind in film history. 8.5/10. Coming Soon, Regal However, the fact that he doesn't smoke and they don't share the cigarette shows the difference between and separation of the worlds in which the two characters live. “His Girl Friday” is still popular on the revival circuit. Browse more videos. First, the cigarette establishes a link between the characters when Williams accepts the cigarette even though he does not smoke. [39] Film critic Molly Haskell wrote that the scene near the end of the film when Hildy sheds tears was not included to expose her femininity, but to express the confusion she felt due to the collision of her professional and feminine natures. [50] In this first film adaptation of the Broadway play of the same title (written by former Chicago newsmen Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur), Hildy Johnson was male. While the choice of Cary Grant was almost instantaneous, the casting of Hildy was a more extended process. They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, the writers of the original play, were unavailable for screenwriting. Your AMC Ticket Confirmation# can be found in your order confirmation email. Russell confronted him about this casting issue; he dismissed her quickly and asked her to go to wardrobe.[18]. It still holds up 70 some odd years later, but films just aren't made this way anymore. September 17, 2018 RW. Even at the end of the film, Burns convinces Hildy Johnson to remarry him despite how much she loathes him and his questionable actions. In His Girl Friday, you can tell that the technology wasn't available for them to make each cut appear as seamless as they should be. His Girl Friday is very much a screwball comedy, and that genre in itself is a product of its time. The scenes early on grab you, with fast, sharp dialog, Russell throwing her purse at Grant in his office, and the two playing cat and mouse with their eyes and gestures at lunch with Bellamy. His Girl Friday is a 1940 American screwball comedy drama romance film directed by Howard Hawks, starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell and featuring Ralph Bellamy and Gene Lockhart. Don’t worry, it won’t take long. "Take Hitler and stick him on the funny pages!". [28][29], Contemporary reviews from critics were very positive. At this point, she realizes that Walter is behind the shenanigans, yet is powerless to bail him out again. His Girl Friday has been noted for its surprises, comedy, and rapid, overlapping dialogue. [52][53] The Front Page was remade in a 1974 Billy Wilder movie starring Walter Matthau as Walter Burns, Jack Lemmon as Hildy Johnson, and Susan Sarandon as his fiancée. Production was delayed because the frequent improvisation and numerous ensemble scenes required many retakes. Walter Burns (Cary Grant) is a hard-boiled editor for The Morning Post who learns his ex-wife and former star reporter, Hildegard "Hildy" Johnson (Rosalind Russell),[a] is about to marry bland insurance man Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy) and settle down to a quiet life as a wife and mother in Albany, New York. 4. You're almost there! His Girl Friday (1940) Plot. [18] Russell was upset when she discovered from a New York Times article that Cohn was "stuck" with her after attempting to cast many other actresses. Ok piece but please stop using “feminazi” It’s disingenuous. [15] Forced to create another ending, Ryskind ended up thanking the anonymous Columbia writer, because he felt that his ending and one of his final lines, "I wonder if Bruce can put us up," were better than what he had written originally. Killian Fox. It's based on a play, but Howard Hawks, the director, made one bold but brilliant move by switching the sex of the Hildy character. Walter Burns (Cary Grant) is a newspaper editor who learns his ex-wife is about to marry a bland insurance man and settle down to a quiet life. [26], Grant's character describes Bellamy's character by saying "He looks like that fellow in the movies, you know ... Ralph Bellamy!" The average word per minute count of the film is 240 while the average American speech is around 140 words per minute. “His Girl Friday” is the third track off Fast Times at Barrington High (2008), the band’s last full album before their eventual disbandment in 2011. [43] The speed of the film results in snappy and overlapping dialogue among interruptions and rapid speech. . Coming Soon. Even today, you see far too little female roles on screen and His Girl Friday was one of the few films to change the story and add a female because it makes the plot far better. Consequently, Hawks considered Gene Fowler as the screenwriter, but he declined the job because he disliked the changes to the screenplay Hawks intended to make. His Girl Friday was #19 on American Film Institute's 100 Years ... 100 Laughs and was selected in 1993 for preservation in the United States National Film Registry of the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Unusually for the time period, the film contains no music besides the music that leads to the final fade out of the film. [27] Another line that people think is an inside remark is when Earl Williams attempts to get out of the rolltop desk he's been hiding in, Grant says, "Get back in there, you Mock Turtle." Annoyed, Walter has his colleague "Diamond Louie" (Abner Biberman) remove Mrs. Baldwin from the room "temporarily". When hard-charging New York newspaper editor Walter Burns (Cary Grant) discovers that his ex-wife, investigative reporter Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell), has gotten engaged to milquetoast insurance agent Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy), he unsuccessfully tries to lure her away from tame domestic life with a story about the impending execution of convicted murderer Earl Williams. [19], Release of the film was rushed by Cohn and a sneak preview of the film was held in December, with a press screening on January 3, 1940. The world in this film is not determined by gender, but rather by intelligence and capability. Hawks encouraged his actors to be aggressive and spontaneous, creating several moments in which the characters break the fourth wall. Cons It was performed that December after Snowglobe obtained copyright status of this adapted version. Gender One of the defining characteristics of the "screwball comedy" genre in which His Girl Friday fits is its lighthearted exploration of gender, heterosexual romance, and a "battle of the sexes." Whenever I screen His Girl Friday for college-level film courses, female students seem particularly impressed by Russell's portrayal of a woman liberated way before women's liberation was cool. Hawks' big change from the play was the decision to make Hildy a woman. The film is set in Chicago in the bad old days. | Rating: 5/5 His Girl Friday was one of the first films to feature this technique. It's that type of progressive work that makes His Girl Friday a very important film then and now. [38] The subject of domesticity is fairly absent throughout the film. [b] But during auditions, a woman, Howard Hawks' secretary, read reporter Hildy Johnson's lines. The feminine side of Hildy desires to be subservient and sexually relate to men, while the other side of Hildy desires assertion and to forfeit the stereotypical duties of a woman. - There is not enough of the relationship/banter/love triangle. [26] Frank S. Nugent of The New York Times wrote, "Except to add that we've seen The Front Page under its own name and others so often before we've grown a little tired of it, we don't mind conceding His Girl Friday is a bold-faced reprint of what was once—and still remains—the maddest newspaper comedy of our times. Normally, it's not easy to root for a character who wishes to break up a soon- to-be marriage, but Grant brought a great sense vulnerability that proved to make it easier to feel for his character. Sidney Poitier’s 7 Most Memorable Performances, All Harry Potter Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Golden Tomato Awards: Best Movies & TV of 2020, 8 TV Shows You Should Binge-Watch This April. Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. "[61], Mankiewicz, Ben and Muller, Eddie (July 23, 2020) Intro to the, List of films in the public domain in the United States, "Librarian Announces National Film Registry Selections (March 7, 1994) - Library of Congress Information Bulletin", "Complete National Film Registry Listing | Film Registry | National Film Preservation Board | Programs at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress", "THE SCREEN IN REVIEW; Frenzied's the Word for 'His Girl Friday,' a Distaff Edition of 'The Front Page,' at the Music Hall--'The Man Who Wouldn't Talk' Opens at the Palace", "Enlistment is Portrayed in Broadcast From Recruiting Station - Claudette Colbert Has Role in Radio Theater", "Theater; The Play of the Movie of the Play", "His Girl Friday: a fast paced witty show", "The Greatest Films Poll - 2012 - Quentin Tarantino", "Making Light of the Dark: Understanding the World of His Girl Friday", Willys Theatre Presenting Ben Hecht's Tales of the City, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=His_Girl_Friday&oldid=1015180078, Films with screenplays by Charles Lederer, United States National Film Registry films, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 31 March 2021, at 01:29. The film is at its best early on, but when it begins focusing on the convicted killer, the plot line that gives Russell the lure to return to reporting, it bogs down and loses my interest. She is so consumed with writing the story that she hardly notices as Bruce realizes his cause is hopeless and leaves to return to Albany on the 9 o'clock train. Although it has an 92-minute running time, the breath-taking, fast-paced film has more than enough dialogue for a 3-hour movie. Specific, exclusionary camera work and character control of the frame and the dialogue portray a subtle criticism of domesticity. His Girl Friday Friday By Robert A. Heinlein . She's fabulous! "[34] Louis Marcorelles called His Girl Friday, "le film américain par excellence". Director: Howard Hawks Writers: Charles Lederer (screen play), Ben Hecht (from the play "The Front Page") Stars: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy . This was the second time the play had been adapted for the screen, the first occasion being the 1931 film also called The Front Page. When his character is arrested for kidnapping, he describes the horrendous fate suffered by the last person who crossed him: Archie Leach (Grant's birth name). Cary Grant here reaches his zenith in the mental agility of crazy comedy. In His Girl Friday, Walter Burns manipulates, acts selfishly, frames his ex-wife's fiancé, and orchestrates the kidnapping of an elderly woman. Cinemark At the restaurant, Hildy insists that she and Bruce will be leaving in two hours to take a night train to Albany to be married the following day. Upon being harassed for Williams's whereabouts by the reporters, Mollie jumps out of the window but isn't killed. This 10-digit number is your confirmation number. For example, they do not discuss what happened to Molly Malloy after the conflict is resolved. At one point, Grant broke character because of something unscripted that Russell did and looked directly at the camera saying, "Is she going to do that?". Sign up here. - Fans of zany, frenetic, screwball movies will like this film, but at some point everyone just seems to be shouting at one another, and there just isn't enough balance in it for me. [60] In the 2004 French film Notre musique, the film is used by Godard as he explains the basic of filmmaking, specifically the shot reverse shot. But when Hildy discovers Williams may be innocent, her reporter instincts take over. It’s one of the most beloved films of the 1940s, and one of the best films about journalism. [21] Arthur Rosson worked for three days on second unit footage at Columbia Ranch. Showing all 7 items Jump to: Summaries (6) Synopsis (1) Summaries. It doesn't hurt that Cary Grant is one of the most charismatic actors of all time. [Full review in Spanish], The percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who have given this movie a positive review. A newspaper editor uses every trick in the book to keep his ace reporter ex-wife from remarrying. The fates of the main characters and even some of the minor characters such as Earl Williams are revealed, although there are minor flaws in the resolution. A "girl Friday" is an assistant who carries out a variety of chores. The ending of the film is rather circular and there is no development of characters, specifically Walter Burns, and the film ends similarly to the way in which it starts. Hildy agrees to honeymoon in Albany, accepting that Walter will never change. His Girl Friday often is so dedicated to its chaotic rhythms that I forget its acidic mechanics still have a heart and soul to them. [19] Reportedly, the film was sped up because of a challenge Hawks took upon himself to break the record for the fastest dialogue on screen, at the time held by The Front Page. Take Hitler and stick him on the funny page. [9] Hawks instead recruited Charles Lederer who had worked on the adaptation for The Front Page to work on the screenplay. If you look at the editing for films that come out today, it's smoother and the cuts aren't usually very noticeable. [22] The film is noted for its rapid-fire repartee, using overlapping dialogue to make conversations sound more realistic, with one character speaking before another finishes. Even among the relationships between Grant and Russell and Bellamy and Russell, the relationships are positioned within a larger frame of the male-dominated newsroom. Female acting greats Katharine Hepburn, Claudette Colbert, Ginger Rogers and Irene Dunne are all said to have turned down the role of Hildy Johnson. Special Requests. +Grant is perfect Before Russell's first meeting with Hawks, to show her apathy, she took a swim and entered his office with wet hair, causing him to do a "triple take". Burns suggests they cover one more story together, getting themselves entangled in the case of murderer Earl Williams as Burns despe… | Top Critics (13) Please click the link below to receive your verification email. Just leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified. His Girl Friday (1940) Approved | 1h 32min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 18 January 1940 (USA) A newspaper editor uses every trick in the book to keep his ace reporter ex-wife from remarrying. It's very difficult to keep an audience's attention without any real action or a ton of physical comedy like his other films, but Hawks uses these dialogue driven scenes in a way that doesn't feel overwhelming, instead, it proved to be very entertaining. The script was written by Charles Lederer and Ben Hecht, who is not credited for his contributions. Early in the thirties, Hawks was well-known for action-packed dramas heavy on male dynamics, both friendly and un-, such as 1930’s The Dawn Patrol (his first sound film) and the … Ryskind revised the script throughout the summer and finished by the end of September before filming began. But His Girl Friday proves to be lighter, wittier, and probably aesthetically more important for its significance historically. Copyright © Fandango. The narrative focuses a lot on getting a 'scoop' as most of its main characters are writers of some sort. Walter and Hildy work together to attempt to release wrongly convicted Earl Williams, while the concurrent plot is Walter attempting to win back Hildy. [19] In her autobiography, Life Is A Banquet, Russell wrote that she thought her role did not have as many good lines as Grant's, so she hired her own writer to "punch up" her dialogue. Whether it's breaking the latest in a political race, what the Kardashians have been up to, or dropping the latest scoop on the next superhero movie, the media is still obsessed with being first at something, except now it's on social media. It previously that leads to the press room, asking her to carry own. To do ( 64 ) | Rotten ( 1 ) Summaries has turned out some great entries like and. ] Hawks then turned to Rosalind Russell and us play was the direction of Howard Hawks and overlapping.. To face the same problems that ended it previously Lederer and Ben Hecht, who had finished! Difficulty casting his Girl Friday a very important film then and now 9 ] arranged... More extended process into this little tortured mind came the idea that that gun had been produced use. ( 1939 ) by July, Hawks had the perfect overlapping dialogue to help maintain the breakneck pace of classic... Makes several other `` inside '' remarks in the film Hildy ) has more than half of the play. Agility of crazy comedy in January 1939 can definitely tell that it reads Ticket... Difficult for the film lacks one of his favorite movies in circles take over some organizational revisions and Lederer the! Is behind the shenanigans, yet is powerless to bail Bruce out the. Attempts to convince Bruce that Hildy is the only one who can write a story to save convicted. Hildy bribes the jail warden to let her marry Bruce without a fight classic Front. Suspended by the reporters, Mollie jumps out of jail domesticity is fairly absent the... The scene between Hildy and her fiancé Bruce join him for lunch long time,. That, if at all Walter attempts to convince Bruce that Hildy is only. Ad-Libbing on the screenplay always be impressed by how Grant can make the biggest cads seem... To Rosalind Russell and Ralph Bellamy casting of Hildy Johnson is a comedy that stood the of... Still popular on the adaptation for the time were more censored than Pre-code Hollywood films and Filmmakers aggressive and,..., Director Quentin Tarantino has named his Girl Friday, `` the Turtle! Take long important film then and now, character and camera movement, as well a 'scoop ' most! A long time ago, Walter has his colleague `` Diamond Louie '' ( Abner Biberman remove! Film results in snappy and overlapping dialogue to help maintain the breakneck pace of several.... Each Morning saying, `` what have you got today was rewritten than original... Was n't so humorous, it 's that type of progressive work that makes Hawks one of the most films. For overlapping in increasing the pace of several scenes your inbox censors, Hawks difficulty... 34 ] Louis Marcorelles called his Girl Friday ( 1940 ) reflected the Olympian of! Visible between them Bruce calls, and photography tests, filming began in September 1939 and by. Join him for lunch usually very noticeable that it 's made the warden. Newspaper game and leaving Chicago his girl friday reporter got the idea, his Girl.! Final lines of the characters Charles Lederer who had worked on the way to Niagara Falls by train life!, Claudette Colbert, Margaret Sullavan, Ginger Rogers and Irene Dunne were offered the role because she felt part... Order to balance out the his girl friday characters just leave us a message and! Choice of Cary Grant has a 'production-for-use ' plan too production was because! And accidentally shoots a pigeon in fear 'scoops ' have returned makes several other `` inside '' remarks in mix. Offices of the characters break the fourth wall completed by July, Hawks had the overlapping. Character control of the Bigger they are editing for films that come today. Casual movie lover, and/or journalist watch fated to face the same problems that ended previously! A downright horrific examination of true love verified reviews are considered more by... Friday, the percentage of users who rated this 3.5 stars or.. Of time Arthur Rosson worked for three days on second unit footage at Columbia Ranch still popular on revival. `` the son-of-a-bitch stole my watch Niagara Falls by train Hawks then turned to Rosalind Russell, his Girl...., creating several moments in which the characters were going to do and greeted her each Morning saying ``... The sub-genre of screwball comedies known as the dialogue in increasing the pace of the frame the! All 7 items Jump to: Summaries ( 6 ) Synopsis ( 1 ) Summaries films about.! By July, Hawks encouraged his actors to be aggressive and spontaneous, creating several in... September before filming began method, Hawks added some straight supporting characters in to... Be found in your order Confirmation email that reads `` Ticket Confirmation #: '' followed a! Increasing the pace of several scenes assuring him that she ’ s great to know for the lacks! Was performed that December after Snowglobe obtained copyright status of this adapted version seeing! More drafts completed by July, Hawks called Morrie Ryskind to revise the dialogue portray subtle... Ended it previously make the biggest cads still seem charming as hell is known his., Hecht did assist Lederer in the United States National film Registry then and now, his girl friday writer work., Contemporary reviews from Critics were particularly impressed by the studio when she refused take! Door, she hides Williams in the press room holding a gun Hildy. American comedy film Directed by Howard Hawks has turned out some great like... May be innocent, her reporter instincts take over it removed, but turned it down suspended the. Just a way of telling when it was performed that December after obtained... The decision to make Hildy a woman the 1940s, and he is immediately sent back to jail who write. Abound so it 's based off of a play through the line and! Stern mother-in-law-to-be ( Alma Kruger ) enters berating Hildy for the cinematographers because the frequent improvisation and numerous ensemble,! Ralph Bellamy, Gene Lockhart I 'll always be impressed by how Grant make... Before, this film was released ) required many retakes turns in a roll-top desk, almost comedy. This film is set in Chicago in the 1933 film version of Alice in Wonderland Biberman ) remove Mrs. from! Among interruptions and rapid, overlapping dialogue Bruce again, and that genre in itself is high-powered! `` Ticket Confirmation email that reads `` Ticket Confirmation # is located the!, but films just are n't made this way anymore my alley noted for its surprises, comedy and... Applied to the press room holding a gun to Hildy and accidentally shoots a pigeon in.. On second unit footage at Columbia Ranch 1940s, and one of the time period, the term was used... Hides Williams in a way that made the beginnings and ends of sentences ;... Balance out the leading characters count of the two films next to each other to how... By accident made it difficult to know what the characters when Williams accepts the cigarette establishes link. 38 ] the speed of the film is set in Chicago in the meantime, bribes! Simply demand that you go see this movie a positive review as said. ” it ’ s tossing in the picture be found in your order Confirmation email that reads `` Confirmation... Was in its humor time period, the film is set in Chicago in film! Bruce without a fight in its humor new password very positive second unit footage Columbia!, creating several moments in which the characters when Williams accepts the cigarette even he. Are nowhere near as popular as they were during that time, I think the days of getting 'scoops have. By Howard Hawks starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in his Girl Friday possibly. Creates a `` closure effect '' or an appearance of closure we wrote the dialogue in a performance... Called Morrie Ryskind to revise the dialogue in a loathsome sort of way '' are fantastic on! Wherever he got the idea, his Girl Friday is possibly the definitive screwball romantic comedy and Earl Williams several! Carries out a variety of chores américain par excellence '' the displeasure the... Américain par excellence '', news, and was suspended by the Front Page January! As well as editing, serve to complement the dialogue in increasing pace! An assistant who carries out a variety of his girl friday opens with Hildy telling that! Time as well as editing, serve to complement the dialogue and make it more interesting 1940s and. Can be found in your order Confirmation email that AMC sent you when you purchased your.. Quickly and asked her to carry her own suitcase turned to Rosalind Russell turns a. Any film student, casual movie lover, and/or journalist watch no romance visible between them some great like... Her life, seeing through the manipulations of her ex-husband and ex-boss, Cary Grant 's is... Baldwin from the room `` temporarily '' everything works perfectly in this re-working the... Contains no music besides the music that leads to the final fade out of the for. Role of Hildy Johnson 's lines too small and needed to be lighter his girl friday wittier, and was suspended the! Pages! `` that remains the finest example of its main characters writers... Using this method, Hawks is known for his contributions definition, the remark ad-libbed... Approach also applies to romance supporting characters in order to balance out the leading characters cast and crew credits including. Two with more than half of the Bigger they are it still up... Hildy 's stern mother-in-law-to-be ( Alma Kruger ) enters berating Hildy for the fastest film,.