Yes, we live in the age of Iron-Man, Avatar, Harry Potter, Inception and a number of other cinematic hits that took over our movie theater screens. But that does not mean that the Hollywood classics are dead.
In fact, as some of them have safely crossed over into the sphere of public domain they can be easily accessed and downloaded for free; just like His Girl Friday – called no. 13 best comedy film of all time by Guardian (and a 97% from rating from Rotten Tomatoes), a film that put journalism among the most glamorous professions, and most importantly a film with stellar performances from Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. A treat for everyone.
His Girl Friday, ‘a timeless masterpiece’ as called by many, is filled with rapid-fire dialogue, tones of wit, and quick pace with the cast never missing a beat. Written by Lederer and directed by Howard Hawks, famous for Gentlemen Prefer Blonds (with Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe) as well as a screenplay for the future Ocean’s Eleven, among others, the film follows characters of Walter Burns (Grant) an editor at The Morning Post and his ex-wife and journalist Hildy Johnson (Russell).
The story does more than talking about a struggle between an editor and a reporter – it also conveys the battle between the sexes as Hildy is not only leaving the life of a journalist for a quiet life in Albany, New York, but she is leaving it on account of getting engaged. So when Burns learns about Hildy leaving the business to marry a dull insurance salesman (a total opposite of flamboyant Grant) he becomes more than determined to get her back, both as a wife and a reporter, by sabotaging her plans. And so here is where the real action begins as Walter, trying to do everything he can to keep Hildy from leaving, entices her to cover one last story – the upcoming execution of convicted murderer Earl Williams (John Qualen).
His Girl Friday was originally intended as a straightforward adaptation of The Front Page (a hit Broadway comedy produced in 1928), where both, the editor and reporter, were men. However during auditions, as Hawks’s secretary read reporter Hildy Johnson’s lines the director noticed that the dialogue sounded much better while coming from a woman. Soon the script has been rewritten to make Hildy female and the ex-wife of editor Walter Burns while most of the dialogue and character’s names were left the same.
Whether you already saw this comedy classic and want a piece of cinematic history for yourself or if its the very first time you came across it, I hope you will enjoy it the same way I did.
Related Links:
His Girl Friday on IMDb
His Girl Friday on Internet Archive
His Girl Friday on Rotten Tomatoes