His Girl Friday

One of the films that probably defines the screwball genre, some would argue that "His Girl Friday" is director Howard Hawks' best. The film was based on a Broadway play titled "The Front Page" that soon became a film in 1931, the film was directed by Lewis Milestone and produced by billionaire industrialist Howard Hughes. The film was remade again in 1940 but major changes were made particularly the gender of one of the central characters, though I have never seen "The Front Page" it turns out the original character or Hildy Johnson was really a man. A major trademark for Hawks films were independent and strong willed women and I guess Hawks wanted a woman character on the film who would be able to go toe to toe with the character of Walter. So Hildebrand is out and Hildegard is in.

Cary finds the hat funny.

The story begins when Walter Burns (Cary Grant) the editor of The Morning Post learns that his ex wife and former star reporter Hildegard "Hildy" Johnson (Rosalind Russell) was about to marry insurance man Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy).

Walter owes Hildy money but he makes every excuse to sabotage their plans even going as so far as to have Bruce arrested and even have Hildy's soon to be mother-in-law kidnapped by a thug that Walter employs, enter convicted murderer Earl Williams (John Qualen) who manages to escape his execution and his story becomes the hottest news in town.

Walter asks Hildy for one last favor to cover the story for the paper and she agrees, with luck the bumbling Earl who is proclaiming his innocence manages to slip by authorities and ends up on the newsroom where Hildy was staying to cover the story along with other reporters. She manages to hide Earl on a desk cabinet while the other reporters were away and informs Walter of the situation. This series of events are only made worse when crooked Mayor Fred (Clarence Kolb)  intercepts a pardon given by the governor to Earl to give him enough publicity for his upcoming reelection.
This film brilliantly directed by Hawks combines the usual characteristics of the screwball genre like word gags, sexual innuendos and farcical situations. But the film maybe best remembered for it's breakneck speed of overlapping dialogue, I couldn't remember any other film this entertaining with characters not being able to finish the dialogue they were saying because they were all too busy trying to out talk each other.

Cary Grant of course was brilliant,  his hard boiled cynical ruthless portrayal of Walter is probably one of the best performances in his career. Here Cary is his usual charming self but more devilish and cunning, his command of Hildy did not need the usual charm that he projected but he talked her into every situation like a rakish devil. What's also special about the character of Walter is he is  despicable but you still end up rooting for him because of Cary's natural wit and charisma. Rosalind Russel was also brilliant in playing the long suffering Hildy, you'd actually think she's portrayed as a weak female lead from all the abuse that she receives from Walter but her resourcefulness and efficiency proves the contrary. The film also has a great supporting cast that kept it moving from one scene to another like Walt Bellamy who plays the suffering Bruce, the group of newspaper men on the newsroom who couldn't catch a break,  the two bumbling characters of Sheriff Peter B. Hartwell (Gene Lockhart) and the messenger Joe Pettibone (Billy Gilbert) who is bribed by the crooked Mayor.

I think it was unfair that this film did not receive an Academy Award nomination unlike "The Philadelphia Story" that also starred Cary Grant, this film is certainly one of the most overlooked films of it's time but has gained a reputation since as a classic.
 

Grade: A+