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His Girl Friday Overview:

His Girl Friday (1940) was a Comedy - Drama Film directed by Howard Hawks and produced by Howard Hawks.

SYNOPSIS

Arguably one of the funniest screen comedies, but indisputably the fastest. How the leads managed to get their lines out at the pace Hawks set is a marvel. This witty adaptation of the Hecht and MacArthur stage hit The Front Page (also the basis of the 1931 film) gives the ace reporter role to Russell, who takes it and runs. The action begins when Russell informs Grant, her suave managing editor and new ex-husband, that she's leaving the paper and planning to remarry. Grant, a handsome, hard-boiled type, wouldn't dare show his true feelings for Hildy, but he gets his way through the only true love of his ex's life: a breaking, front-page headline story. Her intended, Bellamy, stands by with hat in hand, his accustomed Hollywood role. Remade again in 1974, and, as Switching Channels, in 1988 set in a TV news environment.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

His Girl Friday was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1993.

His Girl Friday BlogHub Articles:

Featured in Box Set Celebrating Columbia's Centennial and HIS GIRL FRIDAY

on Jan 4, 2024 From GlamAmor

Happy New Year! 2024 is the 100th anniversary of Columbia Pictures and I'm excited to announce I have my own featurette included in a 4K boxed set that will be released February 13 to celebrate the studio's centennial. I spoke about His Girl Friday (1940) and its costume designer Robert Kalloch. It'... Read full article

Five Fun Facts about His Girl Friday (1940)

By Annmarie Gatti on Apr 18, 2022 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

Five Fun Facts about His Girl Friday ….. 1) Hildy was originally a man His Girl Friday was adapted from the 1928 Broadway play, The Front Page, which, in turn, was adapted into the 1931 film The Front Page. All three versions revolve around the same storyline, more or less, with o... Read full article

Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant in “His Girl Friday”

By Stephen Reginald on Sep 8, 2021 From Classic Movie Man

Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant in “His Girl Friday” His Girl Friday (1940) is an American screwball comedy directed by Howard Hawks and starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. Based on the play The Front Page (1928) by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, Hawks decided to turn Hildy ... Read full article

What’s Streaming in June on the CMH Channel at BCE? His Girl Friday, The Outlaw, and Father’s Little Dividend

By Annmarie Gatti on Jun 16, 2021 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

Our June Picks on the Classic Movie Hub ChannelJune Birthdays and Fond Memories! Here we go… This month’s free streaming picks for our Classic Movie Hub Channel at Best Classics Ever (BCE) – the mega streaming channel for classic movies and TV shows! These titles will be available for FR... Read full article

What’s Streaming in Jan on the CMH Channel at Best Classics Ever? His Girl Friday, Cyrano de Bergerac, Road to Bali.

By Annmarie Gatti on Jan 4, 2021 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

Our January Picks on the Classic Movie Hub ChannelJanuary Birthdays and Chasing Away the Winter Blues! It’s that time again… We have our monthly free streaming picks for our Classic Movie Hub Channel at Best Classics Ever (BCE) – the mega streaming channel for classic movies and TV shows! ... Read full article

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His Girl Friday Quotes:

Walter Burns: Sorta wish you hadn't done that, Hildy.
Hildy Johnson: Done what?
Walter Burns: Divorced me. Makes a fella lose all faith in himself. Gives him a... almost gives him a feeling he wasn't wanted.
Hildy Johnson: Oh, now look, junior... that's what divorces are FOR!
Walter Burns: What do you think I am, a crook?
Hildy Johnson: Yes.
Hildy Johnson: I wouldn't cover the burning of Rome for you if they were just lighting it up!
Walter Burns: [ducking from Hildy's throw and reaching for the ringing telephone] Oh, you're losing your arm! You used to be able to pitch better than that.
Hildy Johnson: [Hildy's on the phone telling Walter how Earl Williams escsaped] Of course he had to have a gun to re-enact the crime with. And who do you think supplied it? Peter B. Hartwell. B For brains.
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His Girl Friday Facts
During the 1930s, Howard Hawks was hosting a dinner party when the topic of dialogue was brought up. He pulled out a copy of "The Front Page" to demonstrate the snappy exchanges between characters, taking the role of Burns. A female guest took the role of Hildy. While reading, Hawks realized the dialogue sounded much better with a female reading, and quickly secured the rights for the film from Howard Hughes. Ben Hecht (the author of "The Front Page") approved the gender change and the screenplay was put into production.
One of the first, if not the first, films to have characters talk over the lines of other characters, for a more realistic sound. Prior to this, movie characters completed their lines before the next lines were started.
When Earl Williams tries to get out of the roll-top desk, Burns (Cary Grant) says: "Get back in there, you Mock Turtle". Grant played the Mock Turtle in Alice in Wonderland.
Rosalind Russell was borrowed from MGM for this film.
The Broadway production of "The Front Page" (source material for the film) opened at the Times Square Theater on August 14, 1929 and ran for 276 performances.
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