The Classics Corner #4: His Girl Friday

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance

Director: Howard Hawks

Producer: Howard Hawks

Writers: Charles Lederer (screenplay), Ben Hecht (play “The Front Page”) and Charles MacArthur (play “The Front Page”)

Cast: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy, Gene Lockhart, Porter Hall, Ernst Truex, Cliff Edwards, Clarence Kolb, Roscoe Karns, Frank Jenks, Regis Toomey, Abner Biberman, Frank Orth, John Qualen, Helen Mack

Music: Sidney Cutner, Felix Mills

Cinematography: Joseph Walker

Distribution: Columbia Pictures

Release Date: January 18, 1940

Running Time: 92 min

So far the films I’ve been showcasing on The Classics Corner fall into the "high art" , whatever that is. Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Rashomon, and Pierrot le Fou showcased the side of art associated with larger than life themes, heavy experimentation, and just a dose of pretentiousness that with film being the sensational medium it is that’s usually impossible to avoid. However I recognize these films may not be for everyone, and part of my goal of writing this series is to help bring the classics to people with just a passing curiosity in film. That's why today I'm going to take a look at a different side of the art of film; the kind of art that tells a great story, which is something today Hollywood seems incapable of. I’m not sure why the ability to write and direct a great film has become a lost art today, but back in 1940 it wasn’t and directors like Howard Hawks were turning out quality material. That’s why today we’re going to look at one of the maestro’s best films: His Girl Friday.

His Girl Friday stars Rosalind Russell as Hildy Johnson, the ace reporter of a major Chicago newspaper who has decided to leave the corrupt world of reporting and domesticate herself by marrying insurance agent Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy). However the editor in chief of her paper Walter Burns (Cary Grant) happens to be her ex-husband who is still in love with her. Burns concocts an elaborate scheme to win Hildy back that after several plot twists later a murderer is on the run and Bruce is in prison with Hildy juggling to keep everything together.

His Girl Friday has one of the best scripts written, the characters are all wonderfully written with their own story arcs and complexities. It is fun to watch their traits play off of one another as they interact using some of the most brilliant dialogue yet written for the screen. Speaking of dialogue, His Girl Friday sparkles with one liners and word play that fly at you at an alarming rate. From the first minute of the film to the last there isn’t a moment of silence to be had. The writing is just so sharp and so witty it’s a thing of beauty.

Of course all this brilliant writing would be nothing without strong acting, and there’s plenty of that in this film. Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell have a strong chemistry with one another and since they’re together most of the time it gives the film a strong edge. Grant is excellent as usual, and manages to be both sleazy and charming at the same time. The scenes where his character works to concoct plans are especially amusing to watch because he always carries a sense of class with him even when his character is doing quite classless acts. The casting of Rosalind Russell was a bold choice on Hawks’ part. She has a certain feminity to her, but also a strong, driven side that many actresses of the time didn’t have. The supporting players are all strong as well most notably Ralph Bellamy as Bruce.

His Girl Friday is a very theatrical film, and Hawks does a strong job directing. Hawks was a great director of actors as we’ve already covered, but perhaps one of the biggest contributions he made to the film was the way the dialogue played out. Hawks spent a good amount of time experimenting with the sound to tweak it just right so it would sound like the chatter of a newspaper room. There are also a few great shots in the film, but cinematography is second to character and story here.His Girl Friday is a wonderfully funny film, propelled mostly by its brilliant script, top notch acting and strong direction from Hawks. It reminds us that there was a time when Hollywood made films for grown-ups, and perhaps with the right elements they still could if they tried.