"His Girl Friday" (1940) by Howard Hawks - HD Quality
- 9 years ago
His Girl Friday is a 1940 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, from an adaptation by Charles Lederer, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur of the play The Front Page by Hecht and MacArthur.[1] The major change in this version, introduced by Hawks, is that the role of Hildy Johnson is a woman.
The film stars Cary Grant as Walter Burns and Rosalind Russell as Hildy Johnson and features Ralph Bellamy as Bruce Baldwin.
The film was #19 on American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Laughs and has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. Due to a failure to renew the copyright registration, the film entered the public domain in 1968;[2] the 1928 play it is based on remains under copyright until 2024.
Plot
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), 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. Walter determines to sabotage these plans, enticing the reluctant Hildy to cover one last story, the upcoming execution of convicted murderer Earl Williams (John Qualen).
Walter does everything he can to keep Hildy from leaving, including setting Bruce up so he gets arrested over and over again on trumped-up charges. He even kidnaps Hildy's stern mother-in-law-to-be (Alma Kruger). When Williams escapes from the bumbling sheriff (Gene Lockhart) and practically falls into Hildy's lap, the lure of a big scoop proves too much for her. She is so consumed with writing the story that she hardly notices as Bruce realizes his cause is hopeless and returns to Albany.
The crooked mayor (Clarence Kolb) and sheriff need the publicity from the execution to keep their jobs in an upcoming election, so when a messenger (Billy Gilbert) brings them a reprieve from the governor, they try to bribe the man to go away and return later, when it will be too late. Walter and Hildy find out in time to save Walter from being arrested for kidnapping.
Afterward, Walter offers to remarry Hildy, promising to take her on the honeymoon they never had in Niagara Falls, but then Walter learns that there is a newsworthy strike in Albany, which is on the way to Niagara Falls by train.
Cast:
Cary Grant as Walter Burns
Rosalind Russell as Hildegard "Hildy" Johnson
Ralph Bellamy as Bruce Baldwin
Alma Kruger as Mrs. Baldwin, Bruce's mother
Gene Lockhart as Sheriff Peter B. Hartwell
Clarence Kolb as Mayor Fred
Abner Biberman as Louis "Diamond Louie" Peluso
John Qualen as Earl Williams
Helen Mack as Mollie Malloy
Porter Hall as Reporter Murphy
Ernest Truex as Reporter Roy V. Bensinger
Cliff Edwards as Reporter Endicott
Roscoe Karns as Reporter McCue
Frank Jenks as Reporter Wilson
Regis Toomey as Reporter Sanders
Frank Orth as Duffy, Walter's city editor
Billy Gilbert as Joe Pettibone
Pat West as Warden Cooley
Edwin Maxwell as Dr. Max J. Eggelhoffer
Marion Martin as Evangeline
Directed by Howard Hawks
Produced by Howard Hawks
Screenplay by Charles Lederer
Based on The Front Page 1928 play by Ben Hecht Charles MacArthur
Starring Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy, Gene Lockhart
Music by Sidney Cuter, Felix Mills
Cinematography Joseph Walker
Edited by Gene Havlick
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Released on January 11, 1940
Running time 92 minutes
Country United States
Language English
The film stars Cary Grant as Walter Burns and Rosalind Russell as Hildy Johnson and features Ralph Bellamy as Bruce Baldwin.
The film was #19 on American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Laughs and has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. Due to a failure to renew the copyright registration, the film entered the public domain in 1968;[2] the 1928 play it is based on remains under copyright until 2024.
Plot
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), 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. Walter determines to sabotage these plans, enticing the reluctant Hildy to cover one last story, the upcoming execution of convicted murderer Earl Williams (John Qualen).
Walter does everything he can to keep Hildy from leaving, including setting Bruce up so he gets arrested over and over again on trumped-up charges. He even kidnaps Hildy's stern mother-in-law-to-be (Alma Kruger). When Williams escapes from the bumbling sheriff (Gene Lockhart) and practically falls into Hildy's lap, the lure of a big scoop proves too much for her. She is so consumed with writing the story that she hardly notices as Bruce realizes his cause is hopeless and returns to Albany.
The crooked mayor (Clarence Kolb) and sheriff need the publicity from the execution to keep their jobs in an upcoming election, so when a messenger (Billy Gilbert) brings them a reprieve from the governor, they try to bribe the man to go away and return later, when it will be too late. Walter and Hildy find out in time to save Walter from being arrested for kidnapping.
Afterward, Walter offers to remarry Hildy, promising to take her on the honeymoon they never had in Niagara Falls, but then Walter learns that there is a newsworthy strike in Albany, which is on the way to Niagara Falls by train.
Cast:
Cary Grant as Walter Burns
Rosalind Russell as Hildegard "Hildy" Johnson
Ralph Bellamy as Bruce Baldwin
Alma Kruger as Mrs. Baldwin, Bruce's mother
Gene Lockhart as Sheriff Peter B. Hartwell
Clarence Kolb as Mayor Fred
Abner Biberman as Louis "Diamond Louie" Peluso
John Qualen as Earl Williams
Helen Mack as Mollie Malloy
Porter Hall as Reporter Murphy
Ernest Truex as Reporter Roy V. Bensinger
Cliff Edwards as Reporter Endicott
Roscoe Karns as Reporter McCue
Frank Jenks as Reporter Wilson
Regis Toomey as Reporter Sanders
Frank Orth as Duffy, Walter's city editor
Billy Gilbert as Joe Pettibone
Pat West as Warden Cooley
Edwin Maxwell as Dr. Max J. Eggelhoffer
Marion Martin as Evangeline
Directed by Howard Hawks
Produced by Howard Hawks
Screenplay by Charles Lederer
Based on The Front Page 1928 play by Ben Hecht Charles MacArthur
Starring Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy, Gene Lockhart
Music by Sidney Cuter, Felix Mills
Cinematography Joseph Walker
Edited by Gene Havlick
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Released on January 11, 1940
Running time 92 minutes
Country United States
Language English