His Girl Friday
Released – January, 1940 
Directed By - Howard Hawks
Starring – Cary Grant (Walter Burns), Rosalind Russell (Hildegard ‘Hildy’ Johnson), Ralph Bellamy (Bruce Baldwin).
Description – A remake of 1931s ‘Front Page,’ this screwball comedy is the perfect combination of both quick wit and quick dialogue. Newspaper editor Burns uses every trick in the book to prevent his ex-wife, and ace reporter Hildy, from remarrying.
He assigns her one last job to cover the execution of conviced murderer Earl Williams. When Williams escapes from the bumbling sheriff, the fun begins. In the meantime, Burns is having his ex-wife’s fiance arrested on fake charges over and over again to keep him out of the way.
NOTABLE: This film is #19 on the American Film Institutes 100 Years, 100 Laughs, and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
In the film, Walter Burns makes a referance to what happened to the last person who crossed him, a person named Archie Leach. Cary Grants real name is Archibald Leach.
This was possibly the first film that allowed actors to speak over each others lines in the way real conversation would take place. Earlier films required one actor so finish their lines befor another would speak.
In 2006, Premiere magazine voted this film one of ‘The 50 Greatest Comedies Of All Time’.
With the exception of the first minute, and the last two minutes, this film had no musical soundtrack.
Personal Comment: A very funny and entertaining film. I am a big Cary Grant fan and have always enjoyed his performances whether dramatic or comedic. It’s no wonder he has been voted the most popular Movie Actor of all time.
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Tags: cary grant, girl friday, national film registry, rosalind russell, screwball comedy
