IMDb > His Girl Friday (1940)
His Girl Friday
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His Girl Friday (1940) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 2)
His Girl Friday (1940) -- Editor tries to keep ace reporter from remarrying.
His Girl Friday (1940) -- MyMovieScripts.com - Trailer (Flash)

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Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Charles Lederer (screenplay)
Ben Hecht (play) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for His Girl Friday on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 January 1940 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
She learned about men from him! more
Plot:
A newspaper editor uses every trick in the book to keep his ace reporter ex-wife from remarrying. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
1 win more
NewsDesk:
(15 articles)
Farber on Film: Introduction, Part 4 (After Negative Space)
 (From The Auteurs. 18 November 2009, 7:36 AM, PST)

Holiday Preview: A Repertory Calendar
 (From IFC. 3 November 2009, 1:01 PM, PST)

User Comments:
A real screamer (knowing journalists from firsthand experience)! more (129 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Howard Hawks' His Girl Friday (USA) (complete title)
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Runtime:
92 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)
Certification:
Australia:G (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | USA:Approved (PCA #5823) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:K-3 (video rating: 1993) | France:U | Portugal:M/6 | South Korea:15 | UK:U (1996) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (video rating) (1994) | West Germany:o.Al. (original rating)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
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. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Hildy wears black heels throughout the movie but when Earl Williams is hidden in the desk, she is pacing behind the table and is wearing white flats. The next time her feet are shown, she is wearing the black heels again. more
Quotes:
Bruce Baldwin: Mighty nice little town, Albany. They've got the state capitol there, you know. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in True Romance (1993) more

FAQ

Is this available on DVD?
What was the twist in this remake?
Is this movie based on a novel?
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17 out of 26 people found the following comment useful.
A real screamer (knowing journalists from firsthand experience)!, 27 December 2002
Author: joelg-2 from Cedarville, Illinois USA

This has to be one of the most wickedly funny films there is, and I think it's much better than the earlier version with Adolphe Menjou and Pat O'Brien (even though that was funny too). The fact that the boss and employee were ex-husband and wife battling it out made it funnier than simply an employer trying to keep a friend and employee.

Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant really clicked in this, and it's a shame they never worked together again. And as one who worked in journalism for 20 plus years, (the legitimate version I hope), there really are characters out there carrying tape recorders and microphones who'd do anything for a story. I laughed so hard because I could remember certain "gentlemen and gentlewomen" in the business slitting each other's throats (figuratively speaking) to get the story first, whether accurate or not.

The dialogue was crisp and the movie is very fast paced, and all the supporting actors shone and added to the overall success of the film. And as always, you've got to love the happy ending! Give it giga-stars!

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for His Girl Friday (1940)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Why is Hildy called Miss Johnson and not Mrs Burns? heather_m1986
If His Girl Friday is in your top 10 list... filmgutten_432
Haiku Review rbreedon
Where have seen this scene before? ashleighnicole
Did the journalists of that time really talk that way? nib_maps
DON'T LEAVE THE TOP 250!!!!!!!! nicknc1214
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