His Girl Friday (1940)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Howard Hawks

Writers:

Charles Lederer (screenplay)
Ben Hecht (play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 January 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

She learned about men from him!

Plot:

A newspaper editor uses every trick in the book to keep his ace reporter ex-wife from remarrying.

Plot Keywords:

Editor | Newspaper | Reporter | Newspaper Editor | Mayor

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Cary Grant	...	Walter Burns
Rosalind Russell	...	Hildegaard 'Hildy' Johnson
Ralph Bellamy	...	Bruce Baldwin
Gene Lockhart	...	Sheriff Peter B.'Pinky' Hartwell
Porter Hall	...	Murphy - Reporter
Ernest Truex	...	Roy V. Bensinger - Reporter
Cliff Edwards	...	Endicott - Reporter
Clarence Kolb	...	Mayor
Roscoe Karns	...	McCue - Reporter
Frank Jenks	...	Wilson - Reporter
Regis Toomey	...	Sanders - Reporter
Abner Biberman	...	Louis 'Diamond Louie 'Palutso
Frank Orth	...	Duffy - Copy Editor
John Qualen	...	Earl Williams
Helen Mack	...	Mollie Malloy
Alma Kruger	...	Mrs. Baldwin
Billy Gilbert	...	Joe Pettibone
Pat West	...	Warden Cooley
Edwin Maxwell	...	Dr. Max J. Eggelhoffer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Irving Bacon	...	Gus - Waiter (uncredited)
Wade Boteler	...	Mike - Jail Guard (uncredited)
Harry C. Bradley	...	Insurance Doctor (uncredited)
Wheaton Chambers	...	Man in Elevator (uncredited)
Edmund Cobb	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Ann Doran	...	Newspaper Office Worker (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Earl Dwire	...	Pete Davis (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty	...	Policeman Frank (uncredited)
Eddie Hart	...	Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Marion Martin	...	Evangeline - Louie's Blonde Associate (uncredited)

Directed by
Howard Hawks

Writing credits
Charles Lederer		(screenplay)
Ben Hecht		(play "The Front Page") and
Charles MacArthur		(play "The Front Page")

Produced by
Howard Hawks	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Sidney Cutner		(uncredited)
Felix Mills		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Joseph Walker		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Gene Havlick

Art Direction by
Lionel Banks

Costume Design by
Robert Kalloch		(gowns) (as Kalloch)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Cliff P. Broughton	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lodge Cunningham	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Music Department
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director (as M.W. Stoloff)
Ben Oakland	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Jed Harris	....	producer: stage play
Chet La Roche	....	script doctor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1940) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (ARD) (1972) (Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Celebrity Home Entertainment (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Madacy Entertainment (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• VCI Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Timeless Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Simitar Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Delta Music Industries (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Jef Films International (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Delta Expedition (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Laserlight Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2000) (Argentina) (all media)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• D3K Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2000) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2000) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• AAE Films (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Front Row Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Galam Americas (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Marengo Films (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• New Media Resources (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• United American Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Westlake Entertainment Group (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Delta Expedition (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• United American Video (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• Bach Films (2003) (France) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• Inspired Productions (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Laserlight Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Diamond Entertainment Group (DEG) (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• Vidtape (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Vintage Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Classic Entertainment (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2005) (worldwide) (TV)
• Reel Media International (2005) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Critics' Choice Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Adlon Filmi (????) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Casterbury Films (????) (USA) (theatrical) (8 mm)
• Castle Communications (????) (Finland) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Egmont Entertainment (????) (Finland) (DVD)
• Kartes Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Mistar (????) (Finland) (VHS)
• RVC Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Television (????) (USA) (TV)
• Startime Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• C. D. C.  Italian dubbing: 1946 (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Howard Hawks' His Girl Friday (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

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 | 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)

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Many critics in 1940 felt that Cary Grant was badly miscast as Walter Burns, and that Clark Gable would have been much better in the part.

Goofs:

Continuity: Hildy's hand is on/off her chin between shots at lunch.

Quotes:

Louis: What's the matter, Hildy?
Hildy Johnson: Don't give me that innocent stuff! What did you pull on Mr. Baldwin THIS time?
Louis: Who, me?
Hildy Johnson: Yes, you and that albino of yours!
Louis: You talkin' about Evangeline?
Hildy Johnson: None other!
Louis: She ain't no albino.
Hildy Johnson: She'll do 'till one comes along!
Louis: She was born right here in this country!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in In Search of a Midnight Kiss (2007)

A real screamer (knowing journalists from firsthand experience)!

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!