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

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His Girl Friday -- Trailer for this classic black and white comedy

Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   30,295 votes »
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Director:
Howard Hawks
Writers:
Charles Lederer (screen play)
Ben Hecht (play) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for His Girl Friday on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 January 1940 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Comedy | Drama | Romance See more »
Tagline:
She learned about men from him! See more »
Plot:
A newspaper editor uses every trick in the book to keep his ace reporter ex-wife from remarrying. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
1 win See more »
NewsDesk:
(122 articles)
Karen Gillan gets Hollywood makeover at Cannes
 (From Digital Spy - Movie News. 18 May 2013, 6:03 AM, PDT)
DVD Review - The Four Just Men (1939)
 (From Flickeringmyth. 13 May 2013, 6:30 AM, PDT)
How Hello! has gently sailed through the stormy waters of celebrity
 (From The Guardian - Film News. 11 May 2013, 4:13 PM, PDT)
User Reviews:
Extra Extra See more (196 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Cary Grant ... Walter Burns

Rosalind Russell ... Hildy Johnson

Ralph Bellamy ... Bruce Baldwin

Gene Lockhart ... Sheriff Peter B. Hartwell
Porter Hall ... Murphy
Ernest Truex ... Roy B. Bensinger

Cliff Edwards ... Endicott
Clarence Kolb ... Fred - Mayor

Roscoe Karns ... McCue
Frank Jenks ... Wilson

Regis Toomey ... Sanders
Abner Biberman ... Louie
Frank Orth ... Duffy

John Qualen ... Earl Williams
Helen Mack ... Mollie Malloy
Alma Kruger ... Mrs. Baldwin

Billy Gilbert ... Joe Pettibone
Pat West ... Warden Cooley

Edwin Maxwell ... Dr. Egelhoffer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Irving Bacon ... Gus (uncredited)
Wade Boteler ... Mike (uncredited)
Harry C. Bradley ... Insurance Doctor (uncredited)
Wheaton Chambers ... Elevator Passenger (uncredited)
Edmund Cobb ... Cop (uncredited)

Ann Doran ... Newspaper Office Worker (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn ... Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Earl Dwire ... Pete Davis (uncredited)

Pat Flaherty ... Frank - Policeman (uncredited)
Jack Gardner ... Elevator Passenger (uncredited)
Eddie Hart ... Carl - Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Marion Martin ... Evangeline (uncredited)

Frank McClure ... Newsman (uncredited)
James Millican ... Tim (uncredited)
Gene Morgan ... Gene (uncredited)
Delmar Watson ... Skinny (uncredited)
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Directed by
Howard Hawks 
 
Writing credits
Charles Lederer (screen play)

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 (film editor)
 
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)
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
  • C. D. C.  Italian dubbing: 1946 (uncredited)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
"Howard Hawks' His Girl Friday" - UK (complete title), USA (complete title)
See more »
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
92 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | French
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)
Certification:
Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 (1941) | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (video rating) (1994) (1996) (1998) (2002) (2003) (2004) (2005) | West Germany:o.Al. (original rating) | Australia:G (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | USA:Approved (PCA #5823) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:S (1991) | France:U | Portugal:M/6 | South Korea:15 | UK:U (1996) | UK:U (video rating: DVD audio commentary) (2002) | UK:U (video rating: re-edited version) (2007) | Netherlands:18 (original rating) (1946) | USA:Not Rated | Brazil:Livre
Filming Locations:
Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
Company:
Columbia Pictures CorporationSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
In the play the film was based on ("The Front Page"), the part of Hildy was played by a man. When director Howard Hawks was planning to make the film, he was going to cast a man. While auditioning actors, a secretary would read the lines belonging to Hildy. Hawks loved the words coming from a woman so much, they decided to rewrite the part for a woman.See more »
Goofs:
Continuity: After Walter's checkup, he puts his tie back on. At first, the skinny (back) end of the tie is longer than the wide (front) end. In the next shot, the front is properly longer than the back. When he goes to put his coat on, the back is longer than the front again.See more »
Quotes:
Walter Burns:Sorta wish you hadn't done that, Hildy.
Hildy Johnson:Done what?
Walter Burns:Divorced me. Makes a fella lose all faith in himself. Gives him a... almost gives him a feeling he wasn't wanted.
Hildy Johnson:Oh, now look, junior... that's what divorces are FOR!
See more »
Movie Connections:
Featured in "Queer as Folk: Episode #3.14" (2003)See more »

FAQ

Is this movie based on a novel?
Is this available on DVD?
What was the twist in this remake?
See more »

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
27 out of 42 people found the following review useful.
Extra Extra, 10 April 2005
Author: jotix100 from New York

"His Gal Friday" is Howard Hawks' tribute to the brilliant play in which this film is based. Charles McGraw and Ben Hecht, two of the best writers of the era, paid tribute to the journalists that wrote for the American newspapers of the thirties. This movie has some of the fastest dialogs in memory.

The incredible combination of Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, and Ralph Bellamy in the main roles is what made this movie a favorite. Mr. Grant as Walter Burns, the unscrupulous newspaper editor, is the perfect foil for Rosalind Russell's, Hildy Johnson, a role that is played by a male in the original play and in the other film versions.

The best moment of the film is the moment when Cary Grant speaking so fast, that some what he says goes over the viewer's heads, refers as to Ralph Bellamy by name as not having a chance and cites in the same breadth his real name Archibald Leach.

It's hard to imagine anyone but Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell playing Walter and Hildy. Ralph Bellamy is perfect as Hildy's fiancé, Bruce Baldwin. Gene Lockhart is perfect as the sheriff Pinky Hartwell. The ensemble of actors that play the reporters following the possible execution of Earl Williams, are perfect.

An excellent comedy thanks to the genius of Howard Hawks.

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