His Girl Friday (1940)

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

Director:

Howard Hawks

Writers:

Charles Lederer (screen play), Ben Hecht (from the play "The Front Page")

Stars:

Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cary Grant	...	Walter Burns
Rosalind Russell	...	Hildy Johnson
Ralph Bellamy	...	Bruce Baldwin
Gene Lockhart	...	Sheriff Hartwell
Porter Hall	...	Murphy
Ernest Truex	...	Bensinger
Cliff Edwards	...	Endicott
Clarence Kolb	...	Mayor
Roscoe Karns	...	McCue
Frank Jenks	...	Wilson
Regis Toomey	...	Sanders
Abner Biberman	...	Louie
Frank Orth	...	Duffy
John Qualen	...	Earl Williams
Helen Mack	...	Mollie Malloy

Storyline

Having been away for four months, Hildy Johnson walks into the offices of the New York City based The Morning Post, where she is a star reporter, to tell her boss, editor Walter Burns, that she is quitting. The reason for her absence was among other things to get a Reno divorce, from, of all people, Walter, who admits he was a bad husband. Hildy divorced Walter largely because she wanted more of a home life, whereas Walter saw her more as a driven hard-boiled reporter than subservient homemaker. Hildy has also come to tell Walter that she is taking the afternoon train to Albany, where she will be getting married tomorrow to staid straight-laced insurance agent, Bruce Baldwin, with whose mother they will live, at least for the first year. Walter doesn't want to lose Hildy, either as a reporter or a wife, and if he does, doesn't believe Bruce is worthy of her. Walter does whatever he can at least to delay Hildy and Bruce's trip, long enough to persuade Hildy to stay for good. His plan ...

---

Plot Keywords:

reporter | newspaper editor | newspaper | mayor | journalist | 

---

Taglines:

She learned about men from him!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

"The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on Sunday, March 30th, 1941, with Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant reprising their character roles in the film.

---

Goofs

During the lunch scene, at one point there is a fly very clearly walking all over the front of Cary Grant's suit.

---

Quotes

[Joe brings a reprieve for Earl Williams from the governor]
Fred, the Mayor: Who else was there when he gave you this?
Joe Pettibone: Nobody. He was out fishing.
Fred, the Mayor: [to Sheriff Hartwell] Get the Governor on the phone.
Joe Pettibone: No, he's not there. He's out duck shooting.
Fred, the Mayor: The blasted nimrod... fishing, duck shooting! A guy who's done nothing for the last forty years but play pinochle gets elected governor and right away he thinks he's a Tarzan!

---

Crazy Credits

Opening credits are shown over a newspaper background.

---

Connections

Referenced in Bates Motel: Goodnight, Mother (2016)

User Reviews

Overrated

I am mystified by the 8.2 rating this movie has here at imdb. Perhaps only its fans have voted.

The machine-gun dialogue would be fun for stretches, but when it spews non-stop for an hour, it becomes VERY annoying. And that leaves another half hour to go.

Hildy's "dream" of giving up being a top reporter/writer to become a housewife to a dullard is STUPID. And completely unbelievable as presented here.

Cary Grant's character is AWFUL, and when Hildy makes her inevitable (in a romantic comedy) end choice, it makes NO SENSE WHATSOEVER. Nothing is shown to indicate even the tiniest reason for her to change her mind about a finalized DIVORCE. Cary Grant is completely and criminally unsympathetic, and that is bad news for the lead in a romantic comedy.

Tone problems. It's a comedy with dramatic moments that aren't the least bit funny. The suicide attempt. The gallows shots. Every word that comes out of the killer's mouth. And his dialogue is perhaps the worst I've ever heard for a "disturbed" killer in a movie.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

18 January 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Howard Hawks' His Girl Friday

Filming Locations:

Columbia/Warner Bros. Ranch - 411 North Hollywood Way, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$296,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1