Plot: What’s it about?
Walter Burns (Cary Grant) and Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) used to be married, but now they’ve been divorced although she still works at his newspaper office. She is a reporter and a terrific writer and he knows her skills are worth keeping, especially since he still has some feelings for her. But the two argue, fuss, and fight all the time, which makes it hard for him to push out his feelings and see what happens. But when she informs him she has gotten engaged and is leaving his paper, he knows the time has arrived to make his move. So he tries to stall her into writing on last major story for him, as he makes plans to undermine her new beau, insurance agent Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy). Burns tries all the tricks he has up his sleeves to win her back, but it seems like his web of trouble has begun to spin out of control. Can he manage to retain her services on the paper and in his heart, or will he lose her to this stuffy insurance fellow?
This film is available on more than one label, so I wanted to make sure you readers know this the Columbia/Tristar release of the title. This is in all respects (audio/video/extras) a superior disc, but it does have a little steeper price tag. But trust me on this one, the extra cash is more than worthwhile, as this is a terrific disc for a real comedy classic. This is a film made in 1940 and while older films have a reputation of being slow, this one is as far from that as you can be. The writing is excellent and the actors read their lines a mile a minute, with dead on accuracy and attention to detail. I think the dialogue is among some of the best from film ever and with such a fast paced film like this one, that is a real compliment. This has a quick pace, so I doubt anyone will be bored and the jokes are so sharp, you can’t help but laugh from start to finish. I love the characters in this movie and their mannerisms, so I am pleased such gifted performers (Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy) were cast to bring them to life. This is a highly recommended film and if you’re a comedy or classic film fan, His Girl Friday is a must see to be sure. At the helm of His Girl Friday is Howard Hawks, who knew how to make a fast paced, high energy comedy and make it stick. That is more than evident via his resume, but he was also able to master several other genres of film, establishing himself as a skilled director in all respects. In this movie, Hawks and his gifted crew conjure up some hilarious visuals and gags, all while taking on topics not suited best for comedy. I happen to think violent edged slapstick is terrific, but even if you don’t, I promise you that this film will have its moments for you.
Video: How does it look?
This movie has been around. Criterion got their hands on it and gave it a proper 4K restoration. The image for this release was taken from a print restored from the original negative and man, does it ever show. This is a sparkling visual presentation and I can only hope this level is matched with more Columbia Classics discs. I saw minimal print wear, damage, or specks and I also found no compression flaws, which is impressive to say the least. The black & white image is clean and sharp at all times, while black levels are stark and well balanced. This is how all classic films should look, no complaints at all, given the source materials.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original mono track is used and while it has no bells & whistles, the basics are present and in fine form. The audio has no traces of age related problems I could hear and though mono is limited, the range was quite good given those limits. The music sounds clean and bold, with no distortion and the sound effects come across well also here. The main focus is the dialogue however, which sounds clean and crisp throughout the film, no problems in the least to report. This might not be an explosive mix, but given the age and nature of the movie, this is an impressive offering.
Supplements: What are the extras?
If you own Criterion’s Blu-ray, all of the supplements have been ported over to this 4K disc. All that’s really been added is the additional disc containing the 4K version.
Disc One (4K)
This disc contains no supplemental material.
Disc Two (Blu-ray)
- Hawks on Hawks – A series of audio conversations between director Howard Hawks and Peter Bogdanovich from 1972, and a 1973 interview with the director conducted by Richard Schickel.
- Lighting Up with Hildy Johnson – Film historian David Bordwell, coauthor of Film Art: An Introduction, discusses the some of Howard Hawks’ films’, what made/makes them great as well as their enduring appeal.
- Featurettes – Four short segments that encompass some of the filming and history of the movie.
- On Assignment: His Girl Friday
- Howard Hawks: Reporter’s Notebook
- Funny Pages
- Rosalind Russell: The Inside Scoop
- Lux Radio Theatre – Believe it or not, people used to listen to the radio and in this segment we find Claudette Colbert as Hildy Johnson and Fred Murray as Walter Burns. This initially aired on September 30, 1940.
- Theatrical Trailer
Disc Three (Blu-ray)
- The Front Page – Two for the price of one. Yep, we get a full-length movie, The Front Page, starring Adolphe Menjou, Pat O’Brien, and Mary Brian.
- Restoring The Front Page – This 25 minute segment is pretty self-explanatory and shows some of the lengths that they had to go through to restore this classic.
- Ben Hecht – David Brendel, an expert on Mr. Hecht, dives deep on the man and some of his works.
- Radio Theater – Essentially the same as the Lux Radio Theatre adaption with two to choose from: a 1937 version as well as one from 1946.
- Illustrated Booklets – Film critics Farran Smith Nehme and Michael Sragow each contribute an essay on the films.
The Bottom Line
There’s not a lot that can be said about this film that hasn’t been said for the past 75 years – it’s great. While modern audiences might not appreciate some of the nuances of films made in the 40’s, this one did hit all the right notes. Criterion’s transfer as well as the wealth of supplemental material make this one a must own.
