His Girl Friday, I watched this last night. And as it's my last nom to watch, I thought it would be interesting if I posted my old review from the 1940s Hof Part 2....And then, without reading my old review, write my current thoughts on the film.
From the 1940s HoF Part 2...
His Girl Friday (1940)
What color do you think the hat and blazer that Rosalind Russell is wearing is? On the DVD cover it was purple with stripes. I suspect it wasn't as gaudy looking as it's been colored to be, and was probably gray with black stripes. It's a very odd looking outfit, but it wasn't chose randomly, they never do that in movies. It was selected for a reason and I'd venture a guess that it was the 1940's version of a 'power suit'. Rosalind certainly looks commanding in it and it gives her a sense of showmanship....and that's what this film is about, showmanship!
The title His Girl Friday sounds somewhat demeaning to Hilda (Rosalind Russell), it sounds like Hilda is just a skirt in an office full of old crusty newspaper men and her only job is to powder her nose and make coffee for the boys. Uh uh...not true, Hilda is a self made woman. Make no mistake about it, she's in control of the situation and not Walther (Cary Grant). She knows her mind and knows how to write a news story that cooks! All the boys in the newsroom are in awe of her gutsy anything-for-a-story journalist skills. Hilda's a power house and if anything this is a movie that empowers women. So the title is kind of funny, cause Hilda's nobody's lackey.
I read that this has some of the fastest dialogue spoken in a film at 240 words a minute! Add to that, this early example of actors deliberately speaking over each others lines, all while ad libbing over an already fast paced script and you get one helluva a unique film that takes one's full attention to fully follow it. I read that Quentin Tarantino is a fan of this movie, I can see why.
There's two things that makes this movie special: the witty banter and intense chemistry from Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. Oh and Ralph Bellamy plays the straight man to a tee.
His Girl Friday is so complex in it's dialogue that I feel I missed some of the more subtle witticisms. The first witty word play comes during the title credits...did you spot it?
This was one of the 77 movies I had consider nominating, so I'm glad to see it here. Oh...I plan on watching this one again before the Hof is over.
OK, I did not read any of that! I promise! I'm interested to see if after last nights viewing if my thoughts have changed...and here they are:
May 16, 2019...His Girl Friday
Wow that opening scene with the overlapping, rapid fire dialogue that's laced with witty banter, makes the movie special for me! I love movies with brilliant dialogue and
His Girl Friday delivers the goods in double time. That opening scene where Hildy goes to tell Walter that she's marrying someone else, is professional acting at it's best. The amount of lines that both actors deliver and without an edit is freaking amazing! That was one long scene and damn impressive to boot.
I'd read that different actresses were considered for Hilda Johnson, but I can't see anyone doing what Rosalind Russell did. She's flat out amazing in this and the perfect casting choice for the unscrupulous, gung-ho news reporter who has a rep for getting the story, at any cost. And Cary Grant has never been in finer form than in this movie. Cary and Rosalind have a chemistry it's like they're dialed in on each other and you can see their acting is in quick response to the other actors actions. And I believed they were a divorced couple who still loved each other while driving each other batty. Kudos to the great director Howard Hawks for that scene and many others as well.
I loved the dinner scene too, Grant's character was so cleverly sneaky as he tried to screw up the wedding plans of Hildy and Bruce (Ralph Bellamy). His henchman Louie (Abner Bierberman) was great in this too. I loved the whole unscrupulous, cut throat world of the newspaper...it made for a great story. But what really made the story was the cutting social commentary, especially when it targeted the corrupt Sheriff who was so sleazy that he was willing to let a man hang just so he could get more votes.
I have to say I was taking back a bit when poor Helen Mack who in a moment of distress jumps out a window to the payment below. That wasn't funny, but it did show how the newsmen could ruin lives by their yellow journalism and the lies that they printed.
His Girl Friday is one part: fast paced screw ball comedy...and one part biting social commentary on the sleazy world of politics and news. A movie that's relevant for today.