His Girl Friday (1940)

kbroer
May 12, 2023
2 min read

Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy

Directed by Howard Hawks

Available to stream on Amazon Prime

Fast-talking newspaper editor Cary Grant and equally fast-talking reporter Rosalind Russell chase down a murder story – and rekindle their romance.

ree — Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday

Why we love it: This is a classic comedy with fantastic stars and an excellent supporting cast. Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, and Ralph Bellamy make the fast-paced comedy seem so easy and natural. In the original version of this script, which is based on the play and movie The Front Page (1931), Rosalind Russell's part was written for and played by a man. The director Howard Hawks changed the role of Hildy to be a woman instead, but not much else changed. Therefore, Rosalind's Hildy is really a very strong character, equal to the men in the film and a better reporter than any of them.

Fun facts:

This film is famous for its fast-talking dialogue, which director Howard Hawks insisted on. Apparently he had the dialogue written so that the beginnings and endings of sentences were unnecessary and the actors could therefore talk over each other.

Cary Grant was the first choice to play Walter, but Rosalind Russell was not the first choice for Hildy. Several actresses, including Carole Lombard, Katharine Hepburn, and Irene Dunne turned down the role before it got to Russell.