His Girl Friday (1940)

I’m honestly embarrassed I have never seen this movie before this week. Maybe embarrassed isn’t the right word. Disappointed? In myself? After watching the underwhelming version from the 1970s (see my comments on “The Front Page”) I was advised to watch this version.

. There are so many things that make this movie work. First and foremost the dialogue, instead of a slow, plodding tempo that leaves punchlines swaying in the breeze, the cast rips through their lines like firecrackers on the Fourth of July. Director Howard Hawks deliberately wanted to break the record for fastest talking movie. (Incidentally the original version of this movie “The Front Page 1931” held the previous record). At times the speed and cadence in which they deliver their overlapping lines is dizzying, creating a spectacular achievement in comedy and audio technology.

. Speaking of Mr Hawks. He also knows how to use cinematic techniques like editing, camera placement, camera movement, what the French call mise en scene, to punctuate an already enthralling story.

Cary Grant breezes through the entire film charming and cocksure, like a used car salesman during a transit strike. Nothing seems to be taken seriously, but he is always working an angle, trying to close a deal, real or constructed for his own amusement. He is a delight to watch.

Rosalind Russle plays the perfect foil to Grant. She doesn’t fall for his schemes and come ons … .most of the time. She also provides a subtle but effective physical energy to the film. It doesn’t appear she is just hitting her marks but genuinely reacting to the chaos that surrounds her.

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