"His Girl Friday" Journal

Gregory Lopez
FILM 2600:Film History
Dr.Cathleen Londino
Journal

His Girl Friday

1) In relation to what we discussed in class and the motion picture “His Girl Friday”, it’s evident that they both deal with screwball comedy. In the movie, there is a consistent battle of the sexes. The warring Walter Burns and Hildy Johnson constantly collide through fast-paced, witty dialogue complemented by intriguing and unique characteristics and personalities displayed by the two. This battle clearly portrays the components of a screwball comedy. Hildy Johnson was portrayed as an “equal” amongst her male peers in the movie. It was almost as if she was like “one of the guys”. This is compelling simply due to the discrimination towards women during the early 1900s; She surpassed the traditional role of women in movies at the time due to her dominant nature and sarcastic demeanor in the film. This is also confirmed due to the fact that the change in this version of the movie is that the role of Hildy Johnson was converted from male to female, thus showing the growth of importance and significance of women’s roles in movies and everyday life. It made it clear that women are equal to men in many aspects and in general
2) The article I chose basically explains why “His Girl Friday” was proclaimed the No. 13 best comedy of all-time. It explains how this movie jump-started the careers of plenty journalists and showed that women could take on lead roles in screwball comedies. This was the second screen version of Hecht and MacArthur's popular stage play, The Front Page, which was eloquently directed by Howard Hawks. He decided in an inspirational and detrimental moment that the Hildy Johnson character would work best as a woman. It states that when Burns gets the news that she is leaving her career as a journalist to marry a lame insurance man and move to Albany in upstate New York, he is determined to eliminate her plans. Then he puts the ball in her court, involving an upcoming execution and political corruption, which he knows she won't be able to resist due to its sincere newsworthiness. It makes it know that the chaotic feud is genuinely funny, although you'll have to watch it numerous times to absorb every bit of humor. With excellent and classic verbal exercises, the film earns its reputation as one of the greatest fastest-talking comedies ever made.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/oct/18/his-girl-friday-comedy
3) The articles relates to the screening because it speaks about why “His Girl Friday” was such a classic film. It gives a brief summary about the movie, involving the plot and main points. It speaks about how Hildy Johnson has divorced Walter Burns and visits his office to tell him that she is engaged to another man and that they are going to get married the next day Walter Burns can't let this happen and frames the other man for a lot of illegal actions getting him into trouble consecutively, while he tries to direct Hildy back into her old job as his employee and retrieving her again as his wife. Walter Burns is the editor of a major Chicago newspaper and is really about to lose his best reporter and former wife, Hildy Johnson, to boring insurance salesman Bruce Baldwin, but not without a fight to the end. The witty editor uses every trick in the book to get Hildy to write one last major story, about murderer Earl Williams and the clumsy Sheriff Hartwell. The comedy becomes more and more enticing as William's friend, Molly Malloy, the crooked Mayor, and Bruce's mother all get tied up in Walter's mischievous ways and web of lies.
4) The second screen version of the Ben Hecht play The Front Page, His Girl Friday changed hard-working newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson from a man to a woman, changing the story into an impactful battle of the sexes with a slew of suspenseful moments and thrills. Rosalind Russell plays Hildy, on the verge of disowning journalism for marriage to dull Bruce Baldwin. Cary Grant plays Walter Burns, Hildy's editor and ex-husband, who pretends to be happy about her impending marriage as a deceptive tactic to win her back. The important trick up Walter's sleeve is a breaking news story concerning the impending execution of Earl Williams, a direct example of political corruption that Hildy can't pass up even if her life depended on it. The story gets better and better when Williams escapes and is hidden from the cops by Hildy and Walter in the pressroom. In my opinion, this movie was an excellent screening that combined great comedy and suspense. I appreciated the fast-paced, lengthy dialogue since every phrase or line was captivating in its own way. After watching this screening, it made me value screwball comedies even more with a newfound respect for them as well.