His Girl Friday (1940) – Full Movie | Classic Comedy with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell

Описание: His Girl Friday (1940) is a landmark American screwball comedy directed by Howard Hawks and released by Columbia Pictures. Starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, with key supporting performances by Ralph Bellamy and Gene Lockhart, the film is widely regarded as one of the fastest, sharpest, and most influential comedies in Hollywood history. Adapted from the 1928 stage play The Front Page by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, the film represents a bold reinvention of the source material rather than a straightforward remake.

At the heart of the story is Walter Burns, a ruthless and charismatic newspaper editor who discovers that his former wife and star reporter, Hildy Johnson, is planning to leave journalism behind. Hildy has become engaged to Bruce Baldwin, a mild-mannered insurance salesman, and intends to move to Albany to begin a quiet domestic life. Unwilling to lose both his best reporter and his emotional hold over her, Walter convinces Hildy to stay in town long enough to cover one final assignment: the impending execution of Earl Williams, a convicted murderer whose case has become a political flashpoint.

As Hildy dives back into reporting, Walter launches a relentless campaign to derail her marriage and keep her tied to the newsroom. He manipulates events, frames Bruce for petty crimes, and engineers chaos at every turn, all while insisting that Hildy is free to choose her own future. Meanwhile, the case of Earl Williams takes unexpected turns, exposing corruption among city officials and turning the newsroom into a battleground of competing reporters, crooked politicians, and frantic scheming.

The screenplay, written primarily by Charles Lederer, introduced a crucial innovation suggested by Howard Hawks: changing the character of Hildy Johnson from male to female and making her Walter’s ex-wife. This single alteration transformed the story into a romantic battle of equals, infusing the film with sexual tension, verbal combat, and a modern sensibility that was far ahead of its time. The result is a relationship defined not by sentimentality, but by intellect, ambition, and constant confrontation.

Production on His Girl Friday began in late 1939 and was famously demanding. Hawks encouraged improvisation, spontaneity, and aggressive performances, leading to frequent retakes and a schedule that ran beyond its original deadline. The film became legendary for its rapid-fire, overlapping dialogue, which created the illusion of realism and urgency. Hawks was determined to surpass all previous records for speed of spoken dialogue in film, using innovative sound-mixing techniques on set to allow characters to interrupt one another without losing clarity.

The performances are central to the film’s enduring appeal. Cary Grant delivers one of his most iconic portrayals as Walter Burns, combining charm, selfishness, and manic energy into a character who is both repellent and irresistible. Rosalind Russell’s Hildy Johnson is equally commanding—intelligent, sharp-tongued, and emotionally conflicted. Rather than portraying her as subordinate to Walter, the film positions her as his professional and intellectual equal, making their clashes the driving force of the story. Ralph Bellamy’s Bruce Baldwin, by contrast, embodies stability and sincerity, serving as a foil to the chaotic world of journalism.

Unlike many films of its era, His Girl Friday contains almost no background music, relying instead on dialogue, movement, and editing to maintain its pace. The newsroom setting becomes a kinetic environment where time seems compressed, mirroring the relentless urgency of breaking news. Editing choices, camera movement, and overlapping sound all reinforce the contrast between Hildy’s potential domestic future and the frenetic energy of her professional life.

Thematically, the film explores the tension between career and domesticity, love and independence, order and chaos. While the title suggests subservience, Hildy is anything but a servant; she operates on equal footing with Walter, navigating a world defined more by intelligence and competence than by gender. The film also reflects Hawks’s recurring skepticism toward marriage and conventional stability, favoring turbulent relationships fueled by shared purpose and conflict.

Upon release, His Girl Friday received enthusiastic critical acclaim, particularly for its bold gender reversal and its breakneck pacing. Over time, its reputation has only grown. The film consistently ranks among the greatest comedies ever made.

Now in the public domain, His Girl Friday remains a vibrant, modern-feeling film whose wit, speed, and performances continue to resonate with audiences more than eighty years after its release.

🎬 Genre: Comedy, Romance
📅 Release Year: 1940
🎥 Director: Howard Hawks
🎭 Starring: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy
⏱️ Runtime: Approx. 92 minutes
📰 Themes: Journalism, love vs. career, ambition, power dynamics