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His Girl Friday

His Girl Friday

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A classic in cinema
Review: Cary Grant & Rosalind Russell star in a classic that began on the stage. Because of those theatrical roots, there is an atmosphere here at work that is seldom seen in movies today. You will never see more characters on screen at the same time trying to talk over each other. You have to see the movie numerous times to catch all the witicisms, so imagine how the play must have been. Cary Grant is perfect in this role, and really gets to play the center of the universe of this film. Rosalind Russell plays a great star reporter/ex-wife to Grant, the editor of a newspaper. The swarm of other characters that revolve around these two are perfect, fiancees, future mother-in-laws, reporters, civil servants. Years Later, in the fifties, Jack Lemmon and the late great Walter Mathau tried to remake this film, obviously without the romantic undertones. They may have been the only two with enough screen chemistry to even attempt this recreation. Unfortunately it just never worked, some masterpieces just can't be redone.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: CHECK IT'S LASERLIGHT BEFORE YOU BUY
Review: The Laserlight edition of 'His Girl Friday' with the bonusdocumentary 'Cary Grant on Film' is the ONLY edition to buy, and it's less than ... The other DVD edition is virtually unwatchable -- disgusting picture and sound quality. The Laserlight edition has sharp and crisp image and clear sound and though the documentary feature 'Cary Grant on Film' is pretty boring, at least it looks good! SO REMEMBER -- FOR 'HIS GIRL FRIDAY' MAKE SURE YOU'RE GETTING THE LASERLIGHT EDITION OR YOU'RE THROWING AWAY YOUR MONEY!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fast and funny humour from Howard Hawks.
Review: Every movie directed by Howard Hawks with Cary Grant in it I adore!

Starring Rosalind Russel as an ex-newspaperwoman and ex-husband of the editor of her newspaper- Cary Grant. Her name is Hildy Burns, his is Walter Burns.

About six months prior, Hildy divorced Walter and quit her job, but Walter is still in love.

When she comes back to tell him of her marriage with insurance bumpkin Ralph Bellamy, Walter decides to win Hildy back- via the story of the decade that only she could write.

HIS GIRL FRIDAY is perhaps the best film made of the newspaper world. Suitably fast talked (200- 240 words per minute, as opposed to the usual 100-125) and cynical, well acted and greatly directed, it's a rare treat that you don't find anymore these days.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Rapid Fire Comedy
Review: His Girl Friday is one of the most famous comedies from the classic film era, and its reputation is well earned. Superior acting, directing, and writing combine to create a unique film that holds up with every viewing. Rosalind Russell and especially Cary Grant appear to be having a great time in their roles, and their comedic timing during their verbal clashes is perfect. Grant plays the wily newspaper editor with just the right mix of charm and mischief, while Russell brings intelligence and equal doses of vulnerability and toughness to her role. What a match! Howard Hawks directs with a lot of energy so that dialogue is fired at machine gun pace, and the viewer needs to pay close attention so as not miss anything. This comedy has carved out its own niche in the history of film, and should be considered required viewing by anyone who "seriously" loves film comedies.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Grant and Russell are a natural pair of snappy fast talkers.
Review: A genuine screwball comedy at it's best! These are the best words used to describe "His Girl Friday," staring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, and directed by Howard Hawks. Made and released durning the "golden age of Hollywood" the story centers on the relationship of newspaper editor Walter Burns and his ex-wife; reporter Hildy Johnson, in their quest of being the first to report the upcoming execution of anarchist Earl Williams. Along the way, editor Burns must deal with the upcoming marriage of ex-wife Hildy. Knowing that Hildy was one of his best reporters, when employed under his leadership, he goes all out to make sure that she calls off the marriage and go back to work for him, since the biggest scoop of the year is about to happen concerning Earl Williams. Director Howard Hawks, who is a master of snappy dialogue, uses the characters of both Walter and Hildy to touch our funny bones in somehow wanting us to cheer that these two can be together again, either as a business relationship or that of a love hate couple. But, as a viewer, you cannot miss the ending to what I believe is a genuine screwball comedy classic.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: which version to buy? There's only one!
Review: OK, we all know that 'His Girl Friday' (aka 'The Front Page') is a terrific movie which belongs in every DVD collection. But there are some really bad, almost unviewable versions out there. Fortunately, I chose the right version, and it's a clean crisp image, tightly-focused sound -- a joy throughout. So if you want 'His Girl Friday', make sure you get the Laserlight DVD version, complete with a Cary Grant biog documentary and an unvelievably hokey intro from Tony Curtis on a bad day. I got the Laserlight disc from Amazon for around $7 -- the really bad dubs other reviewers have complained about from other companies cost more! I've found Laserlight transfers of old films are generally ok -- their cheapie Hitchcock transfers of 'The Lady Vanishes' and 'The 39 Steps' are almost as good as as Criterion in image, though pretty scratchy in sound. For a budget label, they do a good job compared to the absolute garbage put out by Madacy and others. So remember -- 'His Girl Friday' has to be from Laserlight or you're wasting your money and buying something totally unviewable. And no, this is NOT a paid ad! Just trying to steer people towards a good edition of a classic comedy. If Laserlight wants to thank me, they could prepare a DVD edition of my favourite of all Billy Wilder comedies, 'The Major and the Minor' with Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland. Love those 1940s comedies!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Film
Review: I don't know what the other reviewers are talking about concerning this movie. This is a masterpiece of comedy and acting, way ahead of it's time. The copy of this movie that I have seen on various TV stations is terrible, however this is a Laserlight production DVD and the quality is excellent. I think there is another version of this DVD by another company which maybe what the other reviewers are talking about, I don't know. A very sophisticated comedy, the dialogue between the actors is done the way real people talk to one another, which is Howard Hawks' style. The characters are very colorful. The story is basically about how a newspaper run by Cary Grant is trying to stop the execution of a disturbed communist who murdered a black police officer, this in 1940. They point out how the black vote is very important to the politicians, all of whom are heels. The portrayal of politics was very unique to Hollywood films of the time. Also Grant is trying to persuade Rosalind Russell to do the story instead of running off to Albany to marry that guy "who looks like Ralph Bellamy". Anyway if you know this film I reccommend it highly. Laserlight does a very good job transferring this film to DVD, the TV versions are terrible. I bought this film because I have bad VHS versions of it taped from TV and figured for $7.99 it could only be better. I was surprised because I never saw such an excellent copy of this movie. It is well worth it, I have other Laserlight movies and they so far have been great transfers to DVD of old classic films. When watching this movie listen carefully because of some of the underbreath remarks made by some of the characters, hilarious.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fabulous, Smart, but disappointed in DVD reviews
Review: I watched this movie so many times my old VHS tape wore out! I was so excited to find out one of my favorite comedies was out on DVD! Then I read the reviews of the quality. This is a MUST SEE film, and the DVD quality should live up to that. I guess I will eventually get it on VHS again.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great film, Great performances
Review: One of the best things about this film...in fact, one of the reasons it's in the top 20 on the AFI Comedy list, is the fast reparte between Cary Grant and Rosiland Russel. If you can't keep up, I suggest it's you, and not the movie. Great film based on the classic play The Front Page. This IS Cary Grant at his comedic finest. True movie lovers I'm sure will agree.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Ouch!
Review: I like Cary Grant, but I hated this movie. The acting was OK, and there were certain scenes which were very amusing, but the constant chatter throughout the film almost drove me nuts! From beginning to end, there was so much constant talking that it seemed like I was at an auction! Very fast paced and funny in places, this is nevertheless not one of Grant's better films.


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