#25 - His Girl Friday (1940)
Why are they YELLING!
His Girl Friday is a machine gun of dialogue that never lets up, filled with comedy that didn’t work for me, unlikable characters, and a chaotic plot. It leaves me wondering why this film is so beloved in the first place.
Directed by Howard Hawks, the film follows Walter Burns (Cary Grant), a corrupt newspaper executive who will stop at nothing to get his ex-wife back. His ex, Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell), was not only married to Burns but also worked for him. She visits his office one last time to announce that she’s getting remarried and to tell him to stop contacting her. What follows is a series of antics orchestrated by Burns to keep Hildy at the newspaper—and to win her back.
The setup is interesting enough, and it’s undeniable that the story is well-written. The script juggles multiple characters and narratives, but this is exactly what made His Girl Friday feel overwhelming. Characters constantly talk over each other and yell into old-school telephones, creating a sense of chaos that was more frustrating than engaging.
Cary Grant is a strong screen presence, and this was my first time seeing him in a film. While his acting is great, I can’t say I enjoyed his character. Burns is relentless in his quest to break up Hildy’s new relationship, stopping at nothing to keep her and her fiancé apart. And its also played up for laughs.
Hildy starts off as a seemingly independent and badass reporter, but by the end of the film, she falls for Burns again. This left me feeling bad for her fiancé, Bruce, who ends up with no money and no wife.
Admittedly, Grant and Russell have good enough chemistry to make their arguing scenes entertaining. However, much of the second act shifts away from their interactions and focuses instead on the subplot involving a man about to be executed. This storyline keeps Hildy in town longer and forces her to keep working, but it’s hard to find anyone to root for in His Girl Friday. I didn’t care about any of the characters.
What initially seems like a side plot becomes intertwined with the main story, introducing a slew of additional characters: the condemned man, his lover, seven reporters, the mayor, the police chief, and Hildy’s mother-in-law, among others. While these characters add to the chaos, I never found the comedy clever or funny. Perhaps I just don’t understand the humor of a film from 1940, though I love Casablanca, which came out only two years later.
His Girl Friday is overloaded with yelling characters, a love story that feels unethical and uninspiring, and comedy that flew over my head.
Despite being considered a “classic,” His Girl Friday left me disappointed and I have no plan to visit these characters again.
2/4.