Reviews (76)

Witty and entertaining
(Please note that the DVD version I am reviewing is the Laserlight release that features an additional documentary on the life of Cary Grant as well as an introduction by an even-more-confused-than-usual Tony Curtis.)

With Laserlight you can never predict from the outside case exactly what the quality of the film itself is going to be in. I've watched good quality prints from them in the past, but I've also seen some truly awful releases that aren't worth the plastic that they're pressed on. Fortunately, their version of HIS GIRL FRIDAY is quite excellent, with a crisp picture and a clear soundtrack. Their budget releases are usually worth the risk, and in this case, you end up with a great movie that's quite well preserved and all for a fairly low price.

The movie itself is simply fantastic. The dialogue comes flying at you so fast that'll be afraid to laugh for fear of speaking over the next line. The story itself is also intensely funny, and deceptively dark. What begins as a seemingly light romantic comedy slowly becomes more and more twisted until the final scene, where the reinstatement of the romance subplot reminds us of how far we've come. It's a testament to the skills of the director, Howard Hawks, that the result is not only coherent, but also highly enjoyable. The story flows effortlessly from moment to moment, with each scene being slightly more frantic than the last, yet still together enough to be extremely entertaining.

The acting from the two main leads is also a delight. In the past I had thought of Cary Grant as always playing the same sort of character in every film. Although, you'll see some similarity to other roles that he played, he's incredibly amusing in this film and playing a far more manipulative character than I'd seen him perform. It's a nice change to see the usually easily befuddled Cary Grant actually running rings around the rest of the cast.

As for the DVD extras, they don't distract from the feature, but they won't be the deciding factor in whether you purchase this DVD or not. The included documentary, CARY GRANT ON FILM: A BIOGRAPHY runs about 28 minutes long and consists mainly of random trailers that span Grant's entire film career. It's fairly interesting, although not terribly riveting. The introductory remarks by Tony Curtis are as bizarrely entertaining as always. The film contains Spanish, Japanese and Chinese subtitles, but does not include an option for English, which is a slightly annoying oversight.

In the end, it's not the extras that you should be buying this disc for; it's the wonderful film that's packaged with them. Kick back, relax, and watch the dialog fly across the screen. You'll want to keep the remote control handy so that you can rewind to catch all the great moments that you missed while laughing over them.

which version to buy? There's only one!
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!

brilliant film--dreadful DVD
Don't buy this DVD. The sound quality is terrible--a loud hissing noise overshadows the film's trademark fast, witty dialog. $5 seemed a small investment at the time, but I should have saved my money. Surely someday those who own the rights to "His Girl Friday" will release a DVD worthy of this wonderful classic.

Get The Girl
1940's His Girl Friday is a fast-paced comedy from director Howard Hawks that is has brilliant pacing and performances from Cary Grant & Rosalind Russell. The film is based on the play, The Front Page and had been previously made into a film and those versions concern the professional relationship of two men, Walter Burns & Hildy Johnson. In this version they changed the gender of Hildy to a female and the professional tension of the original is replaced by sexual tension. Though it seems tame today, the erotic electricity & innuendo between Mr. Grant & Ms. Russell was quite groundbreaking for the time. The screenplay has been one of the most influential in film history, with Quentin Tarantino citing it as an inspiration for his script's pacing.

VINTAGE SCREWBALL SPARKLES ON DVD FROM COLUMBIA
"His Girl Friday" is Howard Hawk's inspired remake of the award-winning Broadway play and previous movie release of "The Front Page". It's the story of a rapid fire newspaper editor, Walter (Cary Grant) and his star reporter and ex-wife, Hildie Johnston. Hildie has decided to retire to the country with her soon to be new husband (Ralph Belamy). But when a prison break captures the imagination of a troupe of cutthroat reporters, all rabid for the real scoop, Hildie sets aside marital bliss for one last hurrah behind the desk as a cub reporter.
THE TRANSFER: BEWARE OF THIS DVD! There are no less than 12 bootlegged versions of this film being sold through various vendors on DVD. In all but one case the image quality looks as though the entire print had been fed through a meat grinder. The version you want is the one from Columbia Tri-Star Home Video. Its packaging features a disclaimer that reads "mastered from the original camera negative." This version of "His Girl Friday" exhibits - in short - exemplary video quality. The B&W picture has been completely restored. Age related artifacts are nonexistent. The gray scale, black and contrast levels are perfectly realized. Fine detail will astound. There are no digital anomalies. The audio is mono but very nicely cleaned up.
EXTRAS: This version also includes some very nice - if all too brief - featurettes on the careers of stars Rosiland Russell and Cary Grant and the making of the film. There's also the original theatrical trailer.
BOTTOM LINE: This girl is worth seeking out! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The first film starring the legendary screen team of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, this savvy dramatic comedy from 1942 plays off the unlikely match of polar opposites--the brash sports reporter Sam Craig (Tracy) and the brilliant political commentator Tess Harding (Hepburn) from the New York Chronicle--whose marriage grabs front-page headlines. Balancing her flashy career with marital bliss turns out to be a complicated challenge for the worldly Tess, whose down-to-earth husband struggles to support her ambition while keeping their marriage from falling apart. Though some of its sexual politics are sure to seem outdated, this sparkling comedy is still relevant to today's demanding professional lifestyles, and the Hepburn-Tracy chemistry is a wonder to behold in some of their all-time favorite scenes.Woman of the Year was gracefully directed by George Stevens, from a screenplay by Ring Lardner Jr. and Michael Kanin. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Now This Is Chemistry
This is the film that started it all, and movie fans ever since have been grateful. It's the first pairing of the legendary Hepburn and Tracy, and from the moment when he first sets his eyes on her (actually, her legs - a great shot!), you can feel why they were such a perfect match on screen. They star as newspaper columnists coming from different backgrounds and perspectives, who despite the odds, fall in love, even though they have no idea how to fit into each other's worlds. Both stars give their usual top performances, compensating for some slow parts and dated elements in the story. I enjoyed the film, as I have enjoyed all their films that I have seen. Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy were two of the best in the business, so any opportunity to see them together should be taken!

FANTASTIC
When you have SPENCER and HEPBURN together, it's nothing less than FANTASTIC! No others in movie history can match them as a team. They're acting in a movie, but you can see the love for each other on their faces - it makes it enjoyable to watch them. Every film they have ever made together is great. In Woman of the Year, watch for the kitchen scene. Also, great to watch Desk Set;there are several scenes that were ad lib, and the director was smart in leaving them in - Spencer caught Hepburn entirely off guard with his antics.

Off to a Pretty Good Start
Kate & Spencer began a 25 year on and off the screen romance with Woman of the Year. The movie itself is fine but unspectacular. Basically, the message seems to be that a woman can't have it both ways: work and family. Odd message considering the female lead. WOTY is more important as a piece of film history for the pairing it started. Hepburn was pretty much the only woman as ahead of her times as she was. Fortunately she could put her money where her mouth was and deliver the goods. Several of her films are classics and she is a Hollywood Goddess.

"Woman Of The Year" is Great
"Woman Of The Year" is a Katherine Hepburn Spencer Tracy comedy MGM movie story of a powerful career woman "Tess Harding" who meets a powerful career man "Sam Craig" and they marry and the problems begin because they both have careers though her career is more public than his.She's a person that just about everyone knows in the world and she knows just about everyone by 1st name.There are some Great comedy scenes and the conflicts between career and home are good and they have a happy closing scene.This was the 1st of 9 movies that Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy starred in and they were good together in movies especially this one if you watched any of their movies then you would know and if not this is a good movie you would enjoy.This is the best Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy movie.The movie was popular with audiences and later the movie "Woman Of The Year" was made into a musical play.Barbara Eden played the role in a national touring production of "Woman Of The Year" in 1984 and it was this movie that the musical play was based on.A Great story.A Great movie.A Great DVD.

Laughs when you least expect it...
Aside from Hepburn & Tracy's debut as a team, all credit should be given to director George Stevens for putting together this very complicated story so seamlessly. Mr. Stevens finally won an Oscar in 1951 for "A Place in the Sun" and again in 1956 for "Giant". After "Woman ofthe Year", Stevens was nominated for "The More the Merrier", another complicated plot that he handled with brilliance (remade in the 60's as a Cary Grant romp). Tracy & Hepburn are wonderful (Kate getting a nomination), and Kate's pant-suits certainly must've made a fashion statement; Kate was certainly more comfortable in those clothes than the glamour girls of the time, and though not a great beauty, she was glamorous. I still don't understand why Kate became "box-office poison" in the late 30's; I thought she was brilliant in "Stage Door", "Holiday" and "Bringing Up Baby". I don't see any difference in her choice of roles as with Irene Dunne, who did crazy comedy ("The Awful Truth") as well as sensitive drama ("Love Affair"). Who's to say what tastes were at the time? Though "Woman of the Year" has a few slow, serious moments, it's the light-hearted moments that hold interest. It won an Oscar for Screenplay, much deserved by Michael Kanin and the later black-listed Ring Lardner, Jr. And there's a particularly lovely performance from Fay Bainter who seemed to be over-looked. I enjoy this film for many reasons; it was timely, due to its release during the WWII years, as well as attacking attitudes of society which are today ever-present. I think it's most entertaining. ... Read more

Reviews (76)

Witty and entertaining
(Please note that the DVD version I am reviewing is the Laserlight release that features an additional documentary on the life of Cary Grant as well as an introduction by an even-more-confused-than-usual Tony Curtis.)

With Laserlight you can never predict from the outside case exactly what the quality of the film itself is going to be in. I've watched good quality prints from them in the past, but I've also seen some truly awful releases that aren't worth the plastic that they're pressed on. Fortunately, their version of HIS GIRL FRIDAY is quite excellent, with a crisp picture and a clear soundtrack. Their budget releases are usually worth the risk, and in this case, you end up with a great movie that's quite well preserved and all for a fairly low price.

The movie itself is simply fantastic. The dialogue comes flying at you so fast that'll be afraid to laugh for fear of speaking over the next line. The story itself is also intensely funny, and deceptively dark. What begins as a seemingly light romantic comedy slowly becomes more and more twisted until the final scene, where the reinstatement of the romance subplot reminds us of how far we've come. It's a testament to the skills of the director, Howard Hawks, that the result is not only coherent, but also highly enjoyable. The story flows effortlessly from moment to moment, with each scene being slightly more frantic than the last, yet still together enough to be extremely entertaining.

The acting from the two main leads is also a delight. In the past I had thought of Cary Grant as always playing the same sort of character in every film. Although, you'll see some similarity to other roles that he played, he's incredibly amusing in this film and playing a far more manipulative character than I'd seen him perform. It's a nice change to see the usually easily befuddled Cary Grant actually running rings around the rest of the cast.

As for the DVD extras, they don't distract from the feature, but they won't be the deciding factor in whether you purchase this DVD or not. The included documentary, CARY GRANT ON FILM: A BIOGRAPHY runs about 28 minutes long and consists mainly of random trailers that span Grant's entire film career. It's fairly interesting, although not terribly riveting. The introductory remarks by Tony Curtis are as bizarrely entertaining as always. The film contains Spanish, Japanese and Chinese subtitles, but does not include an option for English, which is a slightly annoying oversight.

In the end, it's not the extras that you should be buying this disc for; it's the wonderful film that's packaged with them. Kick back, relax, and watch the dialog fly across the screen. You'll want to keep the remote control handy so that you can rewind to catch all the great moments that you missed while laughing over them.

which version to buy? There's only one!
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!

brilliant film--dreadful DVD
Don't buy this DVD. The sound quality is terrible--a loud hissing noise overshadows the film's trademark fast, witty dialog. $5 seemed a small investment at the time, but I should have saved my money. Surely someday those who own the rights to "His Girl Friday" will release a DVD worthy of this wonderful classic.

Get The Girl
1940's His Girl Friday is a fast-paced comedy from director Howard Hawks that is has brilliant pacing and performances from Cary Grant & Rosalind Russell. The film is based on the play, The Front Page and had been previously made into a film and those versions concern the professional relationship of two men, Walter Burns & Hildy Johnson. In this version they changed the gender of Hildy to a female and the professional tension of the original is replaced by sexual tension. Though it seems tame today, the erotic electricity & innuendo between Mr. Grant & Ms. Russell was quite groundbreaking for the time. The screenplay has been one of the most influential in film history, with Quentin Tarantino citing it as an inspiration for his script's pacing.

VINTAGE SCREWBALL SPARKLES ON DVD FROM COLUMBIA
"His Girl Friday" is Howard Hawk's inspired remake of the award-winning Broadway play and previous movie release of "The Front Page". It's the story of a rapid fire newspaper editor, Walter (Cary Grant) and his star reporter and ex-wife, Hildie Johnston. Hildie has decided to retire to the country with her soon to be new husband (Ralph Belamy). But when a prison break captures the imagination of a troupe of cutthroat reporters, all rabid for the real scoop, Hildie sets aside marital bliss for one last hurrah behind the desk as a cub reporter.
THE TRANSFER: BEWARE OF THIS DVD! There are no less than 12 bootlegged versions of this film being sold through various vendors on DVD. In all but one case the image quality looks as though the entire print had been fed through a meat grinder. The version you want is the one from Columbia Tri-Star Home Video. Its packaging features a disclaimer that reads "mastered from the original camera negative." This version of "His Girl Friday" exhibits - in short - exemplary video quality. The B&W picture has been completely restored. Age related artifacts are nonexistent. The gray scale, black and contrast levels are perfectly realized. Fine detail will astound. There are no digital anomalies. The audio is mono but very nicely cleaned up.
EXTRAS: This version also includes some very nice - if all too brief - featurettes on the careers of stars Rosiland Russell and Cary Grant and the making of the film. There's also the original theatrical trailer.
BOTTOM LINE: This girl is worth seeking out! ... Read more

Reviews (76)

Witty and entertaining
(Please note that the DVD version I am reviewing is the Laserlight release that features an additional documentary on the life of Cary Grant as well as an introduction by an even-more-confused-than-usual Tony Curtis.)

With Laserlight you can never predict from the outside case exactly what the quality of the film itself is going to be in. I've watched good quality prints from them in the past, but I've also seen some truly awful releases that aren't worth the plastic that they're pressed on. Fortunately, their version of HIS GIRL FRIDAY is quite excellent, with a crisp picture and a clear soundtrack. Their budget releases are usually worth the risk, and in this case, you end up with a great movie that's quite well preserved and all for a fairly low price.

The movie itself is simply fantastic. The dialogue comes flying at you so fast that'll be afraid to laugh for fear of speaking over the next line. The story itself is also intensely funny, and deceptively dark. What begins as a seemingly light romantic comedy slowly becomes more and more twisted until the final scene, where the reinstatement of the romance subplot reminds us of how far we've come. It's a testament to the skills of the director, Howard Hawks, that the result is not only coherent, but also highly enjoyable. The story flows effortlessly from moment to moment, with each scene being slightly more frantic than the last, yet still together enough to be extremely entertaining.

The acting from the two main leads is also a delight. In the past I had thought of Cary Grant as always playing the same sort of character in every film. Although, you'll see some similarity to other roles that he played, he's incredibly amusing in this film and playing a far more manipulative character than I'd seen him perform. It's a nice change to see the usually easily befuddled Cary Grant actually running rings around the rest of the cast.

As for the DVD extras, they don't distract from the feature, but they won't be the deciding factor in whether you purchase this DVD or not. The included documentary, CARY GRANT ON FILM: A BIOGRAPHY runs about 28 minutes long and consists mainly of random trailers that span Grant's entire film career. It's fairly interesting, although not terribly riveting. The introductory remarks by Tony Curtis are as bizarrely entertaining as always. The film contains Spanish, Japanese and Chinese subtitles, but does not include an option for English, which is a slightly annoying oversight.

In the end, it's not the extras that you should be buying this disc for; it's the wonderful film that's packaged with them. Kick back, relax, and watch the dialog fly across the screen. You'll want to keep the remote control handy so that you can rewind to catch all the great moments that you missed while laughing over them.

which version to buy? There's only one!
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!

brilliant film--dreadful DVD
Don't buy this DVD. The sound quality is terrible--a loud hissing noise overshadows the film's trademark fast, witty dialog. $5 seemed a small investment at the time, but I should have saved my money. Surely someday those who own the rights to "His Girl Friday" will release a DVD worthy of this wonderful classic.

Get The Girl
1940's His Girl Friday is a fast-paced comedy from director Howard Hawks that is has brilliant pacing and performances from Cary Grant & Rosalind Russell. The film is based on the play, The Front Page and had been previously made into a film and those versions concern the professional relationship of two men, Walter Burns & Hildy Johnson. In this version they changed the gender of Hildy to a female and the professional tension of the original is replaced by sexual tension. Though it seems tame today, the erotic electricity & innuendo between Mr. Grant & Ms. Russell was quite groundbreaking for the time. The screenplay has been one of the most influential in film history, with Quentin Tarantino citing it as an inspiration for his script's pacing.

VINTAGE SCREWBALL SPARKLES ON DVD FROM COLUMBIA
"His Girl Friday" is Howard Hawk's inspired remake of the award-winning Broadway play and previous movie release of "The Front Page". It's the story of a rapid fire newspaper editor, Walter (Cary Grant) and his star reporter and ex-wife, Hildie Johnston. Hildie has decided to retire to the country with her soon to be new husband (Ralph Belamy). But when a prison break captures the imagination of a troupe of cutthroat reporters, all rabid for the real scoop, Hildie sets aside marital bliss for one last hurrah behind the desk as a cub reporter.
THE TRANSFER: BEWARE OF THIS DVD! There are no less than 12 bootlegged versions of this film being sold through various vendors on DVD. In all but one case the image quality looks as though the entire print had been fed through a meat grinder. The version you want is the one from Columbia Tri-Star Home Video. Its packaging features a disclaimer that reads "mastered from the original camera negative." This version of "His Girl Friday" exhibits - in short - exemplary video quality. The B&W picture has been completely restored. Age related artifacts are nonexistent. The gray scale, black and contrast levels are perfectly realized. Fine detail will astound. There are no digital anomalies. The audio is mono but very nicely cleaned up.
EXTRAS: This version also includes some very nice - if all too brief - featurettes on the careers of stars Rosiland Russell and Cary Grant and the making of the film. There's also the original theatrical trailer.
BOTTOM LINE: This girl is worth seeking out! ... Read more

Reviews (61)

CLARK + CLAUDETTE = FUN~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
What a great film ! The chemistry and dialogue that exists between Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable is amazingly BRILLIANT and FUNNY! This is the type of black and white film that can be watched forever and ever and never seem "dated" and out of touch w/recent times: after all, its been almost 7O years since this movie was made and it still ranks up there w/ some of the best comedies of today! I wasn't even born when the movie was made but I enjoyed it so much, I wanted to watch it again and again! If that doesn't convince you, this video won 5 Oscars: Best Actor (GABLE), Best Actress (COLBERT), Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay!!

Here's a little summary for those who don't know what its about. Claudette Colbert plays Ellie Andrews, a rich, spoiled heiress running away from her family. During the trip, on a bus, she meets street-smart reporter Peter Warne, played by the handsome Clark Gable. Ellie is definitely NOT street-smart, and she's having a few problems, so Peter agrees to help her out and travel w/ her in exchange for an exclusive story. They go through many adventures together, despising each other along the way, until they find that they are reluctantly falling in love and afraid to admit it to each other...besides its a little bit more complicated since she's a married woman. AN EXCELLENT FILM, WITH A PERFECT ENDING-ONE OF GABLE'S BEST!! I GIVE IT A PERFECT 5 STARS!! AAA+++++

Simply The Best
I don't claim be a movie expert, but this is the best film I have ever seen. I already owned a VHS copy, but on buying a DVD player I paid good money to have this disc shipped to me in England - and boy was it worth it! The picture quality is as good as you will find anywhere and the sound is superb too. The DVD is also jam-packed with extra features. The film's commentary is provided by Frank Capra Jr. He has a wonderfully relaxed style and doesn't just sound as if he's reading from a prepared script. Along with Ron Howard's commentary for Apollo 13, this is the best DVD commentary I have heard to date. A special feature unique amongst DVDs must be the radio version of 'It Happened One Night', first broadcast in 1939, again starring Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable. Whoever had the idea of including this on the DVD deserves a salary rise. The disc also includes trailers, cast lists, some beautifully illustrated posters and also a Frank Capra Jr introduction. This really is an extremely impressive package of Frank Capra's masterpiece.

"Excuse me lady, but that upon which you sit is mine."
Peter Warne: Why didn't you take off all your clothes? You could have stopped forty cars.
Ellie Andrews: Well, ooo, I'll remember that when we need forty cars.

On-screen chemistry has the ability to turn a good film into something special. Look no further than Frank Capra's "It Happened One Night" for proof of this. Whoever came up with the idea of pairing Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert together in this production certainly earned his or her paycheck.

Rich girl Ellie Andrews (Colbert) runs away from her father so that she can be with her one true love, King Westley (Jameson Thomas). Ellie has little knowledge of how the outside world works so she hooks up with reporter Peter Warne (Gable) who offers to help her reach New York in return for the exclusive rights to her story. The pair finds each other intolerable at the outset but as they spend more time together, their opinions of each other start to change. By the time they arrive in New York, Ellie and Peter must decide if they should act upon the newfound affection they have developed towards one another.

"It Happened One Night" is effectively funny and romantic at the same time. The out-of-the-way situations Ellie and Peter find themselves involved in is screwball comedy at its finest and the love that develops between them is Hollywood magic at its most charming. Colbert and Gable show why they were two of the biggest stars of their era and the chemistry they display on screen still is magnetic to this very day. "It Happened One Night" is also a fascinating cultural text due to its suggestive sexual overtones and its vivid depiction of a woman who is determined to take matters into her own hands when the situation calls for it. Both of these aspects are especially noteworthy when one considers the period in which the film was made. Yet, if "It Happened One Night" is to be remembered for anything, it should be remembered for the classic that it is. After all, when you speak of pure cinematic bliss, you speak of scenes like the one where Ellie flashes her thigh to stop an approaching car - truly one of the greatest moments ever caught on film.

It doesn't get any better than this ...
70 years later, this movie still holds up beautifully. It's funny, smart, and, man! those sexy, charming leads! I'd ride a bus with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert anywhere ...

This ones recommended for everyone -- old people, young people ... It hasn't aged, and it'll always be a good time.

A classic that deserves to endure
A spoiled socialite (Claudette Colbert) flees her wealthy father (Walter Connolly) and heads for New York to marry a rich playboy (Jameson Thomas) against her father's will. The whereabouts of Ellie Andrews and the reward for her return become the stuff of national headlines, so when recently fired reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable) recognizes her, he decides to stick close so he can write the story. Naturally, romance follows, but it's a bumpy and hugely entertaining road to get there.

This is an absolutely wonderful film. It's such a shame that so many people are not interested in watching an old black-and-white movie. Good work is timeless. Gable and Colbert have wonderful chemistry and are both hilarious and touching. The rest of the cast is excellent as well. Even though the story is set during the Great Depression, it doesn't seem dated at all. The wisecracking between characters is sharp and well-written (by screenwriter Robert Riskin); there are lots of laugh-out-loud moments during this film. It's also pretty racy and suggestive for its time, with a genuinely affecting climax. Another level of interest is added by the careful attention that director Frank Capra pays to the depression-era milieu; Colbert's character really doesn't understand the plight of the common man, but Gable's hard-bitten reporter is all too aware of the hard times that people are going through. This adds a fascinating sociological dimension. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Now This Is Chemistry
This is the film that started it all, and movie fans ever since have been grateful. It's the first pairing of the legendary Hepburn and Tracy, and from the moment when he first sets his eyes on her (actually, her legs - a great shot!), you can feel why they were such a perfect match on screen. They star as newspaper columnists coming from different backgrounds and perspectives, who despite the odds, fall in love, even though they have no idea how to fit into each other's worlds. Both stars give their usual top performances, compensating for some slow parts and dated elements in the story. I enjoyed the film, as I have enjoyed all their films that I have seen. Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy were two of the best in the business, so any opportunity to see them together should be taken!

FANTASTIC
When you have SPENCER and HEPBURN together, it's nothing less than FANTASTIC! No others in movie history can match them as a team. They're acting in a movie, but you can see the love for each other on their faces - it makes it enjoyable to watch them. Every film they have ever made together is great. In Woman of the Year, watch for the kitchen scene. Also, great to watch Desk Set;there are several scenes that were ad lib, and the director was smart in leaving them in - Spencer caught Hepburn entirely off guard with his antics.

Off to a Pretty Good Start
Kate & Spencer began a 25 year on and off the screen romance with Woman of the Year. The movie itself is fine but unspectacular. Basically, the message seems to be that a woman can't have it both ways: work and family. Odd message considering the female lead. WOTY is more important as a piece of film history for the pairing it started. Hepburn was pretty much the only woman as ahead of her times as she was. Fortunately she could put her money where her mouth was and deliver the goods. Several of her films are classics and she is a Hollywood Goddess.

"Woman Of The Year" is Great
"Woman Of The Year" is a Katherine Hepburn Spencer Tracy comedy MGM movie story of a powerful career woman "Tess Harding" who meets a powerful career man "Sam Craig" and they marry and the problems begin because they both have careers though her career is more public than his.She's a person that just about everyone knows in the world and she knows just about everyone by 1st name.There are some Great comedy scenes and the conflicts between career and home are good and they have a happy closing scene.This was the 1st of 9 movies that Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy starred in and they were good together in movies especially this one if you watched any of their movies then you would know and if not this is a good movie you would enjoy.This is the best Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy movie.The movie was popular with audiences and later the movie "Woman Of The Year" was made into a musical play.Barbara Eden played the role in a national touring production of "Woman Of The Year" in 1984 and it was this movie that the musical play was based on.A Great story.A Great movie.A Great DVD.

Laughs when you least expect it...
Aside from Hepburn & Tracy's debut as a team, all credit should be given to director George Stevens for putting together this very complicated story so seamlessly. Mr. Stevens finally won an Oscar in 1951 for "A Place in the Sun" and again in 1956 for "Giant". After "Woman ofthe Year", Stevens was nominated for "The More the Merrier", another complicated plot that he handled with brilliance (remade in the 60's as a Cary Grant romp). Tracy & Hepburn are wonderful (Kate getting a nomination), and Kate's pant-suits certainly must've made a fashion statement; Kate was certainly more comfortable in those clothes than the glamour girls of the time, and though not a great beauty, she was glamorous. I still don't understand why Kate became "box-office poison" in the late 30's; I thought she was brilliant in "Stage Door", "Holiday" and "Bringing Up Baby". I don't see any difference in her choice of roles as with Irene Dunne, who did crazy comedy ("The Awful Truth") as well as sensitive drama ("Love Affair"). Who's to say what tastes were at the time? Though "Woman of the Year" has a few slow, serious moments, it's the light-hearted moments that hold interest. It won an Oscar for Screenplay, much deserved by Michael Kanin and the later black-listed Ring Lardner, Jr. And there's a particularly lovely performance from Fay Bainter who seemed to be over-looked. I enjoy this film for many reasons; it was timely, due to its release during the WWII years, as well as attacking attitudes of society which are today ever-present. I think it's most entertaining. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A diverging story brought together under crime...
The Fabrini brothers, Joe (George Raft) and Paul (Humphrey Bogart), are truck drivers that struggle to make it on their own as a loan shark is on their heels trying to repossess their truck . It all seems futile as Joe and Paul's competition is full of bigger companies that do not care about the smaller companies as it is a dog eat dog world. This forces the Fabrini brothers to work long hours often without adequate sleep. One night after a rough day Joe and Paul pick up a hitchhiker, Cassie Hartley (Ann Sheridan), and together the three of them witness a truck accident where some friends die as they fell asleep behind the wheel. This is a wake up call for the brothers as they have different priorities in their lives, and it brings them in different directions. They Drive By Night is an interesting film with multiple themes, which offers a good cinematic experience

"The doors made me do it! The doors made me do it!"
This awesome classic starts out as a drama about the hard lives of truckers but ends up being a sort of film noir! Ann Sheridan was perfectly cast as a sassy independant woman, & I loved seeing George Raft & Humphrey Bogart playing brothers! And of course let's not forget Ida Lupino, one of the best (& craziest) femme fatales of all time! Also there's Alan Hale, who adds a whole lot of humor to the mix! I won't go into the plot b/c other reviews have fully explained the plot, but I will say that you definitely need to add this gem to your dvd collection! Be aware that the real star of the film is George Raft, despite the misleading cover art, which tries to cash in on Bogey's fame. This wasn't disappointing to me at all, though. I thought George Raft was cool! I highly recommend this to fans of great classics.

A Hidden Gem!
They Drive by Night was so much fun to discover! Anyone who likes old movies will enjoy seeing this one. With Bogie as George Raft's little brother, working together as truckers, and the wonderfully wicked Ida Lupino married to the blissfully ignorant Alan Hale, this movie was a joy to watch from start to finish.

Dynamic Lupino!
When I first watched this movie, I was only mildly interested in the first part which shows how hard life is for two trucker brothers (Raft and Bogart). Only when Ida Lupino is introduced as the off-kilter, man-killing Lana Carlson did I really sit up and take notice. She continued to steal all her scenes as she degenerates into madness after killing her buffoon of a husband for the cold Raft character. Her gradual breakdown is something to see and electrified audiences in l940. When she begins to shriek on the witness stand: "The doors made me do it!", you freeze in amazement at her powerful acting. Her "mad" scene was phenomenal. A note: compare her portrayal of the man-crazed heroine to the way Bette Davis portrayed her in the original, the l934 "Bordertown". Davis always bragged that the quiet way she went crazy on the stand was the right way but after seeing how Lupino did it, you'll think that Davis was wrong. Sorry, Bette, but Lupino did it a l00 times better and a hell of a lot more powerful. Lana Carlson--one mixed-up, crazy dame from Warner Brother's golden days--thanks to the genius of Ida Lupino!

Watch Lupino Go
They Drive By Night has a lot going for it. It's directed by Raoul Walsh, who knew how to make a tough guy movie, yet give it some heart. It has two of the screen's great tough guys, George Raft and Humphrey Bogart. It also has two of the screen's best tough guy girlfriends, Ann Sheridan and Ida Lupino. And it has some really great dialogue that time has not dated. It's the story of two truckers who are brothers, and it looks at the difficulties facing truckers (sleeplessness that can lead to accidents, suppliers that don't pay up, etc). Bogart and Raft are good as the brothers, although Raft doesn't have much of a range as an actor. Raft hooks up with Sheridan, a woman who can hold her own with any trucker. Sheridan plays her with just the right mix of outward toughness, but decency and tenderness, too. Unfortunately, Lupino wants Raft, and she won't be denied what she wants. Lupino gives the performance that you'll remember from this film. She becomes more intense with every scene, and by her last scene, she reaches a level that is amazing to behold. With Lupino's performance and the great dialogue, They Drive By Night is a Warner Brothers' film that should be seen. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Laughing Sinners: The Only Sin is Feeling Sorry for Yourself
By 1931, Joan Crawford had established herself as a serious actress who could play it straight as the heroine in need of being saved or as the hard-edged bitter woman who had others needing being saved from her. In LAUGHING SINNERS, Crawford is the former who has to hit bottom before she can pull her life together. Director Harry Beaumont gives us Crawford as Ivy Stevens, a chorus girl who is so in love with a caddish Howard Palmer (Neil Hamilton) that she cannot see that being the mistress of a travelling salesman can promise nothing but heartbreak. The first third of the film sets up their basic characters. Crawford simply oozes blind emotion for a man of whom she knows surprisingly little. She ignores the warning signs that such a transient relation keeps pointing to. Crawford even treats Howard to an extended dance routine that looks as if it could have been choreographed today. Here she shows the dancing talent that allowed her to win several real life contests that attracted directors like Beaumont to her in the first place. Neil Hamilton as Howard keeps feeding her lines of dismissal that must have caused audiences of all generations to shout at the screen for her to wake up. His oily manner steals more than a few scenes as he stands as a dramatic counterpoint to Crawford's love-struck myopia. He dumps her using a "Dear Ivy" note. She is shattered and attempts suicide but is saved by a Salvation Army officer Carl (Clark Gable). As soon as he saves her body, he tries to save her soul. Despite his unwillingness to take advantage of her vulnerability, the smoky chemistry between them becomes clear enough, rivalling the real life affair that they were sharing. The most emotionally satisfying parts of the film center around his attempts to help Ivy regain her moral balance. Audiences with a long memory will appreciate the brief appearance of the then Little Rascals star Mary Ann Jackson, who, as Betty, helps Ivy to learn that the attempt to help others often results in helping yourself. Howard makes a predictable return, forcing Ivy to put her new-found inner strength to the test. What Ivy learns is that initial failure is no sin, and her joining the ranks of the Salvation Army proves that the only sin is permitting yourself to be used by others. LAUGHING SINNERS is an entertaining film that underscores this often unappreciated truism.

This film was certainly not endorsed by the Salvation Army
"Laughing Sinners" is the second of the eight films that Joan Crawford and Clark Gable made together (and are you not surprised they did that many?), and arguably the worst of the bunch. Crawford plays Ivy Stevens, an entertainer who gets suicidal after being dumped by a traveling salesman, Howard Palmer (Neil Hamilton). She gets befriended by Carl Loomis (Gable), a Salvation Army worker who tells her to believe in God and has her join their group of singers. Later Ivy spots Howard, who is playing poker with a floozie, Edna (Gertrude Short), and begs him to be faithful to his wife. When Howard dumps Edna on another guy (Guy Kibbee), Ivy tries to reform the girl as well. But things do not go well for Edna. In fact they go so badly that she ends up sleeping with Howard, only to wake up the next morning hating herself and telling Carl to give her uniform to someone else.

What happens then pretty much defies belief unless you are from Hollywood. To say that the Salvation Army would not have endorsed this film is a real understatement, and you have to wonder how much "Laughing Sinners" says about the nation's morals at that point that a film could deal with religion and then take a left turn like this at the end. This 1931 film, directed by Harry Beaumont, was based on the stage play "The Torch Song," by Kenyon Nicholson. Gable seems rather miscast in this particular role, Crawford does not really do hysterics all that well, and it is actually Neil Hamilton as the loutish salesman who turns in the best performance in the film. If you go through the Crawford & Gable films in order, then this would be the second one you screen. But if you do it strictly in terms of quality, save this one for last.

Doncha Love a Man in Uniform?
Well, Gable's in one here--but it's from the Salvation Army! For a change of pace, Gable is the "good guy" alternative for Joan Crawford, who has nearly committed suicide over playboy Neal Hamilton (aka Commissioner Gordon from TV's Batman). Through the healing love of gentle Clark, Joan gives up her wilder ways and joins the Salvation Army too, but when she meets her old flame Neal again, will she be strong enough to resist? Try it simply for the novelty--but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised! ... Read more

Reviews (76)

Witty and entertaining
(Please note that the DVD version I am reviewing is the Laserlight release that features an additional documentary on the life of Cary Grant as well as an introduction by an even-more-confused-than-usual Tony Curtis.)

With Laserlight you can never predict from the outside case exactly what the quality of the film itself is going to be in. I've watched good quality prints from them in the past, but I've also seen some truly awful releases that aren't worth the plastic that they're pressed on. Fortunately, their version of HIS GIRL FRIDAY is quite excellent, with a crisp picture and a clear soundtrack. Their budget releases are usually worth the risk, and in this case, you end up with a great movie that's quite well preserved and all for a fairly low price.

The movie itself is simply fantastic. The dialogue comes flying at you so fast that'll be afraid to laugh for fear of speaking over the next line. The story itself is also intensely funny, and deceptively dark. What begins as a seemingly light romantic comedy slowly becomes more and more twisted until the final scene, where the reinstatement of the romance subplot reminds us of how far we've come. It's a testament to the skills of the director, Howard Hawks, that the result is not only coherent, but also highly enjoyable. The story flows effortlessly from moment to moment, with each scene being slightly more frantic than the last, yet still together enough to be extremely entertaining.

The acting from the two main leads is also a delight. In the past I had thought of Cary Grant as always playing the same sort of character in every film. Although, you'll see some similarity to other roles that he played, he's incredibly amusing in this film and playing a far more manipulative character than I'd seen him perform. It's a nice change to see the usually easily befuddled Cary Grant actually running rings around the rest of the cast.

As for the DVD extras, they don't distract from the feature, but they won't be the deciding factor in whether you purchase this DVD or not. The included documentary, CARY GRANT ON FILM: A BIOGRAPHY runs about 28 minutes long and consists mainly of random trailers that span Grant's entire film career. It's fairly interesting, although not terribly riveting. The introductory remarks by Tony Curtis are as bizarrely entertaining as always. The film contains Spanish, Japanese and Chinese subtitles, but does not include an option for English, which is a slightly annoying oversight.

In the end, it's not the extras that you should be buying this disc for; it's the wonderful film that's packaged with them. Kick back, relax, and watch the dialog fly across the screen. You'll want to keep the remote control handy so that you can rewind to catch all the great moments that you missed while laughing over them.

which version to buy? There's only one!
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!

brilliant film--dreadful DVD
Don't buy this DVD. The sound quality is terrible--a loud hissing noise overshadows the film's trademark fast, witty dialog. $5 seemed a small investment at the time, but I should have saved my money. Surely someday those who own the rights to "His Girl Friday" will release a DVD worthy of this wonderful classic.

Get The Girl
1940's His Girl Friday is a fast-paced comedy from director Howard Hawks that is has brilliant pacing and performances from Cary Grant & Rosalind Russell. The film is based on the play, The Front Page and had been previously made into a film and those versions concern the professional relationship of two men, Walter Burns & Hildy Johnson. In this version they changed the gender of Hildy to a female and the professional tension of the original is replaced by sexual tension. Though it seems tame today, the erotic electricity & innuendo between Mr. Grant & Ms. Russell was quite groundbreaking for the time. The screenplay has been one of the most influential in film history, with Quentin Tarantino citing it as an inspiration for his script's pacing.

VINTAGE SCREWBALL SPARKLES ON DVD FROM COLUMBIA
"His Girl Friday" is Howard Hawk's inspired remake of the award-winning Broadway play and previous movie release of "The Front Page". It's the story of a rapid fire newspaper editor, Walter (Cary Grant) and his star reporter and ex-wife, Hildie Johnston. Hildie has decided to retire to the country with her soon to be new husband (Ralph Belamy). But when a prison break captures the imagination of a troupe of cutthroat reporters, all rabid for the real scoop, Hildie sets aside marital bliss for one last hurrah behind the desk as a cub reporter.
THE TRANSFER: BEWARE OF THIS DVD! There are no less than 12 bootlegged versions of this film being sold through various vendors on DVD. In all but one case the image quality looks as though the entire print had been fed through a meat grinder. The version you want is the one from Columbia Tri-Star Home Video. Its packaging features a disclaimer that reads "mastered from the original camera negative." This version of "His Girl Friday" exhibits - in short - exemplary video quality. The B&W picture has been completely restored. Age related artifacts are nonexistent. The gray scale, black and contrast levels are perfectly realized. Fine detail will astound. There are no digital anomalies. The audio is mono but very nicely cleaned up.
EXTRAS: This version also includes some very nice - if all too brief - featurettes on the careers of stars Rosiland Russell and Cary Grant and the making of the film. There's also the original theatrical trailer.
BOTTOM LINE: This girl is worth seeking out! ... Read more

Reviews (76)

Witty and entertaining
(Please note that the DVD version I am reviewing is the Laserlight release that features an additional documentary on the life of Cary Grant as well as an introduction by an even-more-confused-than-usual Tony Curtis.)

With Laserlight you can never predict from the outside case exactly what the quality of the film itself is going to be in. I've watched good quality prints from them in the past, but I've also seen some truly awful releases that aren't worth the plastic that they're pressed on. Fortunately, their version of HIS GIRL FRIDAY is quite excellent, with a crisp picture and a clear soundtrack. Their budget releases are usually worth the risk, and in this case, you end up with a great movie that's quite well preserved and all for a fairly low price.

The movie itself is simply fantastic. The dialogue comes flying at you so fast that'll be afraid to laugh for fear of speaking over the next line. The story itself is also intensely funny, and deceptively dark. What begins as a seemingly light romantic comedy slowly becomes more and more twisted until the final scene, where the reinstatement of the romance subplot reminds us of how far we've come. It's a testament to the skills of the director, Howard Hawks, that the result is not only coherent, but also highly enjoyable. The story flows effortlessly from moment to moment, with each scene being slightly more frantic than the last, yet still together enough to be extremely entertaining.

The acting from the two main leads is also a delight. In the past I had thought of Cary Grant as always playing the same sort of character in every film. Although, you'll see some similarity to other roles that he played, he's incredibly amusing in this film and playing a far more manipulative character than I'd seen him perform. It's a nice change to see the usually easily befuddled Cary Grant actually running rings around the rest of the cast.

As for the DVD extras, they don't distract from the feature, but they won't be the deciding factor in whether you purchase this DVD or not. The included documentary, CARY GRANT ON FILM: A BIOGRAPHY runs about 28 minutes long and consists mainly of random trailers that span Grant's entire film career. It's fairly interesting, although not terribly riveting. The introductory remarks by Tony Curtis are as bizarrely entertaining as always. The film contains Spanish, Japanese and Chinese subtitles, but does not include an option for English, which is a slightly annoying oversight.

In the end, it's not the extras that you should be buying this disc for; it's the wonderful film that's packaged with them. Kick back, relax, and watch the dialog fly across the screen. You'll want to keep the remote control handy so that you can rewind to catch all the great moments that you missed while laughing over them.

which version to buy? There's only one!
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!

brilliant film--dreadful DVD
Don't buy this DVD. The sound quality is terrible--a loud hissing noise overshadows the film's trademark fast, witty dialog. $5 seemed a small investment at the time, but I should have saved my money. Surely someday those who own the rights to "His Girl Friday" will release a DVD worthy of this wonderful classic.

Get The Girl
1940's His Girl Friday is a fast-paced comedy from director Howard Hawks that is has brilliant pacing and performances from Cary Grant & Rosalind Russell. The film is based on the play, The Front Page and had been previously made into a film and those versions concern the professional relationship of two men, Walter Burns & Hildy Johnson. In this version they changed the gender of Hildy to a female and the professional tension of the original is replaced by sexual tension. Though it seems tame today, the erotic electricity & innuendo between Mr. Grant & Ms. Russell was quite groundbreaking for the time. The screenplay has been one of the most influential in film history, with Quentin Tarantino citing it as an inspiration for his script's pacing.

VINTAGE SCREWBALL SPARKLES ON DVD FROM COLUMBIA
"His Girl Friday" is Howard Hawk's inspired remake of the award-winning Broadway play and previous movie release of "The Front Page". It's the story of a rapid fire newspaper editor, Walter (Cary Grant) and his star reporter and ex-wife, Hildie Johnston. Hildie has decided to retire to the country with her soon to be new husband (Ralph Belamy). But when a prison break captures the imagination of a troupe of cutthroat reporters, all rabid for the real scoop, Hildie sets aside marital bliss for one last hurrah behind the desk as a cub reporter.
THE TRANSFER: BEWARE OF THIS DVD! There are no less than 12 bootlegged versions of this film being sold through various vendors on DVD. In all but one case the image quality looks as though the entire print had been fed through a meat grinder. The version you want is the one from Columbia Tri-Star Home Video. Its packaging features a disclaimer that reads "mastered from the original camera negative." This version of "His Girl Friday" exhibits - in short - exemplary video quality. The B&W picture has been completely restored. Age related artifacts are nonexistent. The gray scale, black and contrast levels are perfectly realized. Fine detail will astound. There are no digital anomalies. The audio is mono but very nicely cleaned up.
EXTRAS: This version also includes some very nice - if all too brief - featurettes on the careers of stars Rosiland Russell and Cary Grant and the making of the film. There's also the original theatrical trailer.
BOTTOM LINE: This girl is worth seeking out! ... Read more

Reviews (76)

Witty and entertaining
(Please note that the DVD version I am reviewing is the Laserlight release that features an additional documentary on the life of Cary Grant as well as an introduction by an even-more-confused-than-usual Tony Curtis.)

With Laserlight you can never predict from the outside case exactly what the quality of the film itself is going to be in. I've watched good quality prints from them in the past, but I've also seen some truly awful releases that aren't worth the plastic that they're pressed on. Fortunately, their version of HIS GIRL FRIDAY is quite excellent, with a crisp picture and a clear soundtrack. Their budget releases are usually worth the risk, and in this case, you end up with a great movie that's quite well preserved and all for a fairly low price.

The movie itself is simply fantastic. The dialogue comes flying at you so fast that'll be afraid to laugh for fear of speaking over the next line. The story itself is also intensely funny, and deceptively dark. What begins as a seemingly light romantic comedy slowly becomes more and more twisted until the final scene, where the reinstatement of the romance subplot reminds us of how far we've come. It's a testament to the skills of the director, Howard Hawks, that the result is not only coherent, but also highly enjoyable. The story flows effortlessly from moment to moment, with each scene being slightly more frantic than the last, yet still together enough to be extremely entertaining.

The acting from the two main leads is also a delight. In the past I had thought of Cary Grant as always playing the same sort of character in every film. Although, you'll see some similarity to other roles that he played, he's incredibly amusing in this film and playing a far more manipulative character than I'd seen him perform. It's a nice change to see the usually easily befuddled Cary Grant actually running rings around the rest of the cast.

As for the DVD extras, they don't distract from the feature, but they won't be the deciding factor in whether you purchase this DVD or not. The included documentary, CARY GRANT ON FILM: A BIOGRAPHY runs about 28 minutes long and consists mainly of random trailers that span Grant's entire film career. It's fairly interesting, although not terribly riveting. The introductory remarks by Tony Curtis are as bizarrely entertaining as always. The film contains Spanish, Japanese and Chinese subtitles, but does not include an option for English, which is a slightly annoying oversight.

In the end, it's not the extras that you should be buying this disc for; it's the wonderful film that's packaged with them. Kick back, relax, and watch the dialog fly across the screen. You'll want to keep the remote control handy so that you can rewind to catch all the great moments that you missed while laughing over them.

which version to buy? There's only one!
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!

brilliant film--dreadful DVD
Don't buy this DVD. The sound quality is terrible--a loud hissing noise overshadows the film's trademark fast, witty dialog. $5 seemed a small investment at the time, but I should have saved my money. Surely someday those who own the rights to "His Girl Friday" will release a DVD worthy of this wonderful classic.

Get The Girl
1940's His Girl Friday is a fast-paced comedy from director Howard Hawks that is has brilliant pacing and performances from Cary Grant & Rosalind Russell. The film is based on the play, The Front Page and had been previously made into a film and those versions concern the professional relationship of two men, Walter Burns & Hildy Johnson. In this version they changed the gender of Hildy to a female and the professional tension of the original is replaced by sexual tension. Though it seems tame today, the erotic electricity & innuendo between Mr. Grant & Ms. Russell was quite groundbreaking for the time. The screenplay has been one of the most influential in film history, with Quentin Tarantino citing it as an inspiration for his script's pacing.

VINTAGE SCREWBALL SPARKLES ON DVD FROM COLUMBIA
"His Girl Friday" is Howard Hawk's inspired remake of the award-winning Broadway play and previous movie release of "The Front Page". It's the story of a rapid fire newspaper editor, Walter (Cary Grant) and his star reporter and ex-wife, Hildie Johnston. Hildie has decided to retire to the country with her soon to be new husband (Ralph Belamy). But when a prison break captures the imagination of a troupe of cutthroat reporters, all rabid for the real scoop, Hildie sets aside marital bliss for one last hurrah behind the desk as a cub reporter.
THE TRANSFER: BEWARE OF THIS DVD! There are no less than 12 bootlegged versions of this film being sold through various vendors on DVD. In all but one case the image quality looks as though the entire print had been fed through a meat grinder. The version you want is the one from Columbia Tri-Star Home Video. Its packaging features a disclaimer that reads "mastered from the original camera negative." This version of "His Girl Friday" exhibits - in short - exemplary video quality. The B&W picture has been completely restored. Age related artifacts are nonexistent. The gray scale, black and contrast levels are perfectly realized. Fine detail will astound. There are no digital anomalies. The audio is mono but very nicely cleaned up.
EXTRAS: This version also includes some very nice - if all too brief - featurettes on the careers of stars Rosiland Russell and Cary Grant and the making of the film. There's also the original theatrical trailer.
BOTTOM LINE: This girl is worth seeking out! ... Read more

Reviews (76)

Witty and entertaining
(Please note that the DVD version I am reviewing is the Laserlight release that features an additional documentary on the life of Cary Grant as well as an introduction by an even-more-confused-than-usual Tony Curtis.)

With Laserlight you can never predict from the outside case exactly what the quality of the film itself is going to be in. I've watched good quality prints from them in the past, but I've also seen some truly awful releases that aren't worth the plastic that they're pressed on. Fortunately, their version of HIS GIRL FRIDAY is quite excellent, with a crisp picture and a clear soundtrack. Their budget releases are usually worth the risk, and in this case, you end up with a great movie that's quite well preserved and all for a fairly low price.

The movie itself is simply fantastic. The dialogue comes flying at you so fast that'll be afraid to laugh for fear of speaking over the next line. The story itself is also intensely funny, and deceptively dark. What begins as a seemingly light romantic comedy slowly becomes more and more twisted until the final scene, where the reinstatement of the romance subplot reminds us of how far we've come. It's a testament to the skills of the director, Howard Hawks, that the result is not only coherent, but also highly enjoyable. The story flows effortlessly from moment to moment, with each scene being slightly more frantic than the last, yet still together enough to be extremely entertaining.

The acting from the two main leads is also a delight. In the past I had thought of Cary Grant as always playing the same sort of character in every film. Although, you'll see some similarity to other roles that he played, he's incredibly amusing in this film and playing a far more manipulative character than I'd seen him perform. It's a nice change to see the usually easily befuddled Cary Grant actually running rings around the rest of the cast.

As for the DVD extras, they don't distract from the feature, but they won't be the deciding factor in whether you purchase this DVD or not. The included documentary, CARY GRANT ON FILM: A BIOGRAPHY runs about 28 minutes long and consists mainly of random trailers that span Grant's entire film career. It's fairly interesting, although not terribly riveting. The introductory remarks by Tony Curtis are as bizarrely entertaining as always. The film contains Spanish, Japanese and Chinese subtitles, but does not include an option for English, which is a slightly annoying oversight.

In the end, it's not the extras that you should be buying this disc for; it's the wonderful film that's packaged with them. Kick back, relax, and watch the dialog fly across the screen. You'll want to keep the remote control handy so that you can rewind to catch all the great moments that you missed while laughing over them.

which version to buy? There's only one!
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!

brilliant film--dreadful DVD
Don't buy this DVD. The sound quality is terrible--a loud hissing noise overshadows the film's trademark fast, witty dialog. $5 seemed a small investment at the time, but I should have saved my money. Surely someday those who own the rights to "His Girl Friday" will release a DVD worthy of this wonderful classic.

Get The Girl
1940's His Girl Friday is a fast-paced comedy from director Howard Hawks that is has brilliant pacing and performances from Cary Grant & Rosalind Russell. The film is based on the play, The Front Page and had been previously made into a film and those versions concern the professional relationship of two men, Walter Burns & Hildy Johnson. In this version they changed the gender of Hildy to a female and the professional tension of the original is replaced by sexual tension. Though it seems tame today, the erotic electricity & innuendo between Mr. Grant & Ms. Russell was quite groundbreaking for the time. The screenplay has been one of the most influential in film history, with Quentin Tarantino citing it as an inspiration for his script's pacing.

VINTAGE SCREWBALL SPARKLES ON DVD FROM COLUMBIA
"His Girl Friday" is Howard Hawk's inspired remake of the award-winning Broadway play and previous movie release of "The Front Page". It's the story of a rapid fire newspaper editor, Walter (Cary Grant) and his star reporter and ex-wife, Hildie Johnston. Hildie has decided to retire to the country with her soon to be new husband (Ralph Belamy). But when a prison break captures the imagination of a troupe of cutthroat reporters, all rabid for the real scoop, Hildie sets aside marital bliss for one last hurrah behind the desk as a cub reporter.
THE TRANSFER: BEWARE OF THIS DVD! There are no less than 12 bootlegged versions of this film being sold through various vendors on DVD. In all but one case the image quality looks as though the entire print had been fed through a meat grinder. The version you want is the one from Columbia Tri-Star Home Video. Its packaging features a disclaimer that reads "mastered from the original camera negative." This version of "His Girl Friday" exhibits - in short - exemplary video quality. The B&W picture has been completely restored. Age related artifacts are nonexistent. The gray scale, black and contrast levels are perfectly realized. Fine detail will astound. There are no digital anomalies. The audio is mono but very nicely cleaned up.
EXTRAS: This version also includes some very nice - if all too brief - featurettes on the careers of stars Rosiland Russell and Cary Grant and the making of the film. There's also the original theatrical trailer.
BOTTOM LINE: This girl is worth seeking out! ... Read more

Reviews (76)

Witty and entertaining
(Please note that the DVD version I am reviewing is the Laserlight release that features an additional documentary on the life of Cary Grant as well as an introduction by an even-more-confused-than-usual Tony Curtis.)

With Laserlight you can never predict from the outside case exactly what the quality of the film itself is going to be in. I've watched good quality prints from them in the past, but I've also seen some truly awful releases that aren't worth the plastic that they're pressed on. Fortunately, their version of HIS GIRL FRIDAY is quite excellent, with a crisp picture and a clear soundtrack. Their budget releases are usually worth the risk, and in this case, you end up with a great movie that's quite well preserved and all for a fairly low price.

The movie itself is simply fantastic. The dialogue comes flying at you so fast that'll be afraid to laugh for fear of speaking over the next line. The story itself is also intensely funny, and deceptively dark. What begins as a seemingly light romantic comedy slowly becomes more and more twisted until the final scene, where the reinstatement of the romance subplot reminds us of how far we've come. It's a testament to the skills of the director, Howard Hawks, that the result is not only coherent, but also highly enjoyable. The story flows effortlessly from moment to moment, with each scene being slightly more frantic than the last, yet still together enough to be extremely entertaining.

The acting from the two main leads is also a delight. In the past I had thought of Cary Grant as always playing the same sort of character in every film. Although, you'll see some similarity to other roles that he played, he's incredibly amusing in this film and playing a far more manipulative character than I'd seen him perform. It's a nice change to see the usually easily befuddled Cary Grant actually running rings around the rest of the cast.

As for the DVD extras, they don't distract from the feature, but they won't be the deciding factor in whether you purchase this DVD or not. The included documentary, CARY GRANT ON FILM: A BIOGRAPHY runs about 28 minutes long and consists mainly of random trailers that span Grant's entire film career. It's fairly interesting, although not terribly riveting. The introductory remarks by Tony Curtis are as bizarrely entertaining as always. The film contains Spanish, Japanese and Chinese subtitles, but does not include an option for English, which is a slightly annoying oversight.

In the end, it's not the extras that you should be buying this disc for; it's the wonderful film that's packaged with them. Kick back, relax, and watch the dialog fly across the screen. You'll want to keep the remote control handy so that you can rewind to catch all the great moments that you missed while laughing over them.

which version to buy? There's only one!
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!

brilliant film--dreadful DVD
Don't buy this DVD. The sound quality is terrible--a loud hissing noise overshadows the film's trademark fast, witty dialog. $5 seemed a small investment at the time, but I should have saved my money. Surely someday those who own the rights to "His Girl Friday" will release a DVD worthy of this wonderful classic.

Get The Girl
1940's His Girl Friday is a f