HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940) - ENGLISH

A fine comedy that's engaging and has some wonderful lines.

Though most of the dialogue revolves around the relationship or how this young man Walter Burns (Cary Grant) tries to woo his girlfriend Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) back, it makes a satire through the underlying journalism that's so very well embedded in the film. Howard Hawks who directed this was a great director who has made some fine movies, even great movies and this is a great movie.

Interesting is the setup and it's a relationship between an editor and journalist, and how they converse. Now this journalist Hildy is engaged to her fiancé Bruce Baldwin (ralph Bellamy) and editor Walter wants her back. To be right, Hildy is the ex-wife of Walter. 

Noteworthy is the audio graph of the film, I have seen through this film that right in 1940 people were having such an overlapping tone and the conversations were so free flowing. The sound was so realistic that at times I was amazed considering that in 1940 there was such technology put into use. Hats off for this, to the makers and to Hawks specifically who got every note of the dialogue pitch perfect. I am say that most of the dialogue was mellifluous.

Also admirable is the pace of the film, in 90 odd minutes, so much was happening in an editor's office. And each time I heard them speak, I was mostly smiling. It brings smiles to us, and that's what this very film did. Most of the time, I was happy and I love it coz it made me happy. 

The art direction, the cinematography just seem to be complementing the vision of the director, the expression and dialogue of actor so well that I was struck to it in admiration. I so very wish that we make more such movies in Hollywood than some crap action and comedy pieces. If today's comedy is either sleazy or slapstick, this genre was called screwball comedy because a few balls of the audience were screwed by the laughter it brought out. It did not make me laugh out loud though but made so very happy. 

Thanks to Hawks for taking this up and making a fine film from a wonderful premise. The acting by each one is apt, in-fact the enunciation, the body language, the expression all are in sync with what is needed for the scene. And that's the hallmark of great director, who can extract some great performances. Hawks certainly did extract some memorable performances. I am going with 4/5 for this wonderful fine gem.