IMDb > His Girl Friday (1940)
His Girl Friday
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

His Girl Friday (1940) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 2)
His Girl Friday (1940) -- Editor tries to keep ace reporter from remarrying.
His Girl Friday (1940) -- MyMovieScripts.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Howard Hawks
Writers:
Charles Lederer (screenplay)
Ben Hecht (play) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for His Girl Friday on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 January 1940 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Drama | Romance more
Tagline:
She learned about men from him! more
Plot:
A newspaper editor uses every trick in the book to keep his ace reporter ex-wife from remarrying. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 win more
NewsDesk:
(15 articles)
Farber on Film: Introduction, Part 4 (After Negative Space)
 (From The Auteurs. 18 November 2009, 7:36 AM, PST)
Holiday Preview: A Repertory Calendar
 (From IFC. 3 November 2009, 1:01 PM, PST)
User Comments:
The Front Page remade more (129 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Cary Grant ... Walter Burns

Rosalind Russell ... Hildy Johnson
Ralph Bellamy ... Bruce Baldwin

Gene Lockhart ... Sheriff Hartwell
Porter Hall ... Murphy
Ernest Truex ... Bensinger
Cliff Edwards ... Endicott
Clarence Kolb ... Mayor
Roscoe Karns ... McCue
Frank Jenks ... Wilson
Regis Toomey ... Sanders
Abner Biberman ... Louie
Frank Orth ... Duffy
John Qualen ... Earl Williams
Helen Mack ... Mollie Malloy
Alma Kruger ... Mrs. Baldwin
Billy Gilbert ... Joe Pettibone
Pat West ... Warden Cooley

Edwin Maxwell ... Dr. Egelhoffer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Irving Bacon ... Gus - Waiter (uncredited)
Wade Boteler ... Mike - Jail Guard (uncredited)
Harry C. Bradley ... Insurance Doctor (uncredited)
Wheaton Chambers ... Man in Elevator (uncredited)
Edmund Cobb ... Policeman (uncredited)
Ann Doran ... Newspaper Office Worker (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn ... Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Earl Dwire ... Pete Davis (uncredited)

Pat Flaherty ... Policeman Frank (uncredited)
Eddie Hart ... Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Marion Martin ... Evangeline - Louie's Blonde Associate (uncredited)
Create a character page for: ?

Directed by
Howard Hawks 
 
Writing credits
Charles Lederer (screenplay)

Ben Hecht (play "The Front Page") and
Charles MacArthur (play "The Front Page")

Produced by
Howard Hawks .... producer (uncredited)
 
Original Music by
Sidney Cutner (uncredited)
Felix Mills (uncredited)
 
Cinematography by
Joseph Walker (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Gene Havlick 
 
Art Direction by
Lionel Banks 
 
Costume Design by
Robert Kalloch (gowns) (as Kalloch)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Cliff P. Broughton .... assistant director (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Lodge Cunningham .... sound (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Cliff Shirpser .... assistant camera (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Morris Stoloff .... musical director (as M.W. Stoloff)
Ben Oakland .... composer: stock music (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Jed Harris .... producer: stage play
Chet La Roche .... script doctor (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
  • C. D. C.  Italian dubbing: 1946 (uncredited)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Howard Hawks' His Girl Friday (USA) (complete title)
more
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
92 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | French
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)
Certification:
Australia:G (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | USA:Approved (PCA #5823) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:K-3 (video rating: 1993) | France:U | Portugal:M/6 | South Korea:15 | UK:U (1996) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (video rating) (1994) | West Germany:o.Al. (original rating)
Filming Locations:
Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
Company:
Columbia Pictures Corporation more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The incident with Walter and Hildy hiding escaped killer Earl Williams in a desk in the city room was based on a real incident. Emile Gauvreau, the editor of the old New York City paper "The New York Evening Graphic", hid an escaped killer in the city room of the newspaper, interviewed him, wrote the story and waited until the paper was on the street before turning him over to the police. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Walter goes to take Hildy and Bruce to lunch, his hat jumps from his right hand to his left hand between shots. more
Quotes:
Bruce Baldwin: [Concerning Walter] I like him; he's got a lot of charm.
Hildy Johnson: Well he comes by it naturally his grandfather was a snake.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Restraint (2008) more

FAQ

What was the twist in this remake?
What does the opening title card say?
Watch this film online
more

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
23 out of 28 people found the following comment useful.
The Front Page remade, 23 March 2005
9/10
Author: didi-5 from United Kingdom

This gloriously funny romp by Howard Hawks is rightly remembered as one of the fastest-talking movies ever made. Originally done as 'The Front Page', the play by Hecht and McArthur takes on new life here as the character of Hildy Johnson metamorphoses in this version to be a sparky woman (played by Rosalind Russell), former wife of the harassed columnist Walter Burns (played with characteristic bewilderment and charm by Cary Grant). Hildy is about to marry again, to the nice but dull Bruce Baldwin (played by Ralph Bellamy as a character so boring he 'is like Ralph Bellamy' - how Hollywood liked its in-jokes).

With that fire-cracking script, a sizable amount of sparks between Grant and Russell, and good support from Bellamy and a cast which includes Gene Lockhart, Cliff Edwards, Clarence Kolb, and Regis Toomey, 'His Girl Friday' is one of those classic gems which never age and which remain hugely entertaining.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (129 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for His Girl Friday (1940)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Why is Hildy called Miss Johnson and not Mrs Burns? heather_m1986
If His Girl Friday is in your top 10 list... filmgutten_432
Haiku Review rbreedon
Where have seen this scene before? ashleighnicole
Did the journalists of that time really talk that way? nib_maps
DON'T LEAVE THE TOP 250!!!!!!!! nicknc1214
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Fugitive Bank Alarm Chicago The Miracle of Morgan's Creek There Goes My Girl
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb top 250 movies IMDb Comedy section
IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.