His Girl Friday

[mariness]

Last night we watched His Girl Friday, the classic film of fast banter and slimy journalism featuring Cary Grant speaking at high speed and Rosalind Russell, who really, but really knows how to wear hats. A few points that struck me while watching:

1. Everyone, but everyone, smokes like a chimney -- except for the murderer. And Ralph Bellamy, who

Comments

[lcohen]

you make me want to see this again, but also to see "the front page" on which this is based, where the character of hildy is male, to see whether things were changed or whether they just read differently when foisted on women as opposed to men. (i can't recall if the marriage angle is present or not--i do seem to vaguely recall that the male hildy has to be lured back to reporting...or maybe i've channeled a different movie altogether.)

[mariness]

I've never seen The Front Page, so I can't say whether the marriage angle is stressed there or not. His Girl Friday has a lot of other stuff going on beyond the gender stuff, though -- the ethics of execution, the corruption in the media and in local politics, and so on, which I would guess is what The Front Page is focusing on, along with the need to be the first to cover a story.

[magnet5]

That did carry over from The Front Page, but the protagonist, IIRC, does indeed plan to quit to get married.

[bondo_ba]

I am less sensitive on the anachronisms in gender relations when watching older movies (many would be completely unwatchable if you insist on a postmodern attitude towards them), and think that this one is one of the best. Even in a very sexist era, it's clear that Hildy is running the show here - forcing the characters around her to react to the strength of her personality.

Of course, I usually don't pay any attention whatsoever to these things when watching eighty year old movies. I believe in taking all art in the context of its times, and enjoying it as it was meant to be enjoyed (though it seems that most of my friends are in complete disagreement with me about this!).

So, going beyond the analysis, this one is hilarious, fast-paced, and just plain fun.

[mariness]

AUUGH. I have tried to reply to this three times and LJ keeps eating my posts. So to summarize great comment and can we discuss this once LJ STOPS EATING MY COMMENTS ON MY OWN JOURNAL?

(Not aimed at you.)

[bondo_ba]

Totally. LJ seems to be having some serious issues... We can talk at more length when they get it fixed!