HIS GIRL FRIDAY – Full Original Movie

by Howard HawksPublication date 1940Usage Public DomainTopics romance, comedy

Hilarious romantic comedy starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. Russell is rough and tumble reporter looking to get out of the news racket by marrying and becoming a house wife after her divorce from newspaper publisher Grant. Just when she is about to leave town with her husband-to-be the still lovesick Grant drafts her to cover one final breaking news sensation.

Along with plenty of laughs and fast paced dialog this film provides a witty and cynical look at news business.

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There is a slight audio sync problem in the first couple minutes of the film. It is present on the source medium and is very brief.Addeddate 2005-04-14 09:54:42Closed captioning noColor black and whiteDirector Howard HawksIdentifier his_girl_fridayRun time 1:31:44Sound soundType MovingImageYear 1940

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Reviewer: yashwa tv screen – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – February 27, 2021
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Reviewer: Big Boomer – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – March 19, 2017
Subject: Best of Screwball Comedies

This is considered the first screwball comedy. The fast pace of the lines tripping over each other was, in its time, novel and had audiences gasping for breath.

This story is, of course, The Front Page. A wonderful play performed by just about every college and high school drama department in America at some time in the last 90 years. There is an earlier version of the story here at the Archive with a male actor portraying Russell’s part. But I think the romantic chemistry between the mixed gender protagonists adds another level to the comedy and double entendres.

There are also many insider jokes within the dialog. Grant mentions “Archie Leach” — his own real name. He also calls the felon on the run “You Mock Turtle” — the actor had just portrayed that character in Alice in Wonderland.

This is a delightful movie.

Reviewer: danaross – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – October 26, 2011
Subject: A great movie

His Girl Friday is actually one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. Very quick and witty. Cary Grant and Rolalind Russell. Very clever and Funny. A great one.

Frankly it’s the best film I’ve downloaded from Internet Archive ( I love Internet Archive).

Let me know your favorites.

Reviewer: Step_Nine_Productions – – December 13, 2009
Subject: Audio Issues

It looks like people on here are having problems with the audio being out-of-sync with the film. Another version of this film with the sync issue nonexistent is located here:

http://www.archive.org/details/his_girl_friday_ipod

Reviewer: BondoFox – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – November 11, 2009
Subject: Perlster’s an Idiot

This movie is GOLD! I’m sorry, Perlster, that it’s not one of the “Ernest” series of oh-so-classic comedy for trailer-dwellers, for this movie you actually require a functioning brainstem.

GOLD, people. Gold.

And sharp-eyed people will recognize it as the movie that would be remade in the 1980’s as “Switching Channels” starring Burt Reynolds in an updated version of Cary’s role.

Reviewer: perlster – favoritefavorite – August 3, 2009
Subject: a generous two stars for this

Not a laugh to be found in an alleged “hilarious” movie, its only value is seeing stars like Grant, Russell and Bellamy when they were young.

Reviewer: stacy27 – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – March 2, 2009
Subject: He’s Like Sunshine…..

Cary Grant of course. So beautiful. Great classic film. We’re fortunate to have it here. Thank you for posting it. 5***** x

Reviewer: jonc – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – October 16, 2008
Subject: Timeless

Corruption, cynicism, capital punishment – perfect elements for comedy. Grant’s performance as a manipulative news editor is arguably his best, and Russel was coming right off of “The Women” and at the height of her career. Produced in 1940 and based in 1920s Chicago, the pace and the subject matter make it timeless.

Reviewer: The Keyboard Caper – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – August 4, 2008
Subject: awsome movie 🙂

Amazing performance by Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. A must watch for all. The funniest character in the movie is the fat man who brings the orders of cancellation of hanging in the end of the movie. Enjoy.

Reviewer: clemenza44 – favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – June 29, 2007
Subject: Well acted and well done.

Grant and Russell give top notch performances in this decent comedy. But the print plays at the wrong speed, making it harder to enjoy.

Reviewer: Marchhaire – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – June 29, 2007
Subject: worth watching

It’s Cary Grant doing what he does best being the sly sophisticated leading man it’s hillarious!

Reviewer: PeterVan – favorite – May 2, 2007
Subject: Great movie – can’t get it to sync

I’ve read the same complaint from other downloaders, but I haven’t seen a solution. The film’s sound is way out of sync after the first few minutes. I’ve tried the file on three computers with the same result. Any suggestions?

Reviewer: daveterry – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – April 24, 2007
Subject: A very funny and witty movie

After I had downloaded and burned a dvd of this film, I discovered that I already had a copy (from the dollar store), so I compared the two. In the opening sequence, Rosalind Russell’s hat looked solid black in the dollar store version. In the Internet Archive version, The hat was black and white stripes. Even the pictures on the cover of the commercial DVD were fuzzy.

The movie is fantastically funny. Watch for some of the ad-libbed lines by Cary Grant, like where he refers to some horrible fate suffered by the last person who crossed him: Archie Leach (Grants real name). When Earl Williams tries to get out of the roll-top desk, Burns (Grant) says: “Get back in there, you Mock Turtle”. Williams played the Mock Turtle in Alice In Wonderland in 1933.

Reviewer: drashok – favoritefavorite – March 28, 2007
Subject: wow! For what?

Wow!
I would like to burst in to an applause for a wonderful film.
However, at 128 Kbs speed I am getting patchy clip by clip slow reception of the movie.

128 is twice the speed most people have in India.
Will I be able to view this movie full length without hiccups?

drashok

Reviewer: Also an Archivist – – March 24, 2007
Subject: another listing

http://www.archive.org/details/his_girl_friday_ipod

Don’t know why a separate listing is here and not just merged with this.

Reviewer: Yodelling Llama – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – January 11, 2007
Subject: Charming.

Fantastic quick dialogue. Charming chemistry in the leads. Model romantic comedy.

Reviewer: Jim Cripps – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – December 24, 2006
Subject: Brilliant

And if there hadn’t been a competition between Russell and Grant over the dialogue, this movie might have been a slight disaster. What would make this movie better though, is a better print or preservation.

Reviewer: interested – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – December 24, 2006
Subject: Dated excellence

Previous posts have already justified this 1940 film as being worthy of viewing or downloading.

For witty dialogue, and superb acting, it is hard to find present day productions that could be compared to this very enjoyable film.

Reviewer: gerz85 – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – November 27, 2006
Subject: Grant and Russell are brilliant!

This definitely has to be one the of the best films that I have ever seen. I agree with another post that I’m still in disbelief that this film was available for download. I can’t stress enough how wonderful this film is. Watch it now!

Reviewer: amr – favorite – August 26, 2006
Subject: ohd film

this film is very old

Reviewer: mmdanziger – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – June 8, 2006
Subject: Terrific

This film is terrific. Based on “The Front Page” but with roles reversed, the plot and lines are all top quality.

Grant and Russell act terrificly and it all combines for a great film experience. I don’t know what obieone is talking about, I downloaded the 256k version and found it to be quite adequate.

This is certainly one of the best films, in my opinion, available from the archive.

Reviewer: kareneliot – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – December 16, 2005
Subject: A+++

So very entertaining!!! A winner. Superb delivery by all on some some very quick-witted writing.

Reviewer: raghavsuri – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – September 24, 2005
Subject: Brilliant

Though in the beginning the audio does not sync, with the picture, that is the only flaw. The film is excellent, has a great cast with superb talent. This film is surely and entertainer for anyone. If you want a fun film, and feel well, retro then check out His Girl Friday.

Reviewer: obieone – favorite – September 13, 2005
Subject: Excellent show, but……..

I have downloaded several versions of this film, (all actually) and I find that the opening credits are fine, but that is as far as it goes. The opening scenes have green dropouts, the soundtrack is off and after 5 minutes it looks like an old japaneese film. I have spent enough time downloading it.
If anyone else is having this problem, please let me know.
One star for transfer quality, 5 stars for the film itself.

Reviewer: Travisab1 – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – June 6, 2005
Subject: His Girl Friday

You’ve just gotta watch this show if you are a Cary Grant buff. I can’t find anything to complain about this movie. All I gotta say is… Love it, Love it, Love it. This brings back memories of the good ole’ days, an era our youngin’s will never know about other than watchin’ shows like this when medal detectors and jeweled car keys were unheard of and the 20,000 leagues beneath the sea guy would never think about to write what is comin’ or sumpin’ like that. You know what I mean.

Worth the 5 stars in my mind buttttt my mind is on Buffalo Gal’s.

Download the bear… you’ll love it too.

Travis

Reviewer: pholmer – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – May 6, 2005
Subject: His Girl Friday aka The Front Page

This film is a remake of “The Front Page” based on the play by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur. In the original, the writer is getting married and leaving town while the editor schemes to keep his ace reporter from leaving the paper. “The Front Page” has been made into a movie twice under that title; the original in 1931 with Adolphe Menjou & Pat O’Brien and the Bill Wilder directed version in 1974 with Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Carol Burnett, Susan Sarandon & one of the best ensembles of character actors ever.
The ex-husband, ex-wife plot angle was created for “His Girl Friday” and made the story equally as entertaining as the original but unique in its own right. This version also got a remake in 1988 as “Switching Channels” starring Burt Reynolds, Kathleen Turner, Christopher Reeve and Ned Beatty. All four versions are worth seeing, but the Matthau-Lemmon and Grant-Russell versions are true classics.

Reviewer: tambora – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – April 23, 2005
Subject: Short Review

I still can’t believe that this is here. Get it and see what fast-talking comedy writing used to be. Even if you don’t think it’s as funny as some other comedies you’ve seen, you’ll marvel at the nonstop wit. #19 on AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Laughs.

Reviewer: Yellow_Pages – favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite – April 15, 2005
Subject: One of the best uploads so far!

As pretty much stated in the comments above this is one Cary Grants finer films. Pretty much on rotation for TCM for 4 months of the year or if your local pbs station plays maybe once or twice a year don’t miss it. Better yet go ahead and download it you won’t be sorry. The story line is flawless and if your in need of a good laugh you’ll get plenty of them here. Noticed there is no link to the imdb on the page so here it is….http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032599/

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