His Girl Friday 1940
I caught the end of this movie one time and was very impressed with the lightning fast dialog by Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, a defining characteristic of screwball comedies like this one. Eventually I bought a digital copy of the movie in 4k after debating getting the Criterion edition of the movie for years. I really like Cary Grant, but in some comedies he comes off as silly or trying too hard (see Bringing Up Baby). He doesn't do that too much here, but he is close to it. Although he plays a newspaper editor, he is little more than a criminal as he passes counterfeit money, hires a pickpocket to steal some money, and has an innocent man thrown in jail repeatedly. They are trying to say that newspaper men will do anything for a story, but this reduces the appeal for a romantic lead. Russell is very good in one of her best roles, keeping up with the banter and maintaining her charm throughout. While she is engaged to an admittedly boring Ralph Bellamy, it seems like there could be a happy medium for her. Ultimately it is a little unconvincing that this guy who has lied to her the entire movie would win her heart, even if he is Cary Grant. Although the movie is fairly short at 92 minutes, they kind of drag out the story and the bickering which gets a little tiresome. The movie actually worked better for me when I only saw part of it because I didn't overdose on the dialog and didn't realize how dishonest Grant was. It is still an enjoyable movie and the plot has some nice details like the man on death row is there for killing a black policeman and the politicians don't want to seem soft on crime against a black police officer in order to court the black vote. Although it usually goes past too quickly, it is fun hearing the different reporters slant their stories at almost the same time. It is maybe too broad, but it makes a point. Lastly, this is allegedly a 4k version of the movie, but at some point the film grain turned into speckles, primarily on people's faces, which is very annoying. You don't expect much from 4k with a black and white movie, but you certainly hope it won't actually look worse.
Written: 27 May 2024
Owned on: Digital