THE FRONT PAGE
US, 1931, 101 minutes, Black and white.
Adolphe Menjou, Pat O’ Brien, Mary Brian, Edward Everett Horton, Walter Catlett, George E. Stone, Mae Clarke, Slim Somerville, Frank Mc Hugh.
Directed by Lewis Milestone.
The Front Page was a play by Ben Hecht and Charles Mc Arthur. and was extremely popular in the early 30s. It was soon made a film and was one of the early talkies, directed by Lewis Milestone who had made All Quiet on the Western Front and was about to make Rain. (Later Milestone directed such films as Of Mice and Men, A Walk in the Sun and many other fine war films, finishing with the Marlin Brando Mutiny on the Bounty.)
The dialogue and the repartee are most important in Hecht's and McArthur's plays and especially this one with its very satirical and sardonic look at the world of newspapers and their lack of scruple and human feeling. It also pokes fun at city administration and corruption. It also shows the innocent victim and the pathos of the criminals chosen by newspapers and corrupt officials.
There are many contrived scenes but the pace and the dialogue seems to make it all work. Adolphe Menjou is particularly good as the severe and unscrupulous, Walter Burns, the editor of the Morning Post. Pat O' Brien is at the beginning of his film career as the reporter Hildy Johnson. There are some very good sutp'brting roles in the other newsraper men.
The filin was so popular that it was reworked in the early 40s and became His Girl Friday directed by Howard Hawks. It was one of the comedies that Hawks made with Cary Grant (others being Bringing Up Baby, I Was a Male War Bride and Monkey Business). However the reworking turned Hildy Johnson into a woman and had Walter Burns married and just divorced.
The basic plot about the newspaper world, city corruption remain the same but there is quite a tension between the man and the woman especially as played expertly by Cary Grant (a warmer but no less unscrupulous Walter Burns) and the wise-cracking Rosalind Russell has Hildy.
Ralph Bellamy puts in a gentle performance as a rather clottish fiance for Hildy. As in the earlier film there are excellent supporting roles from the newspaper men and the city administration and the prisoner Earl Williams.
The story was so popular that it was remade in the 70s with Walter Matthau as Walter Burns and Jack Lemmon as Hildy Johnson. It resembles the original quite considerably, althouph updated with the tone of the 1970s.
1.The classic status of this film? The classic status of the writers, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur? The later versions of this story? His Girl Friday? Television adaptations? Miniseries? The Billy Wilder 1970s version? It being used for such films as Switching Channels?
2.The atmosphere of the 30s, early sound film-making, the rooms and sets, the black and white photography, the world of the newspaper, of the prison? The musical score?
3.The quality of the dialogue, the repartee, the quick-fire delivery? The American wit and sardonic aspects?
4.The situation, Hildy Johnson and his wanting to get married to Peggy? The preparations for the wedding? Walter Burns, the proprietor, his dominance? The situation with Earl Williams, the hanging, waiting for a reprieve? The complications with Earl Williams’ escape and Hildy and Walter Burns hiding him?
5.The role of the newspaper, the news, the range of journalists and editors, the issues and stories? In the journalists’ room? Playing cards, inventing stories, Mac on the phone and the interviews?
6.Aspects of the law, executions, politics, elections, the coloured votes, corruption?
7.Hildy Johnson as the ace reporter, his love for Peggy, Peggy and the loan from her mother? The preparation for the ceremony? His continually being caught up in the atmosphere of the newsroom, his telling off of Walter Burns over the phone, the escape of Earl Williams, his becoming involved, hiding him? The reactions of the other journalists, Walter collaborating with him, Molly Molloy and her presence, throwing herself out the window? The arrival of the sheriff and the mayor, their double-dealing?
8.Walter Burns, on the phone, the boss, the search for Hildy, the fire alarm, the drink? Talking down Hildy? Getting rid of Peggy’s mother? The charge of abduction? With the other journalists, with Earl Williams? Wanting the scoop? His being arrested with Hildy, the man with the reprieve turning up drunk, the accusations, his prayer being vindicated?
9.Benzinger, Edward Everett Horton and his comic style, language and manner, his ailments? His writing, the poetry? Going out to buy the pills? Earl Williams and his desk? Burns and his manoeuvres to get rid of Benzinger, sending him to the office, promising him a job, getting him fired because of not giving notice?
10.The sheriff, his incompetence? Giving the gun to the psychologist, his own gun being used by Earl Williams? The mayor, the consideration for re-election, the killing of a black person, the coloured vote? The governor and his attitude – and sending the reprieve?
11.Earl Williams, the accusations, protesting his innocence, the re-enactment of the crime, the psychologist from Vienna looking like Freud? The re-enactment, his shooting the psychologist, escaping, Hildy putting him in the desk, his continually coming out? His love for Molly? The reprieve?
12.Peggy, love for Hildy, exasperated, the plan to go to New York, borrowing from her mother? Her continually coming to the office, on the phone? Her being put off? Her mother, waiting in the taxi, coming up, bundled away? Peggy and her giving in to Hildy?
13.Molly, helping Earl, hiding, throwing herself out the window?
14.The frantic situation, the journalists and their getting the truth, ringing up their exclusives? The mayor and the sheriff? Being exposed? The drunk messenger and his not wanting to be corrupted?
15.The happy ending, Hildy and his continuing his work as a journalist?
16.The popularity of this kind of newspaper film – and its being a model for so many films and television movies and series in decades afterwards?
