IT’S a plot that prompted not one but two remakes: when the newspaper editor tries everything possible to hold on to their ace reporter.
The original was made in 1931 and the first remake was nine years later, as His Girl Friday, with actress, Rosalind Russell, playing the reporter threatening to leave, to re-marry, and Cary Grant her newspaper editor (and ex-husband).
Says Wikipedia of the ‘screwball comedy': “Walter Burns (Cary Grant) is a hard-boiled editor for The Morning Post who learns his ex-wife and former star reporter, Hildegard ‘Hildy’ Johnson (Rosalind Russell), is about to marry bland insurance man, Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy), and settle down to a quiet life as a wife and mother in Albany, New York. Walter determines to sabotage these plans, enticing the reluctant Hildy to cover one last story, the upcoming execution of convicted murderer, Earl Williams (John Qualen).”
The original was called Hold the Front Page, the same title of the second remake, made in 1974 and starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.
Watch a trailer of His Girl Friday, here:
Buy the movie, here.
Update: Writes former Herald reporter, Chris Holme: “It was the film Bill Russell chose for his retirement bash as Herald film critic a few years back. Great stuff.”
