Grade: A
Synopsis: A newspaper editor (Cary Grant) tries to keep his best reporter (Rosalind Russell) from remarrying.
His Girl Friday still holds up today as a gold standard for dialog-driven movies. Director Howard Hawks ingeniously ditches the standard I-go, you-go form of dialog, and replaces it with a perfectly timed montage that turns the superfluous dialog into an almost rhythmic beat that drives the movie along.
Such an original undertaking must have been quite daunting, but fortunately for Hawks his performers were up the task. Rosalind Russell in particular, is both commanding and enchanting and easily holds her own against the considerable star-power of Cary Grant; which is no easy feat.
The end result is a movie that, like most of Hawk’s pictures, is immensely enjoyable and holds up well to repeat viewings.
Bottom Line: A classic. Highly Recommended.
