Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that while there's no sex or bad language in this film, you do see a character jump out the window to her death and many characters pull guns on one another. There's also a considerable amount of underhanded behavior. For instance, Walter has Bruce arrested twice, gives him counterfeit money, and plans to rig the election with biased reporting.
Families can talk about the choices Hildy had to make: Either be a "normal person" and have a family or be a "newspaperman" and have a career. How has it changed today and how is it still similar?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Heather Boerner
HIS GIRL FRIDAY starts by warning the viewer that she's about to see underhanded behavior by reporters willing to do "anything short of murder" to get their story. But in this screwball movie, that take-no-prisoners approach also applies to romance.
Hildy Johnson (the divine Rosalind Russell) is a star reporter -- one of the best at the paper, if also a "girl reporter" -- but she's chucking it all to have a normal life with her new beau. Bruce (Ralph Bellamy) is a sweet, solid, secure insurance man who loves Hildy with all his heart -- quite the contrast to Hildy's ex, the newspaper editor Walter (Cary Grant), whom Hildy drolly reports took her for granted and never gave her the attention she needed. "I want to go somewhere that I can be a woman," she tells Walter in her farewell visit. "I want to be respectable and live a halfway normal life."
But Walter, not content to lose both his star reporter and the love of his life, slyly appeals to her conscience when he asks her to do one last story -- one that could save the life of a man set to be executed the next morning. Hildy writes a great story, re-affirming her passion for both journalism and Walter, but how does she balance both? And, the film seems to ask, does she really want someone who will love her in the way that she wants, or does she want the excitement -- and disappointment -- of a man who is incapable of putting her first?
Aside from the big questions, this is a delightful, fast-paced movie. Unlike most romantic comedies today, neither Hildy nor Walter is a sentimental drip. They are equally matched. For every snarky comment Walter makes ("There's been a lamp burning in the window for you -- come, sit here," Walter says, gesturing at his lap), Hildy gives one better ("Oh, I jumped out that window long ago.").
Hildy's a revelation, both for 1940, when the movie was released, and today when movie messages about women giving up their aspirations for romance persist (My Best Friend's Wedding, Sweet Home Alabama). Deep into the frenzy of writing her article, Bruce begs Hildy to come away with him. But she's determined: "You want me, Bruce? You've got to take me as I am." For that, you can almost forgive the choice Hildy has to make and the overflowing sexism of everyone around her.
People who enjoy this movie may also like the classics Bringing Up Baby, Arsenic and Old Lace, and The Philadelphia Story. Or they may enjoy films about women reporters, including I Love Trouble and Broadcast News.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentSome gazing into eyes, but that's it. |
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ViolenceA surprising amount of violence, including a woman jumping from a window. We see her face-down on the pavement below. Gunshots are aimed at a press room. Many characters aim guns at one another. Characters threaten to hurt one another, saying things like "I'm going to kick you in the teeth." |
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Social BehaviorA lot of underhanded behavior, including lying, passing counterfeit money, stealing, gambling, bribery, and conniving. There's also considerable sexism: When a woman walks into the newsroom, one of the reporters says, "Take off your shirt." On the plus side, Hildy is a strong female role model, showing tenacity, brains, and compassion. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoEveryone smokes cigarettes and Hildy and Walter take their coffee with rum. |
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