Hilarious romantic comedy starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. Russell is rough and tumble reporter looking to get out of the news racket by marrying and becoming a house wife after her divorce from newspaper publisher Grant. Just when she is about to leave town with her husband-to-be the still lovesick Grant drafts her to cover one final breaking news sensation.



Along with plenty of laughs and fast paced dialog this film provides a witty and cynical look at news business.



There is a slight audio sync problem in the first couple minutes of the film. It is present on the source medium and is very brief.

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Reviewer: Big Boomer - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 19, 2017

Subject: Best of Screwball Comedies This is considered the first screwball comedy. The fast pace of the lines tripping over each other was, in its time, novel and had audiences gasping for breath.



This story is, of course, The Front Page. A wonderful play performed by just about every college and high school drama department in America at some time in the last 90 years. There is an earlier version of the story here at the Archive with a male actor portraying Russell's part. But I think the romantic chemistry between the mixed gender protagonists adds another level to the comedy and double entendres.



There are also many insider jokes within the dialog. Grant mentions "Archie Leach" -- his own real name. He also calls the felon on the run "You Mock Turtle" -- the actor had just portrayed that character in Alice in Wonderland.



This is a delightful movie. - March 19, 2017Best of Screwball Comedies

Reviewer: danaross - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 26, 2011

Subject: A great movie His Girl Friday is actually one of the best movies I've ever seen. Very quick and witty. Cary Grant and Rolalind Russell. Very clever and Funny. A great one.



Frankly it's the best film I've downloaded from Internet Archive ( I love Internet Archive).



Let me know your favorites. - October 26, 2011A great movie

Reviewer: Step_Nine_Productions - - December 13, 2009

Subject: Audio Issues



http://www.archive.org/details/his_girl_friday_ipod It looks like people on here are having problems with the audio being out-of-sync with the film. Another version of this film with the sync issue nonexistent is located here: - December 13, 2009Audio Issues

Reviewer: BondoFox - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 11, 2009

Subject: Perlster's an Idiot This movie is GOLD! I'm sorry, Perlster, that it's not one of the "Ernest" series of oh-so-classic comedy for trailer-dwellers, for this movie you actually require a functioning brainstem.



GOLD, people. Gold.



And sharp-eyed people will recognize it as the movie that would be remade in the 1980's as "Switching Channels" starring Burt Reynolds in an updated version of Cary's role. - November 11, 2009Perlster's an Idiot

Reviewer: perlster - favorite favorite - August 3, 2009

Subject: a generous two stars for this Not a laugh to be found in an alleged "hilarious" movie, its only value is seeing stars like Grant, Russell and Bellamy when they were young. - August 3, 2009a generous two stars for this

Reviewer: stacy27 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 2, 2009

Subject: He's Like Sunshine..... Cary Grant of course. So beautiful. Great classic film. We're fortunate to have it here. Thank you for posting it. 5***** x - March 2, 2009He's Like Sunshine.....

Reviewer: jonc - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 16, 2008

Subject: Timeless Corruption, cynicism, capital punishment - perfect elements for comedy. Grant's performance as a manipulative news editor is arguably his best, and Russel was coming right off of "The Women" and at the height of her career. Produced in 1940 and based in 1920s Chicago, the pace and the subject matter make it timeless. - October 16, 2008Timeless

Reviewer: The Keyboard Caper - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 4, 2008

Subject: awsome movie :) Amazing performance by Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. A must watch for all. The funniest character in the movie is the fat man who brings the orders of cancellation of hanging in the end of the movie. Enjoy. - August 4, 2008awsome movie :)

Reviewer: clemenza44 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 29, 2007

Subject: Well acted and well done. Grant and Russell give top notch performances in this decent comedy. But the print plays at the wrong speed, making it harder to enjoy. - June 29, 2007Well acted and well done.

Reviewer: Marchhaire - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 29, 2007

Subject: worth watching It's Cary Grant doing what he does best being the sly sophisticated leading man it's hillarious! - June 29, 2007worth watching

Reviewer: PeterVan - favorite - May 2, 2007

Subject: Great movie - can't get it to sync I've read the same complaint from other downloaders, but I haven't seen a solution. The film's sound is way out of sync after the first few minutes. I've tried the file on three computers with the same result. Any suggestions? - May 2, 2007Great movie - can't get it to sync

Reviewer: daveterry - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 24, 2007

Subject: A very funny and witty movie After I had downloaded and burned a dvd of this film, I discovered that I already had a copy (from the dollar store), so I compared the two. In the opening sequence, Rosalind Russell's hat looked solid black in the dollar store version. In the Internet Archive version, The hat was black and white stripes. Even the pictures on the cover of the commercial DVD were fuzzy.



The movie is fantastically funny. Watch for some of the ad-libbed lines by Cary Grant, like where he refers to some horrible fate suffered by the last person who crossed him: Archie Leach (Grants real name). When Earl Williams tries to get out of the roll-top desk, Burns (Grant) says: "Get back in there, you Mock Turtle". Williams played the Mock Turtle in Alice In Wonderland in 1933. - April 24, 2007A very funny and witty movie

Reviewer: drashok - favorite favorite - March 28, 2007

Subject: wow! For what? Wow!

I would like to burst in to an applause for a wonderful film.

However, at 128 Kbs speed I am getting patchy clip by clip slow reception of the movie.



128 is twice the speed most people have in India.

Will I be able to view this movie full length without hiccups?



drashok - March 28, 2007wow! For what?

Reviewer: Also an Archivist - - March 24, 2007

Subject: another listing http://www.archive.org/details/his_girl_friday_ipod



Don't know why a separate listing is here and not just merged with this. Don't know why a separate listing is here and not just merged with this. - March 24, 2007another listing

Reviewer: Yodelling Llama - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - January 11, 2007

Subject: Charming. Fantastic quick dialogue. Charming chemistry in the leads. Model romantic comedy. - January 11, 2007Charming.

Reviewer: Jim Cripps - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 24, 2006

Subject: Brilliant And if there hadn't been a competition between Russell and Grant over the dialogue, this movie might have been a slight disaster. What would make this movie better though, is a better print or preservation. - December 24, 2006Brilliant

Reviewer: interested - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 24, 2006

Subject: Dated excellence Previous posts have already justified this 1940 film as being worthy of viewing or downloading.



For witty dialogue, and superb acting, it is hard to find present day productions that could be compared to this very enjoyable film. - December 24, 2006Dated excellence

Reviewer: gerz85 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 27, 2006

Subject: Grant and Russell are brilliant! This definitely has to be one the of the best films that I have ever seen. I agree with another post that I'm still in disbelief that this film was available for download. I can't stress enough how wonderful this film is. Watch it now! - November 27, 2006Grant and Russell are brilliant!

Reviewer: amr - favorite - August 26, 2006

Subject: ohd film this film is very old - August 26, 2006ohd film

Reviewer: mmdanziger - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 8, 2006

Subject: Terrific This film is terrific. Based on "The Front Page" but with roles reversed, the plot and lines are all top quality.



Grant and Russell act terrificly and it all combines for a great film experience. I don't know what obieone is talking about, I downloaded the 256k version and found it to be quite adequate.



This is certainly one of the best films, in my opinion, available from the archive. - June 8, 2006Terrific

Reviewer: kareneliot - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 16, 2005

Subject: A+++ So very entertaining!!! A winner. Superb delivery by all on some some very quick-witted writing. - December 16, 2005A+++

Reviewer: raghavsuri - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 24, 2005

Subject: Brilliant Though in the beginning the audio does not sync, with the picture, that is the only flaw. The film is excellent, has a great cast with superb talent. This film is surely and entertainer for anyone. If you want a fun film, and feel well, retro then check out His Girl Friday. - September 24, 2005Brilliant

Reviewer: obieone - favorite - September 13, 2005

Subject: Excellent show, but........ I have downloaded several versions of this film, (all actually) and I find that the opening credits are fine, but that is as far as it goes. The opening scenes have green dropouts, the soundtrack is off and after 5 minutes it looks like an old japaneese film. I have spent enough time downloading it.

If anyone else is having this problem, please let me know.

One star for transfer quality, 5 stars for the film itself. - September 13, 2005Excellent show, but........

Reviewer: Travisab1 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 6, 2005

Subject: His Girl Friday You've just gotta watch this show if you are a Cary Grant buff. I can't find anything to complain about this movie. All I gotta say is... Love it, Love it, Love it. This brings back memories of the good ole' days, an era our youngin's will never know about other than watchin' shows like this when medal detectors and jeweled car keys were unheard of and the 20,000 leagues beneath the sea guy would never think about to write what is comin' or sumpin' like that. You know what I mean.



Worth the 5 stars in my mind buttttt my mind is on Buffalo Gal's.



Download the bear... you'll love it too.



Travis - June 6, 2005His Girl Friday

Reviewer: pholmer - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 6, 2005

Subject: His Girl Friday aka The Front Page This film is a remake of "The Front Page" based on the play by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur. In the original, the writer is getting married and leaving town while the editor schemes to keep his ace reporter from leaving the paper. "The Front Page" has been made into a movie twice under that title; the original in 1931 with Adolphe Menjou & Pat O'Brien and the Bill Wilder directed version in 1974 with Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Carol Burnett, Susan Sarandon & one of the best ensembles of character actors ever.

The ex-husband, ex-wife plot angle was created for "His Girl Friday" and made the story equally as entertaining as the original but unique in its own right. This version also got a remake in 1988 as "Switching Channels" starring Burt Reynolds, Kathleen Turner, Christopher Reeve and Ned Beatty. All four versions are worth seeing, but the Matthau-Lemmon and Grant-Russell versions are true classics. - May 6, 2005His Girl Friday aka The Front Page

Reviewer: tambora - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 23, 2005

Subject: Short Review I still can't believe that this is here. Get it and see what fast-talking comedy writing used to be. Even if you don't think it's as funny as some other comedies you've seen, you'll marvel at the nonstop wit. #19 on AFI's 100 Years, 100 Laughs. - April 23, 2005Short Review