Review of His Girl Friday (1940) by Bubba M — 03 Mar 2009

Quick as lightning. Hawks' snappy comedy and biting satire about news and marriage is not only right on track, it's hysterically entertaining. Grant seems very at home with what would become almost trademark dialogue, but he is not left alone to steal the show; every member of the cast does a fantastic job, and Rosalind Russell talks so fast it's almost inhuman.

Modeled after a famous play, the action is limited, but Hawks makes sure that this does not lead to staginess. Sometimes the camera moves around the characters, sometimes the characters move around the camera; the point is, nothing ever stands still, and keeping up is half the fun.