Spéciale première

THE FRONT PAGE (1931) is a snappy, quick-witted comedy about a newspaper man trying to leave the business and get married while his peers scramble to cover the story of the year. The movie is based on a stage play, and the same story was adapted (with some tweaks) in 1940 for Howard Hawks's brilliant HIS GIRL_FRIDAY, starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell.

I absolutely love HIS GIRL_FRIDAY and wasn't expecting much from this earlier and lesser-known version. But I must say that THE FRONT PAGE is itself a terrific film that, though slightly different (but mostly similar), is just as great as HIS GIRL_FRIDAY. (The wonderful humor must be inherent in the original play.)

The ensemble cast is superb, including Pat O'Brien as the soon-to-be-married star reporter, Adolphe Menjou as his big shot editor, Clarence Wilson as the harassed sheriff, George E. Stone as a condemned man, and a roomful of reporters including Frank McHugh, Walter Catlett, and Edward Everett Horton.

Made in 1931, early on in the sound era, the movie certainly looks pretty old. But I thought it was great. The script is very witty and the direction (by Oscar-winner Lewis Milestone) is good. I particularly enjoyed the direction in the pressroom scenes, with all of the reporters and all of the phones and the various snippets of conversation.

Also, being a "pre-code" comedy, there are some bits that might have been deemed too vulgar had the film been made only a few years later. There are some allusions to promiscuity, some almost swear words, and even a brief instance of "flipping the bird".

HIS GIRL_FRIDAY (1940) is an all-time classic screwball comedy. But if you enjoyed that film, you're sure to love THE FRONT PAGE (1931). The story is basically the same (there's less of a romantic angle as the star reporter is a man in this version), but a lot of the jokes are fresh. And this version offers wonderful performances by Menjou, Catlett, Horton, et al. Both movies are delightful comedies, and it's too bad that this earlier version isn't as well remembered as its remake.

THE FRONT PAGE is a classic in its own right, and was nominated for three big Academy Awards: Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Picture. I'd definitely recommend checking it out whenever you can find it.

If it weren't for the even better Howard Hawks remake, "The Front Page" would probably be much more well-remembered today. It's entertaining in its own right, with a slightly different feel from the remake, and it is better than most movies of its own era in at least a couple of important respects. While you can still tell at times that it is from the very early sound era, it does use sound and dialogue more smoothly and constructively (that is, rather than as a mere novelty) than do most early 30's movies.

Adolphe Menjou has the role of Walter Burns, and he is a good fit, giving the character just a slightly different turn from the way that Cary Grant would later play it. The role of Hildy Johnson is somewhat bland in this one - it was the genius of Hawks in changing this role into a more worthy foil for Burns that made "His Girl Friday" so outstanding - but in compensation, some of the other reporters get more to do here. The supporting cast has a number of good character actors, especially Edward Everett Horton as the fussy Bensinger, and it's good that they were given some worthwhile moments of their own. Certainly the great remake deserves its own reputation, but this version deserves to be remembered as well.

While the staging was limited, the acting was believable and the camera work was great for the technology available. After watching "Front Page" again after watching "Girl Friday", I was struck by the original's emphasis on the role of the newspaper in revealing political corruption. But, the question remains, who's the girl? Not the actress but the girl in the picture hanging on the wall in back of Adolph Menjou's head during the final scenes... Since the movie was released in 1931, it can't be Jane Russell. She's to busty to be Katherine Hepburn (Howard Hughes' friend). The only reason I noticed it was that she appears nude and Howard Hughes probably put it there to see if the 'censors' would notice.

Way ahead of its time in both style and substance. The Front Page is a comic look at the underbelly of the newspaper business as well as a tough commentary on the times. In a press room outside the city jail, a group of newspaper reporters idly await the execution of a communist sympathizer accused of murder. Once the story heats up though, the press room becomes an absolute madhouse. The hilariously cynical script adapted from the play by Ben Hecht pulls no punches. Politics, the justice system, communist hysteria, love and marriage are all targets for the biting wit of the author. The script is complemented by a good ensemble cast. Pat O'Brien gives a good performance as Hildy Johnson, the star reporter for The Post, who is leaving his job for marriage. Adolphe Menjou steals the show, however, as Walter Burns, the conniving editor who will do anything to keep Johnson on the job. The rest of the news hounds are all expertly played, striking us as fun loving jokers one minute, but becoming downright violent the moment they smell a story. The movie also has a rare artistic style unequaled in most films. Though most of the movie takes place in the same location, the cinematography is done so well that we never feel we are watching a stage play. The cameras constantly move around the room, effectively putting us in the middle of the action. Pretty much everything about this film is done well. It is funny, edgy, artistic and thought provoking. Movies that can do all of that are few and far in between.

A bustling Chicago press-room is about to lose top "Examiner" writer Pat O'Brien (as Hildy Johnson), who wants to quit reporting after fifteen years, to marry Mary Brian (as Peggy Grant). But, managing editor Adolphe Menjou (as Walter Burns) wants Mr. O'Brien to stay, and cover stories like the execution by hanging of George E. Stone (as Earl Williams). The plot thickens when Mr. Williams escapes from jail, and tightens when O'Brien meets the convicted killer.

"The Front Page" was held in high regard for the way director Lewis Milestone made a staid, one-room stage play really MOVE on the big screen. There were "Academy Award" nominations for "Best Picture", "Best Director", and "Best Actor". The later went to Mr. Menjou, although O'Brien is arguably the film's leading actor. Menjou had taken over the role when Louis Wolheim died; either man would have been up for a "Supporting Actor" award, had they been given.

"This story is laid in a mythical kingdom," by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, the writers who deserved "The Front Page" award.

******* The Front Page (3/19/31) Lewis Milestone ~ Pat O'Brien, Adolphe Menjou, Mary Brian, Edward Everett Horton