Category Archives: His Girl Friday

No Time for Comedy (1940)

rosalind russell james stewart cbs radio
Rosalind Russell and James Stewart on CBS radio

Around 1938, Rosalind Russell was teamed with James Stewart for a radio play, and although I am no biographer so I cannot confirm this, it is probably around this time that she befriended him. This cute couple were known to be dating on and off from around 1938 to early 1940. Rosalind met her future husband in late 1939, but she didn’t settle for one man right away. By 1940, she had fallen in love with Frederick Brisson and married him the following year. But her friendship with Jimmy Stewart persisted until her death in 1976. Although she did not marry Jimmy (she said in an interview later in life that they liked each other very much, but they just weren’t right for each other), I have always considered them an adorable couple. This is another great romantic pairing for Roz that only produced one film. The other one I’m speaking of is, of course, Cary Grant and His Girl Friday. And just like with Jimmy, Cary and Roz forged a very long friendship also lasting until her death.

james stewart rosalind russell
James Stewart and Rosalind Russell out at a restaurant

When Jimmy and Roz were put into No Time for Comedy (ridiculous renamed when it was re-released years later as Guy with a Grin), Rosalind had just come off of a phenomenally brilliant performance in His Girl Friday. She was on top of the world professionally and so was Stewart, who had given a talented performance in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, which had been released the previous year. In comparison, No Time for Comedy is very weak in story, but I believe it makes up for it with those two sparkling, talented stars who share an amazing chemistry. They would both go on to make greater films, but we are lucky to have this one film so we can all watch them together.

Rosalind Russell plays Linda Paige, a Broadway stage actress, and a successful one to boot. She is rehearsing a new play called Dilemma at Dinner, which was written by an unknown from Minnesota named Gaylord Esterbrook (what a name!). The new writer hasn’t arrived in New York City and the director bursting with bad attitude, Morgan Carrell (Allyn Joslyn), has little faith in the play, while the producer who is backing it, Richard Benson (Clarence Kolb), is about ready to give up on it. On the other hand, Linda finds it to be a brilliant play and wants them to give it a chance. It just needs a little touching up by the playwright… if he ever comes to town.

james stewart rosalind russell on the set no time for comedy
James Stewart and Rosalind Russell on the set of No Time for Comedy (1940)

When we first see this group of colorful characters, they stop into the local bar and order an aspirin, bi-carbonate, and Bromo (-Seltzer) when asked what they would like. With an order like that, it’s clear how well the play is progressing.

Gaylord Esterbrook (herein called Gay, played by James Stewart) finally arrives in town when the cast is in the middle of a rehearsal. When he stops outside the theater and sees a poster promoting his play with his name in bold letters, he beams with pride. The stagehand tries not to let him in because being a small town boy from Redfield, Minnesota, he doesn’t look like the type who would write a play about some high class socialites who live on Park Avenue. Before he is finally let into the theater, we meet Clementine, another actress in the play and also a friend of Linda’s. The actress who plays this actress is Louise Beavers, who always plays fun, gregarious types.

james stewart rosalind russell on the set no time for comedy
Rosalind Russell feeding James Stewart cake on the set of No Time for Comedy (1940)

However, because she was African American and especially because of the time period, she was usually relegated to roles as maids or nannies (in this film as well), which is downright unfair and something that causes me anger. Who knows what amazing, inspiring characters she could have brought to the screen? She immediately has friction with the director, who always seems to be on edge.

When they finally believe that Gay is who he says he is, he is let in and as Benson and Carrell go out, Morgan remarks, “What does he know about Park Avenue?” Benson responds, “Doesn’t mean a thing. I don’t know anything about Park Avenue, either, and I live on the darn street.” Inside the theater, Linda meets Gay for the first time, and assuming he is just some guy wanting to watch a rehearsal, she asks him to run out and get her a pack of cigarettes, handing him a quarter. He’s supposed to be watching the rehearsal and she thinks nothing of this until Benson and Carrell come back. She is introduced to Gay as the star of the play and he to her as the playwright.

james stewart rosalind russell no time for comedy
James Stewart and Rosalind Russell in No Time for Comedy (1940)

She is taken aback and asks for her quarter back, laughing. It is at this point that they shake hands and the viewer can size them up. It is ob vious what a good choice Jimmy is for Roz. It’s his sheet height that does that trick. Roz was tall (about 5’8”), so Jimmy’s 6 feet 3 inches definitely meant no awkward dance scenes or things of that nature. They have a wonderful rapport and you can tell right off they were friendly behind the scenes.

They all sit down in the same row to watch the next scene. As they do, Gay stares at Linda without blinking. Sensing his stare, she looks at him out of the corner of her eye, turns to him, and smiles. As Benson lights her cigarette, Gay whispers to Carrell (but not out of earshot of Linda) “Is that really Linda Paige?” Carrell crosses his heart with his finger. “Cross my heart.” “For my money, she’s a little skinny to be a star.” Linda responds to this with a simple smile. They all agree to meet at Benson’s later for a meeting on the script and as they all start to go home, Linda notices Gay looking at a map. She offers to take him home, but he insists on taking the subway back to the Y because he longs for the city experience.

rosalind russell james stewart no time for comedy
Rosalind Russell and James Stewart in No Time for Comedy (1940)

Linda informs him that the subway at this house is “undeclared war,” but she offers to accompany him so she can “identify the body” after the subway dwellers gang up on him. Linda has immediately taken a liking to this country boy, and she is pleased when he walks on the outer part of the sidewalk in order to protect her from the danger of the street (Cue the ladies swooning). Gentlemen are few in the city and he is a rare breed.

Later that night when Gay arrives at Benson’s for dinner, he is embarrassed to discover that all the men are dressed in tuxedoes while he is dressed plainly in a suit. He immediately runs back home to change into a tux. However, by the time he gets back to Benson’s apartment, the men have changed back into regular suits. During their discussion, Morgan vocalizes how much he hates the play, enlightening everyone, especially the author, with plenty of negative adjectives. Linda still really loves the play and convinces Benson to continue backing it. Linda and Gay have a discussion on the terrace about their backgrounds (Linda’s real name is not Paige but “Haggerty,” revealing her Irish roots).

rosalind russell james stewart on the set no time for comedy
Rosalind Russell and James Stewart goofing off on the set of No Time for Comedy (1940)

Gay sticks to the belief that people are pretty much the same all over, no matter how their lifestyles may differ. When Linda gives Gay his chocolate mousse, he doesn’t even recognize it, even though it is a dessert that is mentioned more than once in his play. Unfortunately, Benson decides not to produce the play after all because his butler doesn’t approve of the script.

In the morning, Linda gathers all the actors together and they agree to waive their salaries for the first two weeks since the theater has already been paid for that allotted time anyway. The play opens and as both Gay and Carrell prepare for the controversial third act that Carrell hated so much, they drop in at the bar. When Gay sees Carrell order six scotches, all glasses set before him in a row, Gay decides to replicate that. “Give me six champagnes.” “What kind of champagne do you like?” “Uh, the type with bubbles.” Always that small town boy at heart without much world experience, he hadn’t mastered the art of drinking alcohol (he would show just how much he improved upon this later on).

rosalind russell james stewart on the set no time for comedy
Rosalind Russell and James Stewart on the set of No Time for Comedy (1940)

He emerges from the bar drunk and accidentally finds himself at the wrong play at the wrong theater. He sees Carrell outside and blames him for ruining his third act. He starts a brawl with him and they end up at the police station.

After Linda gets them out, she and Gay wander over to Central Park and wait for the 5 am reviews. It is adorable as he stays up while she sleeps on his shoulder. “You don’t look bad at all for a girl who’s just getting up in the morning,” Gay quips. “Well, for a man who’s stayed up all night, you look great.” The newspapers start circulating. They discover they have received rave reviews for both acting (Linda) and writing (Gay). Gay then starts reading about what Linda did to save his play and he tenderly kisses her on the cheek to express his gratitude. Linda informs him she was about to “attack” him, too (as if a kiss on the cheek is an attack) and she asks him to marry her. “I don’t know whatever gave me the idea you’re skinny,” he says, and then kisses her.

rosalind russell james stewart on the set no time for comedy
Rosalind Russell and James Stewart on the set of No Time for Comedy (1940)

Before you know it, they are enjoying wedded bliss. But it doesn’t take long for problems to surface.

Although as the time has passed, Linda has appeared in a string of successful comedies all written by Gay, he has found himself in a rut. And this isn’t the first time this has happened. He has developed a drinking problem (a far cry from the man he used to be) and goes on drinking binges when he is in between writing ideas. One night at a party, Gay and Linda meet Philo and Amanda Swift (Charlie Ruggles and Genevieve Tobin), a very strange couple indeed. Amanda flutters around the party until she finds a man in which she sees “possibilities” and encourages him until he has a swelled ego. Philo is very indifferent to his wife’s activities. He just goes back to his reading or his drink, not giving a damn either way. Amanda decides her new “project” will be Gay. She sees the unhappiness in him, but she knows she can fix that.

rosalind russell james stewart on the set no time for comedy
Rosalind Russell and James Stewart on the set of No Time for Comedy (1940)

The way she fixes her gaze on Gay is an immediate cause for trouble. I personally (and I hope I’m not alone in this) find Genevieve Tobin absolutely irritating in this film. It’s not just her character, but her whiny, high-pitched voice and the fact that her beauty is nothing compared to the beauty that Rosalind Russell possesses. So why would any man (even temporarily) drift to her instead? I suppose it might mainly be because of the lovely lies she tells him, but it is a bizarre situation nevertheless.

Under Amanda’s guidance, Gay decides to steer away for comedies for which he is known for and sets his sights on a great drama. It is difficult for him and he doesn’t make much progress on it as time passes. He starts frequenting more and more of the local bars and Linda and Clementine (who is now her personal maid—yep!) have collected a long list of these bars’ numbers on their notepad. When Gay doesn’t come home, they can dial these numbers to try to find him. One day when Philo comes over to the Esterbrook residence, he lets Linda know that she will be able to find Gay at his house.

rosalind russell no time for comedy
Rosalind Russell in No Time for Comedy (1940)

He has been spending a lot of time with Amanda there. She is surprised at the news, but she acts like she’s fine with it, smiling her way out of it. After he leaves, Linda adds the Swift number to her pad of bars’ numbers. When Gay arrives home the next day, in spite of their recent troubles, it is still so obvious how much they love each other. A cute, charming moment occurs when Gay lies down on the couch with his head in Linda’s lap. Before he gets up, she ruffles his hair by running her fingers through it. Even though the scene ends with an argument about what Gay does with his time and Gay’s childish accusations against Linda, I love this scene anyway. Gay recognizes Amanda’s number on the pad and accuses Linda of spying on him and storms out of there.

Linda shows up at Amanda’s house and has a talk with her about what she’s doing to Gay and to their in sweetness by crying like a baby. “You’re hateful and horrid and I hate you!”

james stewart rosalind russell no time for comedy
James Stewart and Rosalind Russell in No Time for Comedy (1940)

When Amanda runs from the room crying and Gay yells viciously at Linda for upsetting her, Linda is left alone with Philo. At first she seems to have her wits about her and in control of her emotions, but just like turning on a dime, Linda is suddenly hysterically sobbing about the predicament she’s found herself in. Even though he’s awkward and uncomfortable about it, Philo allows Linda to sob on his shoulder. She cries out to him: “I don’t want to lose him!” and how completely unrestrained her sobs are gives us a glimpse of what a great actress Roz is. It is with moments like these that we can see how realistic of an actress she can be.

rosalind russell james stewart no time for comedy
Rosalind Russell and James Stewart in No Time for Comedy (1940)

When Gay returns home, Linda acts like she hasn’t been worried about him at all. During this scene, when Gay asks Linda if she thinks Amanda is an idiot and Linda replies, “I think she’s a clever idiot, but an idiot nevertheless,” I always think of the blooper Roz made when filming this scene. As part of their Breakdowns of *insert year here* series, Warner Bros. included Jimmy and Roz in 1940. Roz flubs her lines and says, “I think she’s a clever idiot, but an idiot never the same. I mean…” I just love stuff like that!

Gay tells Linda that he wants to marry Amanda, whom he nicknames “Mandy.” Again, I’m thinking, “Really? You’d rather marry her?” But anyway, Linda acts very noble about her marriage crumbling around her. She tells Gay that she’ll just let him do what he wants and she won’t stand in his way. Feeling defensive, he insults her in the worst way possible:

rosalind russell no time for comedy
Rosalind Russell in No Time for Comedy (1940)

“You can preen yourself. You can revel in your own superiority. You’re self-sufficient. You don’t need anybody but your press agent. And then you can turn and gaze at yourself in a full-length mirror!” Her feelings hurt, she tells him to stop saying those things and asks him to leave, tears stinging her eyes.

 

Before we all know it, Gay has finished his tragic drama and it is about to open on Broadway. Linda and Philo attend the play. Linda knows how talented Gay is, and even though many of the patrons laugh during his drama, Linda feels deeply for the play, especially for its writing. Before the third act starts, Philo is ready to leave because Gay has clearly failed.

rosalind russell james stewart no time for comedy
Rosalind Russell and James Stewart in No Time for Comedy (1940)

Assuming Linda will go with him, she surprises him by staying for the remainder of the play. Amanda has already set her sights on Morgan in whom she sees “latent possibilities.” The theater empties very quickly and the only two people left in the theater are Gay and Linda. She starts applauding him loudly and yelling “Author! Author! Speech! Speech!” with tears filling her eyes. He delivers a beautiful but sad speech about what has become of him and his admitted failure with this play. It is quite reminiscent of his moving speech delivery in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. He is a truly gifted actor. Linda, who is indeed very moved, runs toward him, telling him of her idea for a new comedy he should write (with her as the star, of course).

rosalind russell james stewart no time for comedy
Rosalind Russell and James Stewart in No Time for Comedy (1940)

She looks around the theater and remarks, “Gosh, all those seats,” which is a throwback to the moment when they first met. He starts to go out to get her a pack of cigarettes when she touches his hand. He gazes down at her and says, “Gosh, I haven’t kissed you for two months.” “That’s nothing to brag about, you long drink of water.” The movie fades out, ending as we wanted and expected it to.

 

rosalind russell james stewart on the set no time for comedy
More fun on the set with Roz & Jimmy

 

IMDB page for No Time for Comedy

TCM overview of the film

Clip from the movie:

His Girl Friday (1940)

cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell among others in His Girl Friday (1940)

Wearing an outrageous, wacky suit with matching hat, the pattern zig zag, while holding her head high as she marches matter-of-factly into the “news room” was Rosalind Russell in the opening scene of the quintessential screwball comedy His Girl Friday. Her character, Hildy Johnson, is a woman that both men and women are wont to like. To women, she is that strong woman who is smarter, wittier, and more talented than the men around her, and that’s a woman to admire!

ralph bellamy cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Ralph Bellamy, Cary Grant, and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

To men, besides her intelligence and wit, she is also an incredibly beautiful woman who can keep up with anything a man does. Even though in 1940, this might be deemed as a threat to men, I think it is ridiculous to believe all men would be threatened by a woman like Hildy Johnson, much less the actress who plays her, who was very much like her in many ways. His Girl Friday paved the way for other “career women” roles in the 1940s, which was a character that Rosalind Russell in particular perfected to the point of being typecast.

cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

It was announced that Rosalind Russell would play the part of Hildy Johnson, who was actually a man in the original play, but the character was now a woman in this version. However, when Miss Russell first discovered she’d been chosen, but after many other actresses had turned it down for various reasons, that sassiness in her came out. She was angry that she “was everybody’s fifteenth choice,” as she put it, so she took a dip in her pool the first day of work and walked right into the studio with her hair and clothes completely soaked. Even though her next movie job had started off with some bad behavior on Rosalind’s part, after her breakout role in The Women, His Girl Friday further cemented her place as a brilliant comedienne.

ralph bellamy cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Ralph Bellamy, Cary Grant, and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Even though she was typecast as a career woman, I cannot think of any other classic actress better at this type of role, and Hildy Johnson is arguably her best one. Tell me, can anyone possibly think of anyone but Rosalind Russell in the part? I certainly cannot. It was fate that she should land this role after so many top actresses turned it down.

rosalind russell cary grant his girl friday
Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant in His Girl Friday (1940)

Sassy Roz aside, she had a ball working with Cary Grant for the first time (and sadly the only time) because they were both very adept at ad libbing and extremely talented in the art of comedy. Many Rosalind Russell fans know this story, but I will briefly mention it: Cary Grant played matchmaker in Rosalind’s life as well. He had a friend, Danish-born Frederick Brisson, who was dying to meet Roz after he heard that Cary would be working with her. Although it took a long time for him to get that coveted date and Rosalind played rather hard to get during much of their courtship, they did fall in love and get married. And who was best man at their wedding? Nobody but Cary Grant, of course! And so a 37-year-long friendship blossomed between Rosalind and Cary.

ernest truex roscoe karns rosalind russell regis toomey his girl friday
Ernest Truex, Roscoe Karns, Rosalind Russell, and Regis Toomey in His Girl Friday (1940)

When the film opens, we (the viewers) see a barrage of reporters in the offices of the Morning Post, where Walter Burns (Cary Grant) is editor. The way the writers talk all at once, constantly overlapping each other, sets the scene for the entire movie. Rapid-fire and overlapping dialogue is a very important element of His Girl Friday and it goes on from beginning to end. I find this kind of movie to be awe-inspiring and absolutely brilliant, the two leads being the source of most of this brilliance. In fact, the film is so saturated with dialogue that there is only time and space for music during the opening and closing credits!

rosalind russell cary grant billy gilbert clarence kolb gene lockhart his girl friday
Rosalind Russell, Cary Grant, Billy Gilbert, Clarence Kolb, and Gene Lockhart in His Girl Friday (1940)

The first important character that makes her appearance is the one and only Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell), who enters in her ziggety-zaggety suit, which I expect would be even more insane in color. She comes in with Bruce Baldwin (played by Ralph Bellamy), her fiancé. She is about to go in to talk to Walter, who is also her ex-husband besides being her boss. She saunters through the office, talking to everyone she passes. Everyone is happy to see her, cheerily saying “hello!” to her. One woman starts walking with her and informs her that her cat just had kittens again. Hildy’s response? “It’s your own fault.” Finally, she arrives at Walter’s office and knocks on the door. Grumpy, he barks at whoever is there: “What do you want?”

rosalind russell abner biberman cary grant his girl friday
Rosalind Russell, Abner Biberman, and Cary Grant in His Girl Friday (1940)

When he looks up and sees it’s Hildy, he changes his tone and my favorite scene has begun. As she stands there, Walter discusses with Duffy (Frank Orth), one of the men who works for him, about what they will do for the Earl Williams story in the paper. We can all see that he will do anything for a great story, even double-cross people in the process. As Duffy leaves, Hildy smirks and says, “Well, Walter, I see you’re still at it.” She tells him she needs to talk to him, but first she wants to sit down. The very subtle sexual tension and romantic chemistry becomes unmistakable as Walter pats his lap, motioning her over, and says, “There’s been a lamp burning in the window for you, honey. Here.” She barely glances at him before responding, “Oh, I jumped out that window a long time ago, Walter.” It is fun to watch as Hildy and Walter hurl insults at each other during this entire scene without Hildy able to tell him the news she intended.

cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Hildy: I am fond of you, you know. I often wish you weren’t such a stinker!

 

Hildy: Big, fat lummox like you hiring an airplane to write, “Hildy, don’t be hasty. Remember my dimple. Walter”

It is evident that Walter was not a model husband, not even showing up for their honeymoon because his work always comes first. But even so, I think many women can understand why Hildy would fall in love with him… he looks like Cary Grant! As Walter continues to rattle off words, not allowing Hildy to get to the point, she utters a very famous line and my favorite in the film: “Oh, Walter, you’re wonderful in a loathsome sort of way.”

rosalind russell gene lockhart his girl friday
Rosalind Russell and Gene Lockhart among others in His Girl Friday (1940)

And that chemistry intensifies as he approaches her, touching her arms, trying to get her to stay on the paper with him. “Will you take your hands off me? What are you playing, osteopath?” “Temper, temper!” At one point, he mocks her, putting his hand on his hip effeminately, saying she kept making goo-goo eyes at him for two years in order to make him marry her. This causes a fun ad lib to erupt: Hildy throws her bag at him, which was an ad lib on Roz’s part; very quick on his feet, Cary immediately ducks and says “You’re losing your eye. You used to be able to pitch better than that!”

rosalind russell john qualen his girl friday
Rosalind Russell and John Qualen in His Girl Friday (1940)

There are so many elements of this beautiful first scene that make the movie. It has just the right amount of back-and-forth witty repartee, romantic chemistry, and even the more subtle dramatic reactions as Hildy shoves her engagement ring in his face and he suddenly has to think of a plan to get her not to marry this fellow, which goes to show that he still loves her.

 

irving bacon cary grant ralph bellamy rosalind russell his girl friday
Irving Bacon, Cary Grant, Ralph Bellamy, and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Hildy: Scram, Svengali.

 

After Walter is going on and on and won’t stop talking, Hildy hits the desk with the palm of her hand, mumbles something incoherently, and cries out, “Sold, American!” a reference to a “tobacco auction,” advertising the cigarettes Lucky Strike, which always ended with this phrase being yelled out.

 

rosalind russell his girl friday
Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Hildy: Listen to me, you great, big, bubble-headed baboon!

 

And at this point, he is informed of her engagement and he walks out with her, intent on meeting the man. In one of those “so funny, it just about cracks your ribs” moments, Walter walks right up to an old man who may even be missing some teeth, taking him for Bruce Baldwin. The man is confused, trying to tell him his name is Pete Davis. The real Bruce Baldwin taps him on the shoulder and tells him he has the wrong man.

rosalind russell his girl friday
Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

And with a couple hilarious lines, Cary Grant has me clutching my sides: “Who are you?” “Well, I’m Pete Davis.” “Well, Mr. Davis, is this any concern of yours? From now on, I’ll thank you to keep your nose out of my affairs!” He immediately turns around and shakes Bruce’s umbrella instead of his hand and says, “Oh, that’s wrong, isn’t it?” What a funny man he is!

rosalind russell his girl friday
Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Right away, Walter invites them to lunch and off they go. As they get on the elevator, Hildy talks expertly out of the corner of her mouth: “You’re wasting your time, Walter. It won’t do you a bit of good.” They eat lunch at a favorite place of Hildy’s and Walter’s, but the funny thing is that Bruce is the only one who really gets any eating done. Hildy and Walter are too busy talking their heads off to satisfy their hunger. Walter keeps trying to get Hildy to stay at least a few hours in town to write an article on Earl Williams, a timid man who shot a cop dead. Both Hildy and Walter do little things directed at each other to show the kind of relationship they have. When Hildy tries to light her cigarette, Walter immediately grabs her hand and lights his own cigarette before she gets a chance.

rosalind russell ralph bellamy his girl friday
Rosalind Russell and Ralph Bellamy in His Girl Friday (1940)

Something else that needs no words and that I just love: she has one fist up against her mouth and her right hand, she lays next to the fist and opens her fingers, thumbing her nose at Walter in a way. It’s perfect! But this wasn’t an ad lib she came up with on her own. Just like in The Women, she did something she shouldn’t have and she mentioned that she never did it again. She secretly hired a writer from her brother-in-law’s advertising firm to help her punch up the script.

rosalind russell alma kruger his girl friday
Rosalind Russell and Alma Kruger among others in His Girl Friday (1940)

Walter gets an idea, so he pretends to spill water on himself. He gets up, has Gus (Irving Bacon), the proprietor, help clean him up, and tells him to call him to the telephone when he gets back to the table. Once he is in the telephone booth, he speaks to Duffy and tries to think of an idea to get Hildy to stay. As Walter is talking on the telephone, at the table, Bruce, just sweet as pie, tells Hildy that Walter seems nice, to which Hildy responds, “Yeah, he ought to make some girl real happy,” then under her  breath, “Slap happy.” (That was an addition by Rosalind’s hired writer).

cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Bruce also mentions that Walter has a lot of charm. “Yeah, he comes by it naturally. His grandfather was a snake.” When Walter comes back to the table, he tells Hildy about the Earl Williams story and how he needs “a woman’s touch” for the interview. The Morning Post is on Earl Williams’ side and also in opposition to the politicians, who keep reprieving Earl Williams for no reason other than to make his hanging closer to election time. As Hildy says about the mayor, “He’d hang his own grandmother to get re-elected.” Walter tries a few ploys to get Hildy to write the interview, but she refuses. But suddenly, she gets an idea that if she writes the interview, Walter will take out a life insurance policy with Bruce, who is an insurance salesman. “See what they’ll allow on that old carcass of his.” “Say! I’m better than I ever was.” “That was never anything to brag about.”

cary grant ralph bellamy rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant, Ralph Bellamy, and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Next scene, while Walter is off getting a physical for the insurance policy, Hildy enters the press room at the criminal courts building, which will be pretty much the only place she will be for the rest of the film. She has on a new outfit, but still decked out in stripes with a not-so-crazy hat. This is the second and last outfit she wears in the film. Some men are outside, testing the hanging contraption for Earl Williams’ execution. One of the reporters, McCue (Roscoe Karns) tells them to keep it down because they’re all trying to work up there. A man shouts, “Ah, shut up!” Hildy’s reaction is “Very little respect for the press around here.” She gets the lowdown on Earl Williams so she has a bit of a backstory to work with before going to interview him. Bruce calls up, saying he has the check from Walter.

cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

It is always obvious when Hildy is on the phone with Bruce because although she often speaks in a hard-boiled way, her tone changes to sugary sweet when she is talking to Bruce. Not trusting Walter at all, she tells Bruce to put the check in the lining of his hat because she knows exactly what Walter would do. Then she is off to the jail to talk to Earl Williams (played by John Qualen). After bribing the warden, Cooley (Pat West), with $20, she takes a seat next to Earl’s cell and starts to talk to him. While in other scenes, we can hardly keep up with Hildy and what she’s saying, this is by far her most toned down scene. She speaks quietly, methodically, softly.

cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Earl Williams is the timid sort of fellow who might be easily scared. She starts talking to him about “production for use,” which was something a person was speaking of in the park that Earl frequents. She asks him, “What’s a gun for, Earl?” “Why, to shoot, of course.” “Maybe that’s why you used it. It seems reasonable.” “That’s what a gun’s for. Maybe that’s why! Production for use!” Hildy only talks like this for Earl, for with anyone else, she speaks in her usual manner. It is a short interview, but she has her story.

his girl friday poster
His Girl Friday poster

When Hildy comes back to the press room to start typing up her interview, Mollie Malloy (Helen Mack) is there, trying to give the reporters a piece of her mind. They have been making up stories, lying about her having a “love nest” with Earl when all she did was be nice to him. As the “typical reporter” is painted in this scene, they don’t pay her any mind and keep on with their card game. When Mollie starts crying and yells out, “They ain’t human!” Hildy helps her out of the room while saying, “I know. They’re newspapermen.” In one of the only silent moments in the film, the reporters hang their heads in shame until Hildy comes back, simply addressing them as “Gentlemen of the press” in disgust.

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Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant in His Girl Friday (1940)

When she gets a call from Bruce that he’s been arrested for stealing a man’s wallet (and the man is the shady little Louie [Abner Biberman] who works for Walter, of course), she suddenly bolts out the door with all the force she has, running right into Peter B. Hartwell, the sheriff (Gene Lockhart), causing him to cry out in pain.

The newspapermen read Hildy’s story and realize she can’t leave the newspaper game—she’s just too talented. As they start making bets how long her marriage will last, an angry Hildy comes back into the room, telling them she’ll take that bet. “It’s getting so a girl can’t leave the room without being discussed by a bunch of old ladies.” She immediately gets on the phone, emphatic about leaving the newspaper business and getting married and having babies.

cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

She asks for Walter and as soon as she is connected, she starts in on him: “Now get this, you double-crossing chimpanzee. There ain’t gonna be any interview and there ain’t gonna be any story. I wouldn’t cover the burning of Rome for you if they were just lighting it up!” She puts the phone down, grabs her story out fresh out of the typewriter, and rips the pages up into little pieces within earshot of the phone. “Hear that? That’s the story I just wrote. I just said I’d write it. I didn’t say I wouldn’t tear it up!”

cary grant rosalind russell ralph bellamy his girl riday
Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, and Ralph Bellamy in His Girl Friday (1940)

With that, she hangs up and gets ready to leave, expressing her pity for the other reporters in the room. The phone starts ringing again and mad as hell at this point, she uses all her strength to pull the phone right out of the wall. She speaks into the receiver: “And another thing, I… Oh!” Realizing she just pulled it out, she is a little frazzled. Just as she is about to leave, there are loud noises of gunshots across the street. Earl Williams has shot his way out and escaped! What is Hildy to do as her fellow reporters scramble around her, trying to get the scoop? Her newspaperwoman instincts kick in, of course, and out the door she goes.

cary grant rosalind russell his girl friday
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

She runs out of the building and yells at the top of her lungs at Cooley, who is running away: “Hey, Cooley! Hey!” As she struggles to run across the street as scads of motorcycle cops and other cars zoom down the street, she runs after Cooley, finally tackling him to the ground, wanting to get the story straight from his mouth. When she comes back with the story in her memory, she calls up Walter. She makes him promise to send $450 down because it’s Bruce’s money that she used to get the story from Cooley. He assures her, “I swear it on my mother’s grave.” She responds, “Wait a minute, your mother’s alive.” “On my grandmother’s grave. Don’t be technical, Hildy.” She informs him that when the doctor was examining Earl Williams, he wanted to re-enact the crime scene, and Sheriff Pete B. (B for Brains) Hartwell stupidly handed over his gun to Earl.

rosalind russell his girl friday
Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Earl shot the doctor with said gun and escaped. Their conversation over, Walter gets another of his minions to go over and delay Hildy by getting Bruce arrested again. He sends over Evangeline (Marion Martin), a tall blonde, to get him in trouble for “mashing.” When she asks Walter what Bruce looks like, Cary’s ad libbing skills once again come in handy: “He looks like, you know, that fella in the movies… Ralph Bellamy.” “Oh, him?” When Bruce calls up Hildy once again to tell her what happened, she knows exactly who is behind it (again). She tries to get a hold of Walter, but they can’t locate him.

rosalind russell his girl friday
Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Meanwhile, the mayor and the sheriff are discussing the Earl Williams escape when a man comes in to deliver a reprieve, Mr. Pettibone (played to brilliant perfection by Billy Gilbert). The man constantly brings up his wife, even when the situation doesn’t call for it. He is one of the most memorable characters with a smaller role in the film. The mayor (Clarence Kolb) tries to bribe him into a fancy job so he won’t deliver the reprieve. As he leaves, the mayor asks him, “What’s your name?” “Pettibone.” “Pettibone?” Mistaking the mayor for saying his name is also Pettibone, he grins and shakes his hand, “Not really!”

his girl friday poster
His Girl Friday poster

In the press room, Hildy is suddenly surprised by Earl Williams coming into the room, pointing a gun at her. Shocked, she puts on her low, soothing voice again, only reserved for Mr. Williams. She tells him, “You don’t want to kill anybody.” The man is a little mentally disturbed and nervous and when he hears a noise, he shoots at the window. She immediately takes the gun from him and tells him to sit down. After she locks the door, she calls up Walter, and at the same time, Bruce calls her, wondering what will be done with him. She wants to help him, but more importantly, she wants to get on this story of the escape. In one of Rosalind Russell’s most dazzling comedic moments, she expertly talks to Bruce on one phone in her right ear and then switches to talking to Walter on another phone with her left ear.

his girl friday poster
His Girl Friday poster

It is amazing to watch her go back and forth between phones without missing a beat. When someone starts knocking on the door, she ends the call with Bruce with so much gusto that she knocks the telephone over. At first, she tries to keep Mollie from knowing that Earl is in there, but he calls out for her. Hildy rolls her eyes and allows her inside. However, when the writers are back, wanting inside the press room, they have to hide Earl in the desk in the back of the room. Mrs. Baldwin (Alma Kruger), Bruce’s mother, comes into the room and mentions that Hildy said there was a murderer locked up in there. Hildy tries to reassure the reporters that she was only looking for the murderer, not that she was trying to scoop them. The men start ganging up on her until Mollie comes to her rescue by stating she’s the only one who knows anything. She starts acting hysterical and right after she screams, she jumps out of the window.

on the set of his girl friday
on the set of His Girl Friday (1940)

Walter finally makes another appearance (this film really belongs to Rosalind) and has Louie pick up Mrs. Baldwin over his shoulder and carry her out of the room, screaming. Walter starts trying to persuade Hildy to get to what she should be doing—writing—by backing her into a corner, calling her all sorts of odd names (“drooling idiot,” “brain of a pancake”) and telling her that if she writes this story, there will be billboards of her everywhere. He stops when she tells him to stop acting, which he is really doing throughout the entire film (over-the-top, hammy, which is how it should be).

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Ralph Bellamy and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

As Hildy starts pounding out a story on the typewriter, Bruce suddenly comes in and tries to get Hildy to go back with him. However, she’s so invested in her story that she barely notices him there. This is another scene of note because it contains two different conversations between three people occurring at the same time. At one point, Walter even says, “I’m trying to concentrate!” (You’re telling me, Walter!). Eventually, Bruce leaves the room, telling her he will be taking that 9 o’clock train.

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Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Bruce: I’m taking the 9 o’clock train!

Hildy: The 9 o’clock… Oh, Bruce, I put it in here! (She snaps the papers out of the typewriter and starts over again)

Hildy doesn’t even realize he’s leaving as she shouts out, “You have to take me as I am. I’m no suburban bridge player. I’m a newspaperman!” It doesn’t take long for Hildy to notice that Bruce is gone without her and that Walter has got her again.

rosalind russell cary grant billy gilert clarence kolb his girl friday
Rosalind Russell, Cary Grant, Billy Gilbert, and Clarence Kolb in His Girl Friday (1940)

Walter: (on the phone) Diabetes! I ought to know better than to hire anybody with a disease!

Hildy gets ready to leave again when all of a sudden, all the reporters, as well as the sheriff, grab her, preventing her from going anywhere. They know she knows something. She says to Hartwell: “What do you want me to say?” “What do you know about Williams?” “’What do you know about Williams?’” “Now we’re getting somewhere!” But he doesn’t get anywhere with her and Walter goes on to call him an “insignificant, square-toed, pimple-headed spy.” Unfortunately, Walter makes a mistake when he calls Mrs. Baldwin, who has come back to spill everything, a “cock-eyed liar!” and on each syllable, he bangs on the desk.

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Helen Mack and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Knowing that Walter’s three taps on the desk is his signal, Earl taps three times back. As Earl is taken away, the reporters, true to form, immediately start exaggerating their stories on their telephones. Hildy and Walter get handcuffed together for hiding a convict. But when Pettibone comes back in with the reprieve, accusing the mayor and sheriff of bribery, Hildy and Walter suddenly have something to laugh about. It is absolutely indisputable how much fun both Cary and Rosalind are having with this scene. They can’t help smiling, no matter what is said. Knowing what trouble he will be in if this gets out, the mayor makes Sheriff Hartwell take the handcuffs off.

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John Qualen and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940)

Walter: Out of the mouths of babes!

Pettibone: Hi, babe!

What happens then is something that happened with most of Rosalind Russell’s “career woman” characters after this as well. She has gone from tough and businesslike to sweet and gaga for the man in the room. She has fallen for Walter again and wants to stay with him, not giving Bruce a second thought.

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Rosalind Russell with some of the reporters in His Girl Friday (1940)

But he urges her to go back to Bruce and gives her one kiss… the only kiss in the entire film, but somehow a powerful one at that. When she is told that Bruce has been arrested again because of Walter’s doing, she just breaks down in tears, having almost believed Walter was being noble for once. But he really does love her and they decide to get married again.

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Rosalind Russell with some of the reporters in His Girl Friday (1940)

Hildy is excited to finally go on a real honeymoon when suddenly, Walter gets the call that there is a strike in Albany and he must cover it. Work comes first! As Hildy goes out the door, carrying all her bags with no help from the “gentleman” beside her, he says, “Albany… what a coincidence! Wonder if Bruce can put us up? Why don’t you carry that with your hand?”

IMDB page for His Girl Friday

TCM overview of the film

The entire film for your viewing pleasure!

Four’s a Crowd (1938)

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Rosalind Russell and Errol Flynn filming a scene of Four’s a Crowd (1938)

Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland became a popular, bankable screen couple starting in 1935 with the film Captain Blood and Warner Bros. wanted to continue that trend with the 1938 comedy Four’s a Crowd. However, it is not so much Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland who stand out. It is Rosalind Russell, playing an energetic, fast-talking ace reporter, much like her Hildy Johnson of His Girl Friday (1940). It is obvious from her turn as a reporter in this film that she was perfect for this type of role. A few years ago, I read a double biography of the de Havilland sisters, Olivia and her sister, Joan Fontaine. Something that has always stuck out in my memory was the fact that when Olivia, a mere 21 years old when they started filming Four’s a Crowd, was actually jealous of Rosalind Russell because of her impeccable timing, which—and I will not lie—made me smile. After all, Olivia was the star, wasn’t she? And yet she was envious of the skills of the supporting actress. And oh, she had reason to be –Roz completely stole the show from them all. She belonged in comedy, making people laugh, and it’s great to watch her in her first chance at screwball comedy.

olivia de havilland patric knowles errol flynn rosalind russell four's a crowd
Olivia de Havilland, Patric Knowles, Errol Flynn, and Rosalind Russell in Four’s a Crowd (1938)

The film opens with Miss Rosalind Russell as Jean Christy strolling happily into the newspaper offices where she works. She has a great scoop and is eager to start writing it on her typewriter. In the meantime, the reporter sitting next to her tries to tell her that the newspaper is going under and they will all probably lose their jobs. Not really listening to him, she keeps inserting insulting quips now and then: “Now listen, double ugly, please!” She finally wakes up out of her reverie and goes straight into the publisher’s office, a man she has never met. She finds Pat Buckley (Patric Knowles), the young publisher, who meets her without his pants on. Interesting meeting, to say the least. She tries to help him put his pants on, which makes him uncomfortable, but all she cares about is seeing that the newspaper doesn’t go under. She suggests rehiring Bob Lansford (Errol Flynn) as the managing editor because he is tops in the publicity department and getting the newspaper on top again. Pat has a personal problem with Bob because he is always trying to tell him what to do in his romantic relationships. Jean knows all about it and he says to her, “You know everything, don’t you?” She replies, “Well, that’s what you pay me for!” His girlfriend calls up. Her name is Lorri Dillingwell (Olivia de Havilland) and he coos over the phone to her, which annoys Jean. She leaves matter-of-factly, spouting “Oh, Mr. Buckley, please!

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Rosalind Russell in Four’s a Crowd (1938)

You may be a social lion to your friends, but to me, you’re just an animal cracker!” She turns to his assistant, pinching his cheeks and imitating Pat, she says “Coochie coochie coo!” before getting herself out of there.

Jean treks over to Bob Lansford’s office, intending to get him to come back to work on the paper. He doesn’t notice her at all the minute she enters his office, but she finally says, “Don’t look now, but I’m still here,” which is a line that is repeated throughout the film. He looks up at her and says, “Oh, so you are.” She tells him the problem with the newspaper and he doesn’t want to come back. But when she hears him trying to talk to John P. Dillingwell (Walter Connolly) and can’t get a word in edgewise, she slyly lets it slip that Pat’s romantic partner this time around is Lorri Dillingwell, John P. Dillingwell’s granddaughter, and she pretends that she is a romantic rival. Hearing the name Dillingwell and the club they’ll be at tonight, the Jamaica Room, he immediately drags Jean out of the office.

rosalind russell four's a crowd
Rosalind Russell in Four’s a Crowd (1938)

That night, they bust in on Pat and Lorri’s table. Lorri, who is quite bored at the club, is actually very amused when Bob starts insulting her by calling her a “nitwit type.” Pat lets Bob know that he isn’t keen on Jean’s idea to bring him back to the paper and Bob knows immediately what Jean is up to. “Tricky little wench, aren’t you?” he remarks to Jean. Desperate to land the big account of making her grandfather, the rich and unpopular Dillingwell, into an angel in the public’s eyes with his public relations business, he charms Lorri on the dance floor. Before Pat knows it, Lorri is being taken home by Bob and he is now alone at the club with Jean.

In the car, Bob starts telling Lorri the story of his life. He is still not finished at 8 o’clock the next morning and Lorri responds to this with “My goodness, you’ve had a long life.” When they get to her home finally, she introduces Bob to her grandfather, who naturally hates Bob. Once he hears his name, he whistles through his fingers and a large group of bounding, barking Great Danes start rushing toward him. Chased by the dogs, he runs quickly to the gate and stands outside it, laughing at the dogs. He bites one of the dog’s tails and the poor dog whimpers loudly in pain.

rosalind russell errol flynn four's a crowd
Rosalind Russell and Errol Flynn in Four’s a Crowd (1938)

Suddenly, a roaring laugh rings through the bizarre scene with the dogs and he turns around and sees Jean Christy sitting in a car, laughing at him. She happily yells, “At last I’ve seen it! Man bites dog!”

Back at the newspaper offices, Bob signs a contract to help them out. Bob, Jean, and Pat put their heads together and set out to make Dillingwell the most hated man in America through scandalizing headlines and articles. Of course, Lorri isn’t thrilled with their campaign and gives Pat a punch in the nose. Meanwhile, Bob sneaks into the Dillingwell house and convinces Dillingwell to have a race with model trains, which is Dillingwell’s hobby. If Bob wins the race, he finally gets to have a few words with Dillingwell. He agrees and at the same time, Bob also convinces Lorri that she is in love with him. The night before the big race, he sneaks into the kitchen and takes all the packets of butter out of the fridge, stuffing them into his pockets. Before the race the next morning, he rubs the butter all over Dillingwell’s track so his train will slip and slow down. After he wins the race, they have lunch and he gets a chance to talk to him. Unfortunately, Lorri has also invited Jean over and Bob is unhappy about this. Dillingwell still wants nothing to do with his services and Bob goes to discuss things with Jean.

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Rosalind Russell in Four’s a Crowd (1938) on the cover of a magazine

He finds out that Jean has in fact been in love with him all these years: “I’m in love with a man whom I dislike intensely, who’d cheat me, who’d lie to me, whom I wouldn’t trust as far as I could throw the Queen Mary. I…” to which he replies, “You don’t mean, do you?” “Does the description fit? You big lug…” Suddenly, when he sees Dillingwell coming outside, he drags Jean over and kisses her in front of Dillingwell and Lorri. Right away, Jean can see through his act and knows he is up to no good. Unfortunately for him, Dillingwell has been told that it was Bob’s idea to make him the most hated man in America and once again, he calls the dogs on him. So there he goes again, running toward the front gate in just his swimming trunks.

However, in spite of everything, Dillingwell decides to use Bob’s services in order to improve his sagging reputation. He gives millions of Dillingwell’s money to a charity for infantile paralysis under an assumed name, H. Louis Brown. He will seem like a better man if he anonymously gives to charity instead of broadcasting it to everyone. What follows is one of the funniest scenes in the film – Bob, who has two women in love with him (Jean and Lorri), has both women on two different phones talking to him.

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Rosalind Russell in Four’s a Crowd (1938): “Don’t look now, but I’m still here.”

For anyone who thought Errol Flynn could only do adventure and drama, they should watch this scene. As he talks back and forth between phones, which looks like a very confusing task, it is funny how he gets each woman to believe that the other is not on the phone with him. This single scene elevates Errol to second funniest in the film (behind Roz, of course).

Back at the office, Jean and Pat have no idea who this H. Louis Brown is, so Pat sends Jean on a mission to find him. After a long search of every alternative of the name, she gets her shoes shined by a man named H. Louis Brown. He gets his photograph taken and now they know that there is a rich man giving millions of dollars behind this name. They just need to expose the man. She ventures over to Bob’s office, gently trying to get him to tell her who the man is, calling him “darling,” while he calls her “sweetheart.” As they coo pet names to each other, she roughly pulls his hair and he in turn bites her hand, causing her to squeal with pain. As soon as Bob leaves his office, Jean makes a run for his file room, going through every single file in the cabinets, searching for a clue.

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Rosalind Russell in Four’s a Crowd (1938): “Ouch!”

With no hope left in her search, she tosses the last paper and pensively places her fist under her chin, not realizing she is looking right at a miniature statue of Rodin’s The Thinker. The face she makes as she realizes she is imitating the statue is priceless. Just when she thinks all hope is lost, the Goodwill Clinic calls up Bob’s office and she figures out that Bob will be there that evening. She runs for the clinic and pretends to be Bob’s wife in order to get inside. Eventually, she sees Lorri and her grandfather begging to be let in and she immediately knows that Dillingwell is the culprit behind “H. Louis Brown.” She has Bob over a barrel with a juicy story like this to tell her paper. She is angry when she hears Lorri mention that Bob is her fiancé and she congratulates them, not meaning it at all.

rosalind russell four's a crowd
Rosalind Russell in Four’s a Crowd (1938)

When Jean meets Pat, telling him she has the story, she reveals that she will not tell him because she is in love with Bob Lansford and Bob doesn’t want her to leak it. However, after a fainting spell following a proposal from Pat, she agrees to marry Pat, but will only tell him the story after they are married. Once Bob finds out that Pat and Jean will be married that night, he goes after them with Lorri by his side, intending to marry her.

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Clockwise from top: Hugh Herbert, Olivia de Havilland, Rosalind Russell, Errol Flynn, and Patric Knowles in Four’s a Crowd (1938)

Once they get to the justice of the peace, they all act like they don’t care about who marries who, but we all know they are marrying the wrong people. In fact, they do all they can to get the other couple to get married first. After much confusion, they end up marrying the people they love, and it is a surprise, considering who the stars of this film are—Jean to Bob and Lorri to Pat. The film ends in a very silly way when the four of them get into a car together, trying to get away from Dillingwell, who has brought cars of dogs with him to chase after them (what?!) and then Bob and Lorri kiss in the car, as if they don’t know who they just married. “Hey! That’s my wife!” Oh, boy.

IMDB page for Four’s a Crowd

TCM overview of the film

A clip from the film for you to enjoy:

Favorite Characters?

Many of you already know and have read about my favorite character of all time, Mame Dennis from “Auntie Mame.” But let me tell you about a few more of my favorites. A few obvious favorites are Sylvia Fowler from “The Women” and Hildy Johnson from “His Girl Friday.” These are purely comedic characters and make me laugh out loud. I am not sure if all of you know, but comedy is my favorite genre of film (no, you probably already knew that, ha ha). I like these characters for different reasons besides making me laugh. For instance, I like Sylvia not because of her sweet personality (because there isn’t an ounce of sweetness there) but because of her insane antics, her hilarious physical comedy, and… okay, her physical comedy. I have always been a sucker for physical comedy. I think it’s just perfect to get a laugh out of people and it’s something you could easily encounter in daily life, too. Ever seen one of your friends trip and fall or run into a door when you weren’t looking? Admit it. It’s funny! Now, why do I love Hildy Johnson?

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Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in “His Girl Friday” (1940)

Because of her brains, her wit, and yes, her rapid speech! I have always been drawn to movies that have fast dialogue. There is something about quick banter back and forth that I think is absolutely enthralling and amusing. And in my opinion, practically no one could and ever will deliver dialogue as quickly and as brilliantly as Rosalind Russell.

What about some dramatic characters? After all, those types do exist in her filmography. You could include those “Lady Mary” types she played in the beginning of her career, but they weren’t exactly my favorite. I am not a fan, really, of snobby, “nose-in-the-air” types, although when she does it, I like them anyway. A favorite of mine is her characterization of Harriet Craig in “Craig’s Wife.”

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John Boles and Rosalind Russell in “Craig’s Wife” (1936)

One of the reasons I enjoy it so much is because she actually scared me when I watched it the first time. That’s right–Roz actually scared me in a movie of hers! That’s unheard of. As she said in her book, she was “playing a meanie” and she did it very well. This was her iconic ice queen role and she did a great job, even though she didn’t want to play this role at first. Another dramatic character I love very much is Rosemary Sidney, the “old maid schoolteacher” in “Picnic.” She didn’t exactly have a very big role in this movie (although she received very special billing), but I had never seen a finer piece of acting by Rosalind Russell. You could tell she really dove into the part and gave it her all. She gave the role so much desperation, so much pity, that you could only feel sorry for her. She may have made a fool of herself in the dance scene when she got drunk and forced poor William Holden to dance with her, ripping his shirt in the process. And in the next scene, when she pleads so desperately with her boyfriend Howard Bevans to “please marry me… please…” you can only cry for her.

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Arthur O’Connell and Rosalind Russell in “Picnic” (1955)

While I’m on the subject, who are some of your favorite comedy characters and dramatic characters that Rosalind Russell played?

June 4 — Rosalind Russell’s birthday

Happy birthday to Roz yesterday 🙂 

She was born June 4, 1907, so she would have been 104 yesterday. I watched 2 of her films in honor of her birthday yesterday–His Girl Friday and Gypsy. These are two of my favorites that I hadn’t watched in a while. One is a brilliant comedy and one is a musical drama (in which I believe Roz played her role perfectly). 

Hats off to Rosalind!