His Girl Friday (1940)

This is the fastest-talking comedy in Hollywood history and an ideal showcase for Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. The interplay between the ex-spouses and the black comedy of the gallows situation make it clever, witty and satisfying.

The critic praises this gender-flipped adaptation of The Front Page as a dizzyingly accomplished screwball comedy masterpiece, highlighting the propulsive, rapid-fire dialogue and the crackling romantic tension between Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant.

The film is a masterpiece of rapid banter and screwball energy that makes journalism seem thrilling. Hawks' direction, the sparkling script and the perfect chemistry between Grant and Russell are singled out for praise.

The critic hails Howard Hawks' timeless screwball comedy as the finest example of its genre, elevated by the gender-swapped adaptation of The Front Page that turns it into a classic battle-of-the-sexes romp. Grant's comic timing and Hawks' dynamic direction are singled out for particular praise.

The critic hails the Criterion restoration of one of the greatest American comedies, praising Hawks’ perfect realization of professional camaraderie and verbal warfare between Russell and Grant, the film’s alive and electric quality, and its tart, unsentimental edge beneath the acclaim.

The critic celebrates the film as a dense, rapid-fire screwball classic that redefined the genre with its overlapping dialogue at record speed, morally complex take on journalism, and iconic Hawksian woman in Russell’s Hildy, while noting its enduring influence on rom-coms and TV.

The critic finds the film a fast-moving and always interesting picture that furnishes good entertainment, with strong turns from Russell as the gender-swapped reporter and Grant as the scheming editor, plus solid support from the cast and brisk direction from Hawks.

Hawks' 1940 film remains one of Hollywood’s finest and most radical comedies thanks to its frenetic overlapping dialogue and seamless blend of laughs with darker themes. The shift to rapid-fire, multi-layered speech and the handling of morbid source material are highlighted.

The critic praises the gender-swapped adaptation as fresh, undated and bright, highlighting Rosalind Russell’s verve in the Hildy role and the retention of the original’s lively dialogue and central scenes.

The review notes the film is essentially The Front Page with Hildy as a woman but praises the excellent casting of Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell and the still-exciting plot developments in the pressroom.

The critic finds the film a frenzied, noisy remake of The Front Page that is hard to follow amid the clamor but still concedes it is the maddest newspaper comedy of its time.

The critic praises the film's relentless pace, overlapping dialogue, and Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell's chemistry as making it one of the most accessible and forward-thinking screwball comedies. They highlight its satire of journalism and modern gender dynamics in the workplace.

The critic highlights the whiplash-inducing dialogue, fizzy chemistry between Grant and Russell, and the film's energy from gender-flipping the leads, noting its sharp satire of journalism that has only grown in stature.