Photo Credit: Doctor Macro

Disclaimer: This is not a review full of spoilers. Here I will only offer my thoughts and recommend it based on certain criteria. You must watch the movie for yourself and enjoy it in all of its pure, unfiltered, brand new glory.

On a recent stormy New York night, I watched His Girl Friday on Netflix. As I ensconced myself in a heap of sheets and fed myself mini cannolis from Ferrara Cafe, I winnowed through the Classics section on the site. After minutes of scrolling through hackneyed and lame options (like the typical frightened woman alongside a pathetic monster or the traditional obnoxious western), I finally found a black-and-white film before 1960- my favorite.

The actors looked extremely promising: Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. Before I committed myself to a total cheesefest or sleep-inducing film, I looked it up. Sure enough, it passed all tests with flying colors and critical acclaims. So I pressed play.

His Girl Friday is the quintessential film noir piece. It’s about a persistent newspaper editor who is determined to win back his ex-wife and sabotage her imminent wedding with a dull businessman. With its prominent actors, fast-talking dialogue and (semi-expected) plot twists, it made for a perfect Friday (ha ha) night. I’m a 40s girl at heart so I found myself smiling and laughing the entire time. The film boasted some of the most hilarious and witty lines I have ever heard in a film. In particular, I enjoyed the interactions between Walter and Hildy. Hildy is hands-down my ultimate 40s diva. She kept it real and looked fabulous the whole time. If the paragraph had you desperate to know the script and ending, watch His Girl Friday as soon as you can.

Name: His Girl Friday

Year: 1940

Actors: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy

Rating: 5/5