The Front Page

This original 1931 screen version of the rapid-fire newspaper comedy written for the stage by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur stars Pat O'Brien as crack reporter Hildy Johnson, who is ready to leave the beat for marriage and an office job, and Adolph Menjou as the crafty editor who pulls every trick to keep Hildy on the street to cover a breaking story: namely, the politically-motivated execution of a convicted killer who is more addled radical than murderous felon. Hecht and MacArthur were former newspapermen who well knew the dirty business of Chicago politics and the cutthroat tactics of journalists. Their reporters are equal parts con men willing to do anything for a story, hardboiled professionals jaded by the job, and public servants out to dig up the hidden dirt of corruption and crime. Hecht and MacArthur did not write the screenplay but it's a faithful adaptation, and director Lewis Milestone adopts a rapid-fire pace that would set the style of ‘30s screwball comedy. Milestone also took advantage of the swiftly evolving technology of sound recording and editing to create punchy montage sequences. The Front Page has since been remade three times, including the 1940 classic His Girl Friday, directed by Howard Hawks, who added a battle-of-the-sexes twist by casting Rosalind Russell as Hildy. This new edition mastered from elements preserved by the Library of Congress features some scratches and soft patches, but is the best available version on disc by far. Extras include audio commentary by film historian Bret Wood, a featurette on the film's restoration, and two vintage radio adaptations of the play. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)