Podcast Summary

Overview

This episode of 15 Minute Film Fanatics on the New Books Network features hosts Mike and Dan diving deep into Howard Hawks’ screwball classic, His Girl Friday (1940). They reflect on why they've postponed covering such a monumental film and explore the movie’s dazzling speed, worldbuilding, comedic brilliance, and its unique blend of cynicism and joy. Their conversation balances appreciation for the film's formal achievements with critical insights into its themes of journalism, morality, and art.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Why They Held Off: The Inexpressible Brilliance

• Describing the Indescribable
  • The hosts admit they’ve long postponed His Girl Friday because discussing its greatness feels like trying to describe beauty or “why you can’t do surgery on your mom.” (01:05)
  • “Describing what's great about this movie is like trying to describe why somebody is beautiful. It's really, really hard to do.” — Dan (01:10)

The Film’s Speed and Musicality

• Lightning-Fast Dialogue
  • Noted for the record-breaking 240 words per minute, the sheer speed sets it apart from conventional films (01:23).
  • “It’s not even a movie. It's like an amusement park ride.” — Dan (02:28)
• Musical Qualities Without Music
  • The film has almost no music until the very end, yet the dialogue's tempo gives it a musical feeling.
  • “This is the closest you can get to a musical with no singing.” — Dan (08:14)
  • “The musicality of the way they talk is so wonderful.” — Dan (08:56)

Economy and Worldbuilding

• Economy of Storytelling
  • The film crams an unbelievable amount of story, character, and humor into just 90 minutes.
  • “I don't understand how this movie works.” — Mike (02:45)
• Organic Worldbuilding
  • The narrow scope (few sets, minimal locations) is transformed by the film’s energy and detail.
  • “Within five minutes, you know what kind of newspaper office we're in.” — Dan (05:01)
• Comparing to Plays
  • The movie adapts stage blocking from its source but never feels “stagey,” unlike many adaptations.

Character Dynamics and Archetypes

• Hildy as an Innovator
  • Hawks’ gender switch from play to film transforms the central dynamic from mere friendship to romantic-cum-professional electricity.
• Bruce Baldwin: The Essential Outsider
  • Bruce’s naiveté provides contrast to the jaded newsroom, “a microcosm of the economy of this film.” — Mike (06:10)

Comedy: Layers and Meta-Humor

• Rapid-fire Jokes
  • The jokes are constant, not spaced out for applause, encouraging repeat viewings.
  • “You can watch this movie the way you listen to your favorite song when you first got that album.” — Dan (08:49)
• Meta-moments
  • Cary Grant slyly references his own co-stars and reportedly broke the fourth wall in a cut scene (07:40).

Form and Content: The News Business as Art

• Reporting as Musical Performance
  • The film’s rhythm and content mirror the relentless pace and competitive nature of journalism.
  • “Being a second behind is what the news is about... you're always, by nature, two seconds behind.” — Mike (09:36)

Notable Scenes: Morality and Self-Awareness

• Molly’s Monologue
  • The only moment characters stop and listen, serving as a moral check for the frenetic newsroom culture.
  • “This is the one time where the news does not seem to be the whimsical enterprise…” — Mike (10:24)
• Amorality vs. Immorality
  • Walter (Cary Grant) personifies the news’s amoral, ever-hungry energy; the film itself acknowledges but doesn’t dwell in judgment.
  • “Cary Grant is the personification of the news cycle…He is Instagram.” — Dan (14:57)
  • “It's not immoral. It's amoral.” — Mike (16:18)

Thematic Takeaways: Art, Entertainment, and Destiny

• Hildy’s Inescapable Calling
  • Hildy’s efforts to leave the newspaper business are futile; reporting is in her nature.
  • “Her goal there is to have this big triumphant kiss off… but the job won’t leave her.” — Dan (19:03)
• “Production for Use” as Thematic Core
  • The absurd courtroom phrase about why a gun is fired (“production for use”) becomes a metaphor for Hildy’s inescapable professional destiny.
  • “She was made to be a newspaper man, as he says to her. And that's what the movie's about.” — Dan (20:14)
• Reflection on Art and Reality
  • The film implies journalism is an art form; art becomes its own reality, separate from “real reality.”
  • “This movie insists that art is its own form of reality, apart from real reality, but just as valid.” — Mike (22:30)
• Comparison to Other Hawks Movies
  • Parallels to 20th Century: characters try to escape their calling but are inevitably drawn back.
  • Hawks’ films excel at showing strong personalities (gravity) and the impossibility of true escape velocity. (23:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Describing what's great about this movie is like trying to describe why somebody is beautiful.” — Dan (01:10)
• “This is not even a movie. It's like an amusement park ride.” — Dan (02:28)
• “Within five minutes, you know what kind of newspaper office we're in… and it's not spoon fed.” — Dan (05:01)
• “Bruce is necessary because Bruce is the one that doesn't know that these guys are criminals… that kind of two for one is the perfect economy.” — Mike (06:10)
• “This is the closest you can get to a musical with no singing… you could watch this movie over and over.” — Dan (08:14)
• “Being a second behind is what the news is about… you’re always, by nature, two seconds behind.” — Mike (09:36)
• “There’s only one scene where somebody speaks intelligibly and everybody stops… which is Molly’s monologue.” — Mike (10:24)
• “Cary Grant is the personification of the news cycle… He is Instagram.” — Dan (14:57)
• “It's not immoral. It's amoral.” — Mike (16:18)
• “She was made to be a newspaper man.” — Dan (20:14)
• “This movie insists that art is its own form of reality, apart from real reality, but just as valid.” — Mike (22:30)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:31] — Film intro; context and adaptation history
• [01:23] — On the film’s speed and density
• [03:37] — Worldbuilding and adaptation from the play
• [06:06] — Character introductions and economy
• [07:33] — Comedy and meta-humor
• [08:14] — Film’s ‘musical’ qualities
• [09:36] — News as an artistic form; dialogue and pace
• [10:24] — Molly’s monologue and the film’s moral axis
• [14:57] — Walter as news incarnate and the film’s amorality
• [18:54] — Thematic summation; “production for use” as a metaphor
• [22:55] — Parallels to other Hawks films; conclusion

Conclusion: The Enduring Impact of 'His Girl Friday'

Mike and Dan unanimously hail His Girl Friday as Hawks’ most perfect film—a masterclass in narrative economy, wit, worldbuilding, and the blending of cynicism with joy. They suggest its form reflects its content: breakneck, exuberant, and fiercely entertaining. The movie becomes, for them, not just a great comedy or romantic story, but an artist’s meditation on destiny and art—one you can (and should) revisit over and over.

Final Thought:
“As soon as we get done recording… Watch it again.” — Mike (23:57)