A matter of life and death permeates His Girl Friday, 1940’s classic 92-minute comedy starring Cary Grant as a ruthless newspaper editor. Something’s off as director Howard Hawks pads the film’s implicit point impugning the death penalty with fast-talking comedy. Like Ninotchka, it subverts lightness to darkness. Conversely, when it counts, it subverts darkness to lightness. The result is predictably muted. As it arrests the ability to suspend seriousness and indulge in lightness, it makes you not take the serious theme as seriously. This is through no fault of the actors’ performances.
Cary Grant, who’s always a pleasure to watch, marshals the material. Mr. Grant understands his charm and good looks. He doesn’t overplay either characteristic. He demonstrates restraint in each breath, pause and facial expression. In some scenes, he moves his eyes. In other scenes, he adjusts a stance, position and posture so that his body affects, contrasts, complements, dominates or otherwise adds val…
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