His Girl Friday

In Howard Hawks's screwball masterpiece adapted from the stage play THE FRONT PAGE by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, star reporter Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell), once married to suave editor Walter Burns (Cary Grant), plans to leave the stressful newspaper world behind and marry a boring insurance agent. Walter won't reveal his feelings for Hildy but tries to keep her from leaving by convincing her to cover one last story, a politically motivated execution. When the convict manages to escape, chaos breaks loose, and Hildy finds herself working alongside Walter to break the story wide open.

HIS GIRL FRIDAY is a loose, freewheeling gem featuring some of the fastest dialogue ever filmed (peppered with inspired ad-libbing by Grant and Russell, each appearing at comedic high points in their careers). Hawks, who changed the original story of two newspapermen into a battle of the sexes, keeps the frenetic action careening forward and allows a few slim but luminous notes of genuine affection to slip into Hildy and Walter's storm of hilarious verbal barbs, creating a potent and heartfelt classic that stands as one of the most influential comedies ever made.

My Favorite Brunette

Legendary funnyman Bob Hope plays a baby photographer who gets mixed up with gangsters in this bubbly slapstick comedy-drama. Ronnie Jackson (Hope) wants nothing more than to step into the gumshoes of office mate Sam McCloud (film noir veteran Alan Ladd), a private investigator who runs his own detective agency. Jackson gets his big break when a mysterious femme fatale (Dorothy Lamour) strolls into his office and, mistaking him for McCloud, asks for help with her uncle's kidnapping. Jackson plays along with the detective role but is soon in way over his head as he becomes embroiled in a dangerous (and comic!) mystery. This spoof of the hardboiled detective genre also features horror legends Peter Lorre and Lon Chaney as Hope's villainous foils.