8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Walter Burns is a newspaper editor trying to hang on to his star reporter, Hildy Johnson, who is also Walter's ex-wife. Hildy is leaving journalism to go off and marry Bruce, but an escaped convict, hiding behind a desk in the newsroom, is the perfect bait for Walter to lure Hildy back to her job and to him.
Starring: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy, Gene Lockhart, Porter HallDrama | 100% |
Romance | 57% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Spanish (Castilian) (Latin)
English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
4K Ultra HD
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
The Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 4 box set includes award winners, critical darlings and fan favorites alike: His Girl Friday (1940), a sharply scripted and surprisingly timely commentary on the "dark ages of the newspaper game"; Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), a brilliantly awkward clash-of-cultures influence on so many films that represents one of the finest unpacking of everyday race relations in 1960s cinema; Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), a heartbreaking dramatization of the impact and collateral damage of divorce and custody battles; Starman (1984), an oft-forgotten gem of a romantic sci-fi adventure that puts a spin on E.T.; Sleepless in Seattle (1993), which needs no introduction to anyone who was coming of age or searching for love in the '90s; and Punch-Drunk Love (2002), simultaneously one of Paul Thomas Anderson and Adam Sandler's best, forcing mental health, romance and social anxiety to collide in a dramedy for the ages.
His Girl Friday features a slightly darker image to my eye than most catalog black and white presentations, but it's nevertheless a lovely, exceedingly filmic 1.37:1 presentation that registers more convincingly than those that are brighter. Black levels are rich and satisfying, crisp whites pop, and gradients of gray aren't hindered by noise or banding. Grain has been naturally preserved and is consistent throughout, while detail is more revealing than it's ever been. A quick comparison to the previously released 2017 Criterion edition makes it obvious that there are a number of improvements, chief among them the clarity of fine textures and the overall precision of the transfer. Edges are crisp and clean, subtle touches like fabrics and textiles are more exacting, and contrast, while very similar, is a touch more nuanced here. The differences are largely minimal -- a better resolved grain field being the most noticeable upgrade -- but it's no less appreciated. Moreover, artifacting and other anomalies are nowhere to be found, easily making Sony's 4K presentation the top dog in His Girl Friday video transfers.
His Girl Friday's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track is more akin to its Criterion counterpart but that's by no means a disappointment. Dialogue is intelligible and neatly prioritized in the soundscape, though the tried-and-true catalog tinniness that accompanies the films of yesteryear has not mysteriously been "fixed". Nor should it be. Part of the charm of such sound designs is the era in which they were made, and Sony retains a faithfulness to the original tone of the movie while still ensuring hiss, pop and other wear and tear to the elements has been painstakingly adjusted to provide a clear, wholly pleasing mix.
Sharp, light on its feet and surprisingly quick-witted, His Girl Friday is the timely catalog classic you didn't know you needed. Not only is the film a blast, Sony's video presentation is terrific, its DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono mix is faithful to a T, and it extras are, for the most part, quite good. Enjoy discovering His Girl Friday and wondering how you've never seen it before now. (Unless you've been in the know for some time!)
1931
1987
1941
La règle du jeu
1939
1960
2012
50th Anniversary Edition
1967
2017
1930
1939
Limited Edition to 3000
1957
1970
1975
Une femme est une femme
1961
2013
1990
1930
1985
2011
Matrimonio all'italiana
1964