The Front Page (1974)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Ben Hecht (play) and
Charles MacArthur (play) ...

Release Date:

17 December 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

It's the hottest story since the Chicago Fire... And they're sitting on it.

Plot:

Hildy Johnson is the top reporter on a Chicago newspaper during the 1920s. Tired of the whole game he's determined to quit his job to get married...

Plot Keywords:

Reference To The Madonna | Journalism | What Happened To Epilogue | Reference To Ben Hecht | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jack Lemmon	...	Hildy Johnson
Walter Matthau	...	Walter Burns
Susan Sarandon	...	Peggy Grant
Vincent Gardenia	...	Sheriff
David Wayne	...	Bensinger
Allen Garfield	...	Kruger
Austin Pendleton	...	Earl Williams
Charles Durning	...	Murphy
Herb Edelman	...	Schwartz (as Herbert Edelman)
Martin Gabel	...	Dr. Eggelhofer
Harold Gould	...	The Mayor
Cliff Osmond	...	Jacobi
Dick O'Neill	...	McHugh
Jon Korkes	...	Rudy Keppler
Lou Frizzell	...	Endicott

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:M | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The Front Page opened at the Times Square Theater on August 14, 1929 and ran for 276 performances.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Peggy decides Hildy doesn't want to leave the newspaper business, she takes her ticket and leaves the press room for the cab. A few minutes later, Bentzinger wants to come in and the door is locked, even thought neither Hildy or Burns locked it after she left.

Quotes:

Mollie Malloy: I never said that I loved Earl Williams and was willing to marry him on the gallows. You made that up!
Murphy: Oh, come on. You've been sucking around that cuckoo ever since he's been in the death house.
McHugh: Everybody knows you're his soul-mate.
Mollie Malloy: That's a lot of bunk! Like all that other stuff you been writing. Calling me an Angel of the Pavement and the Midnight Madonna. Who ya kiddin'? I'm a two-dollar whore from Division Street and you know it!

Movie Connections:

References Some Like It Hot (1959)

Soundtrack:

Button Up Your Overcoat

THE POWER OF THE PRESS

I happened across The Front Page accidently while watching the baseball playoffs. The fact that the movie was able to hold my interest is tribute enough. Jack Lemmon is ready to quit the reporter business in prohibition Chicago... Walter Mattheu is Lemmons' editor and tries anything to keep his best newsman around. Lemmon is hot to leave for Philly with a woman he plans to marry but before Lemmon can get out of Chicago a story is thrown into his lap. The newsman in him takes over and the results of good action and story kept me around. Funny finish.