UHD Review His Girl Friday (Columbia Classics Vol. 4) UHD Review (2 Viewers)

[Todd Erwin]

Howard Hawks’ 1940 screwball comedy His Girl Friday makes its 4K debut as part of Sony’s Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4.



His Girl Friday (1940)



Released: 18 Jan 1940
Rated: APPROVED
Runtime: 92 min




Director: Howard Hawks
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance



Cast: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy, Gene Lockhart
Writer(s): Charles Lederer (screen play), Ben Hecht (from the play "The Front Page"), Charles MacArthur (from the play "The Front Page")



Plot: A newspaper editor uses every trick in the book to keep his ace reporter ex-wife from remarrying.



IMDB rating: 8.0
MetaScore: N/A





Disc Information



Studio: Sony
Distributed By: N/A
Video Resolution: 2160p HEVC w/HDR...

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[Robert Harris]

Great review, Todd, but I’ll dispute two points. The missing frames (3-4, as I recall) actually do exist, albeit in 16mm. I’m aware the collectible book (current value $750-800) notes otherwise. Had the frames used a 16mm source as opposed to re-creating in 35, they would have popped on screen, so proper decision.

“Screwball comedy”? Each to their own, but I always found this to be a serious drama about the ills of American jurisprudence, capital punishment, and how a couple of skilled reporters save the day. Always brings All the President’s Men to mind.

 

[Robert Crawford]

“Screwball comedy”? Each to their own, but I always found this to be a serious drama about the ills of American jurisprudence and capital punishment.

Can't it be both, a comedy and drama?

 

[Robert Crawford]

When I watched the 4K digital a few weeks ago, the sequence with Grant and Russell in his office when she tells him about her upcoming marriage is one of Grant's best acting moments. You can see the mechanics of his brain working as he processes that bit of news while trying to come up with a scheme to not only stop the marriage but to get her back. His facial impressions during that sequence are classic Cary Grant.

One of my all-time favorite movies without any regard to film genre. IMO, this is close to being Hawks best film, at least for me.

 

[Robert Harris]

Can't it be both, a comedy and drama?

Certainty not when the subject is capital punishment and the wrongly accused. Done properly, the film would have had Paul Muni and Hume Cronyn in the leads, and avoid the very odd romantic relationship. That would have been more attuned to a serious drama about the ills and ethics of American divorce law.

You’re an early riser, Robert!

 

[Robert Crawford]

Certainty not when the subject is capital punishment and the wrongly accused. Done properly, the film would have had Paul Muni and Hume Cronyn in the leads, and avoid the very odd romantic relationship. That would have been more attuned to a serious drama about the ills and ethics of American divorce law.

You’re an early riser, Robert!

Well, I guess we disagree then and I'll leave it at that because those dramatic topics are subject matters for another forum type.

 

[Robert Harris]

Well, I guess we disagree then and I'll leave it at that because those dramatic topics are subject matters for another forum type.

I’m certain that some could find comedic attributes in Dead Birds. Not I.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I’m certain that some could find comedic attributes in Dead Birds. Not I.

Whatever!

 

[Konstantinos]

I just bought this for 87 euros from ebay!!
What "digitally recreating a few missing frames" mean?
Is that evident?
The Criterion blu-ray didn't have these digitally recreated frames?

 

[Robert Harris]

I just bought this for 87 euros from ebay!!
What "digitally recreating a few missing frames" mean?
Is that evident?
The Criterion blu-ray didn't have these digitally recreated frames?

No. Neatly done.

 

[Chip_HT]

I think Vudu might have sorted out their mapping with the different versions of His Girl Friday. When I logged in this evening, I noticed His Girl Friday at the top of my "recently purchased" list. I purchased the HD version through the Disc to Digital feature from Vudu back in 2018, and I have not yet purchased the Columbia Classics 4 set.

Sorting the list by title, I did find two versions of the movie in my Vudu library.

The older one has a "Columbia Classics" banner on the artwork, but that's credited to "TriCoast Entertainment" with no MA logo. This is the version I've had for the last few years, which must have been connected to Movies Anywhere at some point, because I have the movie over there as well. This one shows up with a "Free with ads" tag on the listing page, but only provides HDX as the highest quality.

The newer listing doesn't have the "Columbia Classics" banner on the artwork, but does list Sony Pictures as the studio and has the MA logo. Since I only have the HDX quality, it gives me options to rent or upgrade the 4K version.

Apparently, this newer version showed up in my purchase history on 2/27. I'm guessing that when Vudu switched the MA tag from the TriCoast version to the Sony version, it triggered MA to tell Vudu that I owned it.

I'm also guessing this means that if I redeem the 4K code from the set at Vudu, it will properly port over to Movies Anywhere.

 

[Todd Erwin]

I think Vudu might have sorted out their mapping with the different versions of His Girl Friday. When I logged in this evening, I noticed His Girl Friday at the top of my "recently purchased" list. I purchased the HD version through the Disc to Digital feature from Vudu back in 2018, and I have not yet purchased the Columbia Classics 4 set.

Sorting the list by title, I did find two versions of the movie in my Vudu library.

The older one has a "Columbia Classics" banner on the artwork, but that's credited to "TriCoast Entertainment" with no MA logo. This is the version I've had for the last few years, which must have been connected to Movies Anywhere at some point, because I have the movie over there as well. This one shows up with a "Free with ads" tag on the listing page, but only provides HDX as the highest quality.

The newer listing doesn't have the "Columbia Classics" banner on the artwork, but does list Sony Pictures as the studio and has the MA logo. Since I only have the HDX quality, it gives me options to rent or upgrade the 4K version.

Apparently, this newer version showed up in my purchase history on 2/27. I'm guessing that when Vudu switched the MA tag from the TriCoast version to the Sony version, it triggered MA to tell Vudu that I owned it.

I'm also guessing this means that if I redeem the 4K code from the set at Vudu, it will properly port over to Movies Anywhere.

Yes, it looks like Vudu and Movies Anywhere got this sorted out (although Vudu customer service never contacted me on the ticket I opened to advise me that this had been fixed). Apparently, Vudu had mapped a public domain version of the film, which they had licensed from TriCoast Entertainment, to Movies Anywhere (despite TriCoast not being a studio partner with MA). This is not the first time Vudu has goofed up like this. Not too long ago, Vudu was selling the original Steve McQueen version of The Blob, but giving customers the Chuck Russell/Frank Darabont 1988 remake instead. It took them over a year to get that fixed, and I am sure Sony was none too happy about it since they own the 1988 version and probably didn't receive any compensation for those sales.