This third film version of the 1928 Ben Hecht-Charlie MacArthur Broadway smash hit, The Front Page, is the weakest, and a low point in Billy Wilder’s otherwise distinguished career.
Grade: C+ (** out of *****)
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Despite the fact that some of the foul language of the original play is in this rendition, the end result is disappointing. Wilder didn’t have any new angle on the text and his two stars, favorite actors Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, were far too old for their parts.
Lemmon and Matthau play ace reporter Hildy Johnson and ruthless newspaper editor Walter Burns, respectively. The plot of the play remains intact, which means it’s no longer relevant or shocking.
Burns pulls every game in the book to prevent Johnson from leaving his Chicago paper to get married. Meanwhile, the duo uncovers political corruption related to the planned execution of anarchist Earl Williams (Austin Pendleton).
Carol Burnett (also too old) brings some light in her extended cameo as Williams’ tart girlfriend, Mollie Malloy.
“The Front Page” was first made into an Oscar-nominated picture in 1931, then Howard Hawks changed one of the leads’ gender in his fabulous 1940 screwball comedy “His Girl Friday,” starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell.
The play was (unnecessarily) remade for the fourth time in 1988 as “Switching Channels,” which turned out to be both an artistic and commercial flop.
Cast
Jack Lemmon as Hildebrand ‘Hildy’ Johnson
Walter Matthau as Walter Burns
Susan Sarandon as Peggy Grant
Vincent Gardenia as Sheriff “Honest Pete” Hartman
David Wayne as Roy Bensinger
Allen Garfield as Kruger
Charles Durning as Murphy
Herb Edelman as Schwartz
Austin Pendleton as Earl Williams
Carol Burnett as Mollie Malloy
Martin Gabel as Dr. Max J. Eggelhofer
Harold Gould as The Mayor
John Furlong as Duffy
Jon Korkes as Rudy Keppler
Cliff Osmond as Officer Jacobi
Paul Benedict as Plunkett, governor’s man
Lou Frizzell as Endicott
Dick O’Neill as McHugh
Noam Pitlik as Wilson
Doro Merande as Jennie, cleaning woman
Biff Elliot as Police Dispatcher
Barbara Davis as Myrtle
Casting Trivia
Allen Jenkins, who had appeared in the 1928 production, plays small role as a stenographer. It was his last film role, he died in July 1974.
Production
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Rating: PG.
Directed by Billy Wilder
Screenplay by I. A. L. Diamond and Billy Wilder, based on The Front Page by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur
Produced by Paul Monash
Cinematography Jordan Cronenweth
Edited by Ralph E. Winters
Music by Billy May
Color process Technicolor
Production company: Universal
Distributed by Universal
Release date: December 18, 1974
Running time: 105 minutes
Budget $4 million
Box office $15 million
