History Film / TheFrontPage1931

Hildy Johnson (O'Brien), an investigative reporter for ''The Morning Post'', is engaged to be married, and is quitting the newspaper business to go work for his fiancée Peggy's family's advertising firm in New York. Hildy drops by the press room at the courthouse to say goodbye to all of his fellow reporters on the crime beat. The reporters are all at the courthouse to cover the impending execution of one Earl Williams, a mentally-addled anarchist convicted of murdering a cop. All of the reporters think that the cynical mayor is greasing the skids for Williams' execution in order to get re-elected--the election is in two days, and [[RedScare anti-Red sentiment]] is running high.

* ChekhovsGunman: The courier who arrives bearing the commutation of Earl Williams' sentence. The mayor and the sheriff appear to successfully get rid of him, but he shows back up at the end, pardon in hand, getting Hildy and Walter off the hook.

* SleazyPolitician: The mayor tries to hide Earl Williams' reprieve.

* {{Streetwalker}}: Molly Malloy, Earl Williams' only friend, identifies herself as this.

* CityWithNoName: While the original play was set in UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}, this film announces (via an opening title card) that "This story is laid in a Mythical Kingdom". The change was made by the producers in response to criticisms that the original play was defamatory to the Windy City and its cops, politicians, and journalists.

* IronicJuxtaposition: Opens with a large bag of flour that is labeled "Sunshine Flower--Insures Domestic Happiness." The camera zooms out to reveal that the bag of flour is being used as a weight to test a gallows.

Hildy Johnson (O'Brien), an investigative reporter for ''The Morning Post'', is engaged to be married, and is quitting the newspaper business to work for his fiancée Peggy's family's advertising business in New York. Hildy drops by the press room at the courthouse to say goodbye to all of his fellow reporters on the crime beat. The reporters are all at the courthouse to cover the impending execution of one Earl Williams, a mentally-addled anarchist convicted of murdering a cop. All of the reporters think that the cynical mayor is greasing the skids for Williams' execution in order to get re-elected--the election is in two days, and [[RedScare anti-Red sentiment]] is running high.

Hildy Johnson (O'Brien), an investigative reporter for ''The Morning Post'', is engaged to be married, and is quitting the newspaper business to work for his fiancée Peggy's family's advertising business in New York. Hildy drops by the press room at the courthouse to say goodbye to all of his fellow reporters on the crime beat. The reporters are all at the courthouse to cover the impending execution of one Earl Williams, a mentally-addled anarchist who shot a cop. All of the reporters think that the cynical mayor is greasing the skids for Williams' execution in order to get re-elected--the election is in two days, and [[RedScare anti-Red sentiment]] is running high.

* ManipulativeBastard: Walter, who does all sorts of crazy things to get the story and keep Hildy from leaving, going so far as to kidnap Peggy's mom when she finds out where Earl Williams is. At the end, Walter wishes Hildy and Peggy well, gives Hildy his watch for a wedding present, and then calls ahead to have Hildy arrested for stealing his watch.

* TitleDrop: Many references to what is going to go on the front page of the newspaper.

* DirtyCop: Sherriff Hartman is perfectly willing to conceal a commutation message and send a man to the gallows.

* AmbiguouslyGay: Bensinger, the vaguely prissy reporter who writes poetry. (He's played by Edward Everett Horton, who more or less [[TypeCasting specialized in this type of role]].) It's his desk that Earl Williams hides inside.

''The Front Page'' is a 1931 film directed by Creator/LewisMilestone, starring Adolphe Menjou, Pat O'Brien, and Creator/MaeClarke. It was produced by Creator/HowardHughes.

Enter into this Hildy's editor, Walter Burns (Menjou). Walter serves his newspaper with a monomaniacal devotion, and is determined to save Earl Williams, not because he cares about Earl Williams (he doesn't really), but to embarrass the mayor and his toady, Sheriff "Pinky" Hartman. He also wants the story for his newspaper and he wants Hildy to write it. Walter, who does not want his best reporter to quit, sets about to undermine Hildy's relationship with Peggy. The situation grows more chaotic after Williams escapes from prison.

''The Front Page'' was the first of several [[TheFilmOfThePlay screen adaptations]] of the hit 1928 stage play of the same name (written by former real-life Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles [=MacArthur=]). It was [[Film/TheFrontPage remade in 1974]] by Creator/BillyWilder, and again in 1988 as ''Switching Channels'', which updated the setting to the [[TwentyFourHourNewsNetworks cable TV news]] era. However, the most famous remake was Creator/HowardHawks' 1940 film ''Film/HisGirlFriday''. That version, while being very faithful to the story of the play and the 1931 film, pulled a GenderFlip in which "Hildy Johnson" became a woman (played by Creator/RosalindRussell) and her editor Walter Burns (played by Creator/CaryGrant) became her ex-husband as well as her boss.

Enter into this Hildy's editor, Walter Burns (Menjou). Walter serves his newspaper with a monomaniacal devotion, and is determined to save Earl Williams, not because he cares about Earl Williams (he doesn't really), but to embarrass the mayor and his toady, Sheriff "Pinky" Hartman. He also wants the story for his newspaper and he wants Hildy to write it. Walter, who does not want his best reporter to quit, sets about to undermine Hildy's relationship with Peggy. The situation grows more chaotic when Earl Williams escapes from prison.

''The Front Page'' was the first of several screen adaptations of the hit 1928 stage play of the same name (written by former real-life Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles [=MacArthur=]). It was [[Film/TheFrontPage remade in 1974]] by Creator/BillyWilder, and again in 1988 as ''Switching Channels'', which updated the setting to the [[TwentyFourHourNewsNetworks cable TV news]] era. However, the most famous remake was Creator/HowardHawks' 1940 film ''Film/HisGirlFriday''. That version, while being very faithful to the story of the play and the 1931 film, pulled a GenderFlip in which "Hildy Johnson" became a woman (played by Creator/RosalindRussell) and her editor Walter Burns (played by Creator/CaryGrant) became her ex-husband as well as her boss.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_0766_9.JPG]]

Hildy Johnson (O'Brien) is an investigative reporter for ''The Morning Post''. He is engaged to be married, and is quitting the newspaper business to work for his fiancée Peggy's family's advertising business. Hildy drops by the press room by the prison to say goodbye to all of his fellow reporters on the crime beat. The reporters are all at the prison because of the impending execution of one Earl Williams, a mentally addled anarchist who shot a cop. All of the reporters think that the cynical mayor is greasing the skids for Williams' execution in order to get re-elected--the election is in two days.

''The Front Page'' was the first of several screen adaptations of the hit 1928 stage play of the same name (written by former real-life Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles [=MacArthur=]). It was [[Film/TheFrontPage remade in 1974]] by Creator/BillyWilder, and again in 1988 as ''Switching Channels'', which updated the setting to the [[TwentyFourHourNewsNetworks cable TV news]] era. However, the most famous remake was Creator/HowardHawks' 1940 film ''Film/HisGirlFriday''. That version, while being very faithful to the story of the play and the 1931 film, pulled a GenderFlip in which "Hildy Johnson" became a woman (played by Rosalind Russell) and her editor Walter Burns (played by Creator/CaryGrant) became her ex-husband as well as her boss.

''The Front Page'' is a 1931 film directed by Creator/LewisMilestone, starring Adolphe Menjou and Pat O'Brien. It was produced by Creator/HowardHughes.

* AmbiguouslyGay: Bensinger, the vaguely prissy reporter who writes poetry. It's his desk that Earl Williams hides inside.

* DaEditor: Burns, who's going to get that story, and won't let a little thing like his star reporter getting married interfere with that.

Hildy Johnson (O'Brien) is an investigative reporter for a newspaper. He is engaged to be married, and is quitting the newspaper business to work for his fiancée Peggy's family's advertising business. Hildy drops by the press room by the prison to say goodbye to all of his fellow reporters on the crime beat. The reporters are all at the prison because of the impending execution of one Earl Williams, a mentally addled anarchist who shot a cop. All of the reporters think that the cynical mayor is greasing the skids for Williams' execution in order to get re-elected--the election is in two days.

Hildy Johnson (O'Brien) is an investigative reporter for a UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} newspaper. He is engaged to be married, and is quitting the newspaper business to work for his fiancée Peggy's family's advertising business. Hildy drops by the press room by the prison to say goodbye to all of his fellow reporters on the crime beat. The reporters are all at the prison because of the impending execution of one Earl Williams, a mentally addled anarchist who shot a cop. All of the reporters think that the cynical mayor is greasing the skids for Williams' execution in order to get re-elected--the election is in two days.

''The Front Page'' was the first of several screen adaptations of the hit 1928 stage play of the same name (written by former real-life Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles [=MacArthur=]). It was [[Film/TheFrontPage remade in 1974]] by Creator/BillyWilder, and again in 1988 as ''Switching Channels'' (which updated the setting to the [[TwentyFourHourNewsNetworks cable TV news]] era). However, the most famous remake was Creator/HowardHawks' 1940 film ''Film/HisGirlFriday''. That version, while being very faithful to the story of the play and the 1931 film, pulled a GenderFlip in which "Hildy Johnson" became a woman (played by Rosalind Russell) and her editor Walter Burns (played by Creator/CaryGrant) became her ex-husband as well as her boss.

''The Front Page'' was the first of several screen adaptations of the hit 1928 stage play of the same name (written by former real-life Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles [=MacArthur=]). It was [[Film/TheFrontPage remade in 1974]] by Creator/BillyWilder, and again in 1988 as ''Switching Channels'' (which updated the story to the [[TwentyFourHourNewsNetworks cable TV news]] era). However, the most famous remake was Creator/HowardHawks' 1940 film ''Film/HisGirlFriday''. That version, while being very faithful to the story of the play and the 1931 film, pulled a GenderFlip in which "Hildy Johnson" became a woman (played by Rosalind Russell) and her editor Walter Burns (played by Creator/CaryGrant) became her ex-husband as well as her boss.

''The Front Page'' was the first of several screen adaptations of the hit 1928 stage play of the same name (written by former real-life Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles [=MacArthur=]). It was [[Film/TheFrontPage remade in 1974]] by Creator/BillyWilder, and remade in the 1980s as ''Switching Channels''. However, the most famous remake was Creator/HowardHawks' 1940 film ''Film/HisGirlFriday''. That version, while being very faithful to the story of the play and the 1931 film, pulled a GenderFlip in which "Hildy Johnson" became a woman (played by Rosalind Russell) and her editor Walter Burns (played by Creator/CaryGrant) became her ex-husband as well as her boss.

''The Front Page'' was the first of several screen adaptations of the hit 1928 stage play of the same name (written by former real-life Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles [=MacArthur=]). It was [[Film/TheFrontPage remade in 1974]] by Creator/BillyWilder, and remade in the 1980s as ''Switching Channels''. However, the most famous remake was made in 1940 as ''Film/HisGirlFriday''. That version, while being very faithful to the story of the play and the 1931 film, pulled a GenderFlip in which "Hildy Johnson" became a woman (played by Rosalind Russell) and her editor Walter Burns (played by Creator/CaryGrant) became her ex-husband as well as her boss.

* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Mollie Malloy, the prostitute who is clearly the only one who gives a rat's ass about Earl Williams.

''The Front Page'' was an adaptation of a stage play. It was [[Film/TheFrontPage remade in 1974]] by Creator/BillyWilder, and remade in the 1980s as ''Switching Channels''. However, the most famous remake was made in 1940 as ''Film/HisGirlFriday''. That version, while being very faithful to the story of the play and the 1931 film, pulled a GenderFlip in which "Hildy Johnson" became a woman (played by Rosalind Russell) and her editor Walter Burns (played by Creator/CaryGrant) became her ex-husband as well as her boss.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_0766_9.JPG]]

* CreativeCredits: The opening credits have the title as the headline on the front page of a newspaper. Then all the cast members are introduced with their picture as pages flip by on the paper.