This movie has two strikes against it in history’s eyes. It dares to be a remake of the absolutely classic His Girl Friday (even though it isn’t – HGF was a remake of a yet older version of this film, based on Ben Hecht’s play) and it was made just as Billy Wilder and his style of filmmaking was considered waaaaay out of fashion. I mean – in the era of Taxi Driver could you see yourself championing a movie where Vincent Gardenia stands on a theatrical X and spews out schtick for five minutes. Even Peter Bogdanovich was doing “revisionist” screwball comedies at this time.
However, I was lucky enough to see this movie (many times) as a kid not knowing all that. And in that context it is the funniest movie ever made. Austin Pendleton trapped in a roll-top desk! Charles Durning and Dick O’Neill and Paul Benedict and Carol Burnett and Harold Gould in the SAME MOVIE!!!
Anyway, if you like yelling and Yiddish, rent this at once!
