Oneof the most remarkable “pre-Code” movies, made before Hollywood imposed strictcensorship, has just been released on Blu-ray. The Front Page (1931) is adarkly, sharply humorous satire of political corruption, journalism and whatpassed for the justice system in an unnamed but representative big city.
Thescreenplay pulls few punches. The most ethical characters are a streetwalkerand an anarchist about to be hung for a crime he probably didn’t commit. He iseven given a chance to make a short speech: “It’s better to die for a causethan the reason most people die—for no reason.” The Front Page opens with acareless crew of deputies, spitting tobacco and cracking jokes as they preparethe scaffold. The newsmen who taunt them from the window overlooking the prisonyard aren’t great humanitarians, either. Callous wiseacres, they’re in it forthe story and they’ll make it up as they go along to meet deadlines and keeptheir readers in a high state of fascinated agitation. For them, no news is badnews.
TheFront Page stars Adolph Menjou as the hard-driving editor of a daily paper whoflinches at nothing in pursuit of a scoop, and Pat O’Brien as an ace reportertorn between love of journalism and love for his long-suffering fiancé. After thestory gains momentum, the dialogue gets faster and faster, rushing past at cocaine-speedfrenzy. The Front Page was one of the templates for the screwball comedies ofthe later ‘30s and was remade, toned down in conformity to the Code, as HisGirl Friday (1940) with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell.
“It’samazing that these prisoners live long enough to be hung,” one of the reportersobserves after noticing conditions in the death house. A pointed socialcritique, The Front Page is outrageously funny and paced like a runaway train.
