The Front Page

The Front Page

Directed by Lewis Milestone • 1931 • United States
Starring Adolphe Menjou, Pat O’Brien, Mary Brian

Directed with pre-Code verve by Lewis Milestone, the first screen adaptation of the oft-filmed Broadway hit by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur (later the basis for Howard Hawks’s screwball classic HIS GIRL FRIDAY) stars Adolphe Menjou and Pat O’Brien as, respectively, a newspaper editor and his ace reporter, who must pull out all the stops in order to get the scoop of a lifetime: the story of an escaped death-row inmate whose whereabouts are known only to them. The crackling dialogue, cynical wit, and snappy pace set the standard for a generation of newsroom pictures to follow.

Restored by the Academy Film Archive and The Film Foundation. Restoration funding provided by the George Lucas Family Foundation. Elements for this restoration provided by the Howard Hughes Corporation and by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, College of Fine Arts’ Department of Film and its Howard Hughes Collection at the Academy Film Archive.
Restored by the Academy Film Archive and The Film Foundation. Restoration funding provided by the George Lucas Family Foundation. Elements for this restoration provided by the Howard Hughes Corporation and by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, College of Fine Arts’ Department of Film and its Howard Hughes Collection at the Academy Film Archive.

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The Front Page
  • The Front Page
    1:41:27
    The Front Page

    The Front Page

    Directed by Lewis Milestone • 1931 • United States
    Starring Adolphe Menjou, Pat O’Brien, Mary Brian

    Directed with pre-Code verve by Lewis Milestone, the first screen adaptation of the oft-filmed Broadway hit by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur (later the basis for Howard Hawks’s screwball classic...

Extras

  • Restoring THE FRONT PAGE
    24:04
    Restoring THE FRONT PAGE

    Restoring THE FRONT PAGE

    This 2016 piece details the work of the Academy Film Archive and The Film Foundation in bringing this version of THE FRONT PAGE to life. It highlights the differences between this restoration, in which certain scenes reflect director Lewis Milestone’s preferred presentation for domestic distribut...

  • David Brendel on Screenwriter Ben Hecht
    25:47
    David Brendel on Screenwriter Ben Hecht

    David Brendel on Screenwriter Ben Hecht

    Writer Ben Hecht’s art made extensive use of his life, and the work he did in Hollywood drew on his experiences growing up in Al Capone–era Chicago and working in newsrooms to capture the worlds of gangsters, reporters, and spies. In this 2016 program, Hecht expert David Brendel explores the life...

  • THE FRONT PAGE Radio Adaptation: 1937
    58:47
    THE FRONT PAGE Radio Adaptation: 1937

    THE FRONT PAGE Radio Adaptation: 1937

    This radio adaptation of THE FRONT PAGE aired in 1937. It features Walter Winchell as Hildy Johnson and James Gleason as Walter Burns.

  • THE FRONT PAGE Radio Adaptation: 1946
    31:44
    THE FRONT PAGE Radio Adaptation: 1946

    THE FRONT PAGE Radio Adaptation: 1946

    This radio adaptation of THE FRONT PAGE aired in 1937. It reunites Pat O’Brien and Adolphe Menjou in the roles they played in Lewis Milestone’s 1931 film.

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