The Front Page
The Front Page is a 1974 American black comedy-drama film directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. The screenplay by Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond is based on Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's 1928 play of the same name (which inspired several other films, such as 1931's The Front Page, the 1940 comedy His Girl Friday and televised movies and series episodes).
Plot
In 1920s Chicago, Chicago Examiner reporter Hildebrand "Hildy" Johnson has just quit his job to marry Peggy Grant and start a new career as convict Earl Williams is set to be executed. Ruthless, egomaniacal managing editor Walter Burns, desperate to keep Hildy on the job, encourages him to cover the story, frustrating Peggy, who is eager to catch their train.
More details
| author | Ben Hecht Billy Wilder Charles MacArthur I. A. L. Diamond |
|---|---|
| contentLocation | Chicago |
| director | Billy Wilder |
| editor | Ralph E. Winters |
| events | capital punishment |
| genre | comedy-drama |
| keywords | arrest bumble chicago american chicago examiner communism communist death row division street egomania fortune cookie fortune cookies impoverish left-wing politics leftist lose managing editor married moscow new car police officer prison cell prostitution railway station reprieve sacco and vanzetti scoop whore yellow press |
| musicBy | Billy May |
| producer | Paul Monash |
| productionCompany | Universal Pictures |
| publisher | Universal Pictures |
| theme | black comedy romantic comedy screwball comedy |