The Front Page

This article is about the stage play. For other adaptations, see The Front Page (disambiguation).
The Front Page
Second edition, 1928
Written by
Date premieredAugust 14, 1928 (1928-08-14)
Place premieredTimes Square Theater
New York City
Original languageEnglish
GenreComedy
SettingThe Press Room of the Criminal Courts Building in Chicago, 1928

The Front Page is a Broadway comedy about newspaper reporters on the police beat. Written by former Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, it was first produced in 1928 and has been adapted for the cinema several times. The play entered the public domain in the United States in 2024.[1]

Plot

Reporters play cards in the press room of the Criminal Courts Building in Act I of The Front Page (1928)

The play's single set is the dingy press room of Chicago's Criminal Courts Building, overlooking the gallows behind the Cook County Jail. Reporters from most of the city's newspapers are passing the time with poker and pungent wisecracks about the news of the day. Soon they will witness the hanging of Earl Williams, a white man and supposed Communist revolutionary convicted of killing a black policeman. Hildy Johnson, cocky star reporter for the Examiner, is late. He appears only to say goodbye; he is quitting to get a respectable job and be married. Suddenly the reporters hear that Earl Williams has escaped from the jail. All but Hildy stampede out for more information. As Hildy tries to decide how to react, Williams comes in through the window. He tells Hildy he is no revolutionary, and that he shot the police officer by accident. The reporter realizes this bewildered, harmless little man was railroaded — just to help the crooked mayor and sheriff pick up enough black votes to win re-election. It is the story of a lifetime. Hildy helps Williams hide inside a roll-top desk. His daunting challenge now is to get Williams out of the building to a safe place for an interview before rival reporters or trigger-happy policemen discover him. Hildy has no choice but to ask for help from Walter Burns, managing editor of the Examiner — a devious tyrant who would do just about anything to keep Hildy with the newspaper.

Cast and characters

Notable casts

Character Broadway original
(1928) 		Broadway revival
(1986) [2] 		Broadway revival
(2016) [3]
Walter Burns Osgood Perkins John Lithgow Nathan Lane
Hildy Johnson Lee Tracy Richard Thomas John Slattery
Sheriff Hartman Claude Cooper Richard B. Shull John Goodman
Bensinger Walter Baldwin Jeff Weiss Jefferson Mays
Mrs. Grant Violet Barney Anita Dangler Holland Taylor
Mollie Malloy Dorothy Stickney Amanda Carlin Sherie Rene Scott
Mr. Pincus Frank Conlan Patrick Garner Robert Morse
McCue William Foran Philip LeStrange Dylan Baker
Jennie Carrie Weller Anita Dangler Patricia Conolly
Peggy Grant Frances Fuller Amanda Carlin Halley Feiffer
The Mayor George Barbier Jerome Dempsey Dann Florek
Earl Williams George Leach Paul Stolarsky John Magaro
Diamond Louis Eduardo Ciannelli Michael Rothhaar Danny Mastrogiorgio
Murphy Willard Robertson Ed Lauter Christopher McDonald
Schwartz Tammany Young Lee Wilkof David Pittu
Wilson Vincent York Philip Le Strange Joey Slotnick
Endicott Allen Jenkins Bernie McInerney Lewis J. Stadlen
Woodenshoes Eichorn Jay Wilson Jack Wallace Micah Stock
Kruger Joseph Calleia Richard Peterson Clarke Thorell
Frank Gene West Philip LeStrange Joe Forbich
Policeman Larry Doyle Patrick Garner Michael X. Martin
Second Policeman George T. Fleming Richard Peterson Jonathan Spivey
Carl Matthew Crowley Michael Rothhaar Tony Ward
Tony N/A Richard Preston Michael X. Martin

The Front Page was produced by Jed Harris and directed by George S. Kaufman, with settings by Raymond Sovey. It opened at the Times Square Theatre, New York City, on August 14, 1928, and ran 278 performances before closing in April 1929.[4][5]

Significance

The authors' expert plotting and rapid-fire, streetwise dialogue delighted audiences and made their play an instant classic. Hecht and MacArthur strongly influenced many other American comic writers, especially in Hollywood. In the 1970s, film producer Dore Schary told film historian David Bordwell that The Front Page influenced studio writers and directors in the 1930s.[6] The play popularized the image of American journalists as fast-talking, wisecracking "hard-boiled" types, excessively fond of alcohol and hard living in general, who would go to any lengths to get a story on the front page of their newspapers.[7]

The newspapers are modeled on the City News Bureau of Chicago (where MacArthur had worked), Chicago Daily News (where Hecht was a reporter), and William Randolph Hearst's Chicago's American. The character Earl Williams is loosely based on "Terrible" Tommy O'Connor.[8] The character of Williams also was at least partially based on the case of Thomas Mooney, a radical leftist sentenced to death on the basis of questionable evidence. Walter Burns is a thinly disguised caricature of Hearst editor Walter Howey.[9] The corrupt Mayor of Chicago seems to have been based on William Hale Thompson, who, like the mayor in the play, depended in part upon black voters to stay in office. Commenting on the play's seeming veracity, New York Times theater critic Brooks Atkinson wrote, "The authors and directors have packed an evening with loud, rapid, coarse and unfailing entertainment. No one who has ground his heels in the grime of a police headquarters press room will complain that this argot misrepresents the gentlemen of the press."[10]

Revivals

The play was restaged four more times on Broadway. The 1969–70 revival was the most successful of these. It was produced at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre and starred Robert Ryan and Bert Convy as Burns and Johnson, running for a total of 222 performances.[11] The 1946 revival was directed by Charles MacArthur and ran for 79 performances. The 1986–87 revival was produced at the Vivian Beaumont at Lincoln Center, directed by Jerry Zaks and starred Richard Thomas as Hildy and John Lithgow as Burns. This production ran for 57 performances.[12]

A Broadway revival opened at the Broadhurst Theatre, in a limited engagement, starting on September 20, 2016, in previews and officially on October 20. Directed by Jack O'Brien, the cast starred Nathan Lane as Walter Burns, John Slattery as Hildy Johnson, John Goodman as Sheriff Hartman, Jefferson Mays as Bensinger, Holland Taylor as Mrs. Grant, Sherie Rene Scott as Mollie Malloy, Robert Morse as Silas Pinkus, and Christopher McDonald as Murphy. The production received generally good notices, especially for Lane, and became the first show of the season to recoup and turn a profit.[13][14][15] It received two Tony nominations: Best Featured Actor in a Play (Lane) and Best Scenic Design of a Play (Douglas W. Schmidt).[16]

John Guare's theatrical adaptation of the film His Girl Friday was produced at The La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California, in 2013, directed by Christopher Ashley.[17]

Adaptations

The Front Page has been adapted for film and radio a number of times:

His Girl Friday and Switching Channels changed the male lead Hildebrand "Hildy" Johnson to women, Hildegaard "Hildy" Johnson and Christy Colleran respectively.[24] John Varley's 1991 science fiction novel Steel Beach takes the story — and the change of sex — to another level; the plot includes a sex-change by a male reporter named Hildy Johnson.

There have also been four television productions, all under the title The Front Page:

  • 1945, in the US;
  • 1948, in the UK;
  • 1949–1950 (see above) in the US as a series on CBS;
  • 1970, in the US

The musical Windy City (book and lyrics by Dick Vosburgh, music by Tony Macaulay) was also based on The Front Page.[25] It premiered at the Victoria Palace Theatre, London, England on July 20, 1982 and ran for 250 performances.

Additionally, Hecht and MacArthur's story for the 1939 film Gunga Din recycles their basic plot of trying to dissuade someone from leaving his job, in this case Douglas Fairbanks Jr.'s character attempting to resign his post in the British army and comrades Cary Grant and Victor McLaglen conniving to prevent it.

Film critic Leonard Maltin describes the 1940 film Torrid Zone as a 3.5-out-of-4-star “variation on Front Page”.[26] Set among the highly competitive banana plantations of Central America, it stars James Cagney as the invaluable employee, Pat O'Brien as the amoral boss who will stop at nothing to keep him from leaving, George Tobias as a revolutionary awaiting the firing squad, and Ann Sheridan as love interest, with snappy dialogue provided by Richard Macaulay and Jerry Wald.[27]

The 2013 graphic novel, Nemo: Heart of Ice, by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill, has a prose afterword purportedly written by Hildy Johnson, who visits Lincoln Island to write about the wedding of Captain Nemo's granddaughter to the son of Robur the Conqueror.

Awards and nomination

1928 Broadway production

Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref.
1928
 Burns Mantle's The Best Plays of 1928–29 The Front Page Won [28]

1986 Broadway revival

Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref.
1987
 Tony Awards Best Revival Nominated
Best Scenic Design Tony Walton Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Set Design Nominated [29]

2016 Broadway revival

Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref.
2017
 Tony Awards Best Featured Actor in a Play Nathan Lane Nominated [30]
Best Scenic Design of a Play Douglas W. Schmidt Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Revival of a Play Nominated [31]
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Nathan Lane Nominated
Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play Douglas W. Schmidt Nominated
Outstanding Costume Design of a Play Ann Roth Nominated

See also

References

  1. ^ "Public Domain Day 2024 | Duke University School of Law". web.law.duke.edu.
  2. ^ "The Front Page (Broadway, 1986)". Playbill. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  3. ^ "The Front Page (Broadway, 2016)". Playbill. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  4. ^ "The Front Page". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
  5. ^ "The Front Page". Playbill Vault. Playbill. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  6. ^ Bordwell, David (2017). Lighting Up with Hildy Johnson. His Girl Friday (Blu-ray). The Criterion Collection. Bordwell asserts this around 11:43 minutes through.
  7. ^ "The Front Page". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Hecht, Ben (1894-1964)." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 7 Apr. 2012.
  9. ^ "The Press: Will the Ice Age Return?". Time. 13 August 1945 – via content.time.com.
  10. ^ Sheppard, Richard K. (January 15, 1984). "Brooks Atkinson, 89, Dead; Key Voice In Drama 31 Years". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  11. ^ " The Front Page, 1969" Internet Broadway Database, accessed June 9, 2016
  12. ^ " The Front Page 1986" Internet Broadway Database, accessed June 9, 2016
  13. ^ Viagas, Robert and Gans, Andrew. "Extra, Extra: Full Cast and Theatre Announced for Broadway 'Front Page'" Playbill, June 9, 2016
  14. ^ Gans, Andrew. "Starry 'Front Page' Revival Arrives on Broadway Tonight" Playbill, September 20, 2016
  15. ^ Viagas, Robert. See What Critics Thought of Nathan Lane’s Broadway 'Front Page'", Playbill, October 21, 2016
  16. ^ Piepenburg, Erik (May 2, 2017). "Tony Awards 2017: The Full List of Nominations". The New York Times. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  17. ^ " His Girl Friday Press Release lajollaplayhouse.org, accessed June 9, 2016
  18. ^ a b " The Front Page, 1931" tcm.com, accessed June 9, 2016
  19. ^ "Lux Radio Theatre (advertisement)". The Pittsburgh Press. 1937-06-28. p. 18. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  20. ^ "Radio Programs". The Brooklyn Eagle. 1946-06-22. p. 11. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  21. ^ Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 273. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
  22. ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (24 June 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows - 1946-Present (2007 ed.). Random House Publishing. p. 508. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4. Retrieved 2018-11-11.
  23. ^ Canby, Vincent (December 19, 1974). "Movie Review The Front Page (1974): Wilder's Uneven Film of 'Front Page'". The New York Times.
  24. ^ a b Canby, Vincent. "Film: Turner in 'Switching Channels'" The New York Times, March 4, 1988
  25. ^ Klein, Alvin. "Theater; 'The Front Page' As a Musical" The New York Times, October 20, 1985
  26. ^ Maltin, Leonard (2014). Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide (2015 edition) (2015 ed.). Signet (Penguin Group). p. 245. ISBN 978-0-698-18361-2. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  27. ^ "Torrid Zone (1940) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  28. ^ Mantle, Burns, ed. (1929). The Best Plays of 1928–29. New York: Dodd, Mead. OCLC 9695298.
  29. ^ Awards ibdb.com, accessed June 9, 2016
  30. ^ "Tony Awards 2017: Complete Winners List". Variety. 11 June 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  31. ^ "Drama Desk Awards 2017: Meet The Nominees". New York Theatre Guide. 19 October 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Front Page (play).

Read other articles:

Kevin Julio

Kevin JulioLahirKevin Julio Chandra28 Juli 1993 (umur 30)Jakarta, IndonesiaPekerjaanAktorpenyanyipresenterTahun aktif2007—sekarangKarier musikGenrePopInstrumenVokalTahun aktif2015—sekarangAnggotaYORE Kevin Julio Chandra (lahir 28 Juli 1993)[1] adalah seorang aktor, penyanyi dan presenter berkebangsaan Indonesia. Filmografi Film Tahun Judul Peran Catatan 2008 Basahhh... Alvin 2010 Menculik Miyabi Bimo 2012 Perahu Kertas 2 Pacar Wanda 2013 Bangun Lagi Dong Lupus Daniel Ke...

 

Anti-vaccine activism

Anti-vaccination conspiracy theorist at a 2010 Tea Party Express rally Rally of the Anti-Vaccination League of Canada in 1919 Anti-vaccine activism, also called the anti-vax movement,[1] is organized activity designed to increase vaccine hesitancy, often by disseminating misinformation or disinformation.[2] Although myths, conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation spread by the anti-vaccination movement and fringe doctors increases vaccine hesitancy and public de...

 

Legatus

Romawi Kuno Artikel ini adalah bagian dari seri Politik dan KetatanegaraanRomawi Kuno Zaman Kerajaan Romawi753–509 SM Republik Romawi509–27 SM Kekaisaran Romawi27 SM – 395 M Principatus Dominatus Wilayah Barat395–476 M Wilayah Timur395–1453 M Lini Masa Konstitusi Romawi Konstitusi Zaman Kerajaan Konstitusi Zaman Republik Konstitusi Zaman Kekaisaran Konstitusi Akhir Zaman Kekaisaran Senatus Sidang Legislatif Magistratus Eksekutif Preseden dan Hukum Hukum Romawi Ius Imperium Mos Maior...

العلاقات الإسرائيلية البليزية

العلاقات الإسرائيلية البليزية إسرائيل بليز   إسرائيل   بليز تعديل مصدري - تعديل   العلاقات الإسرائيلية البليزية هي العلاقات الثنائية التي تجمع بين إسرائيل وبليز.[1][2][3][4][5] مقارنة بين البلدين هذه مقارنة عامة ومرجعية للدولتين: وجه المقارنة �...

 

Méridien en médecine traditionnelle chinoise

Pour les articles homonymes, voir Méridien (homonymie). Si ce bandeau n'est plus pertinent, retirez-le. Cliquez ici pour en savoir plus. Le fond de cet article concernant les sciences médicales ou vétérinaire est à vérifier (février 2017). Améliorez-le ou discutez des points à vérifier. Si vous venez d’apposer le bandeau, merci d’indiquer ici les points à vérifier. Cet article est une ébauche concernant la médecine et la Chine. Vous pouvez partager vos connaissances en l’...

 

PopMatters

PopMattersURLPopMatters.comTipeZineBahasaEnglishPemilikSarah ZupkoPembuatSarah ZupkoBerdiri sejakAutumn, 1999NegaraAmerika Serikat Peringkat Alexa28.659 (28 November 2017) StatusActive PopMatters adalah sebuah majalah internasional yang mengkritik budaya yang mencakup banyak aspek budaya populer. PopMatters menerbitkan peninjauan, wawancara, dan essay mendetail pada beberapa produk budaya dan ekspresi di area seperti musik, televisi, film, buku, video games, komik, olahraga, teater, seni visu...

Vincent Waller

Vincent WallerVincent Waller au festival International d'Animation d'Annecy 2019.Lahir30 September 1960 (umur 63)Texas, Amerika SerikatPekerjaanPenulis, artis papan cerita, animatorTahun aktif1987-sekarang Vincent Waller (kelahiran 30 September 1960) adalah seorang penulis, artis dan animator. Ia adalah penulis dan sutradara untuk The Ren & Stimpy Show (saat era tayangan Spümcø), menyutradarai episode-episode terkenal Rubber Nipple Salesmen dan Big Baby Scam. Waller membuat d...

 

コルク

この記事は検証可能な参考文献や出典が全く示されていないか、不十分です。出典を追加して記事の信頼性向上にご協力ください。（このテンプレートの使い方）出典検索?: コルク – ニュース · 書籍 · スカラー · CiNii · J-STAGE · NDL · dlib.jp · ジャパンサーチ · TWL（2017年4月） コルクを打ち抜いて作った瓶の栓 コルク（木栓、�...

 

Monumento a Pietro Leopoldo

Statua di Pietro LeopoldoLa statua dopo il restauro del 2020AutoreDomenico Andrea Pelliccia Data1776 Materialemarmo UbicazionePiazza San Jacopo in Acquaviva, Livorno Coordinate43°31′47.11″N 10°18′22.15″E / 43.529754°N 10.306153°E43.529754; 10.306153Coordinate: 43°31′47.11″N 10°18′22.15″E / 43.529754°N 10.306153°E43.529754; 10.306153 Il monumento a Pietro Leopoldo è una statua in marmo, scolpita da Domenico Andrea Pelliccia e situata a L...

Повітряні сили Збройних сил України

Ця стаття потребує додаткових посилань на джерела для поліпшення її перевірності. Будь ласка, допоможіть удосконалити цю статтю, додавши посилання на надійні (авторитетні) джерела. Зверніться на сторінку обговорення за поясненнями та допоможіть виправити недоліки. Мат...

 

Silvisaurus

Extinct species of reptile SilvisaurusTemporal range: Early-Late Cretaceous, 104–93.5 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Skull Scientific classification Domain: Eukaryota Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Clade: Dinosauria Clade: †Ornithischia Clade: †Thyreophora Clade: †Ankylosauria Family: †Nodosauridae Subfamily: †Nodosaurinae Genus: †SilvisaurusEaton, 1960 Species: †S. condrayi Binomial name †Silvisaurus condrayiEaton, 1960 Silvisaurus, from the Latin ...

 

Daftar presiden Italia

Presiden Republik Italia (Italia: Presidente della Repubblica Italiana) merupakan kepala negara Italia. Presiden Italia menjabat selama tujuh tahun dan jabatan tersebut saat ini dipegang oleh Sergio Mattarella. Nomor Foto Nama Lahir-wafat Mulai menjabat Akhir jabatan Partai 1 Enrico De Nicola 1877-1959 1 Januari 1948 12 Mei 1948 Partai Liberal Italia 2 Luigi Einaudi 1874-1961 12 Mei 1948 11 Mei 1955 Partai Liberal Italia 3 Giovanni Gronchi 1887-1978 11 Mei 1955 11 Mei 1962 Demokrasi Kristen 4...

Kosovo–Taiwan relations

Bilateral relationsKosovo–Taiwan relations Kosovo Taiwan Kosovo–Taiwan relations are foreign relations between the Republic of Kosovo and Taiwan. Kosovo declared its independence on 17 February 2008, and Taiwan officially recognized Kosovo in February 2008. History During the Kosovo War in 1998–1999, the government of Taiwan under president Lee Teng-hui donated US$300 million in aid to Kosovo for refugee relief and reconstruction.[1] After the Kosovan declaration of independence...

 

Лаппо-Данилевський Олександр Сергійович

Лаппо-Данилевський Олександр СергійовичНародився 15 (27) січня 1863Верхньодніпровський повіт, Катеринославська губернія, Російська імперіяПомер 7 лютого 1919(1919-02-07)[1] (56 років)Петроград, Російська СФРР[1]·сепсисПоховання Державний історико-меморіальний Лук'янівськи�...

 

Roland White

American bluegrass music artist (1938–2022) This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Roland White – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (M...

Mike Rawlings

Former mayor of Dallas, Texas, United States Mike Rawlings59th Mayor of DallasIn officeJune 27, 2011 – June 17, 2019Preceded byDwaine Caraway (Acting)Succeeded byEric Johnson Personal detailsBornMichael Scott Rawlings (1954-08-25) August 25, 1954 (age 69)Borger, Texas, U.S.Political partyDemocraticSpouseMicki RawlingsChildren2EducationBoston College (BA) Michael Scott Rawlings (born August 25, 1954) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 59th Mayor of Dall...

 

Fruits and Farinacea

Vegetarian book by John Smith Fruits and Farinacea AuthorJohn Smith (of Malton)LanguageEnglishSubjectVegetarianismPublished 1845 (John Churchill) 1854 (Fowler & Wells Company, with notes and illustrations by Russell Trall) 1873 (John Heywood; F. Pitman, edited by Francis William Newman) Pages314OCLC610348355 Fruits and Farinacea: The Proper Food of Man, Being an Attempt to Prove, from History, Anatomy, Physiology, and Chemistry, that the Original, Natural, and Best Diet of Man is Derived ...

 

Pramoedya Ananta Toer

Artikel ini sudah memiliki daftar referensi, bacaan terkait, atau pranala luar, tetapi sumbernya belum jelas karena belum menyertakan kutipan pada kalimat. Mohon tingkatkan kualitas artikel ini dengan memasukkan rujukan yang lebih mendetail bila perlu. (Pelajari cara dan kapan saatnya untuk menghapus pesan templat ini) Artikel ini membutuhkan rujukan tambahan agar kualitasnya dapat dipastikan. Mohon bantu kami mengembangkan artikel ini dengan cara menambahkan rujukan ke sumber tepercaya. Pern...

Championnat d'Allemagne de football 1990-1991

1. Bundesliga1990-1991 Généralités Sport Football Organisateur(s) DFB Édition 28e Lieu(x) Allemagne de l'Ouest puis Allemagne (ouest) Date du 8 août 1990 au 15 juin 1991 Participants 18 Matchs joués 34 par équipe Hiérarchie Hiérarchie 1re division Niveau inférieur 2. Bundesliga 1990-1991 Palmarès Tenant du titre Bayern Munich Promu(s) en début de saison Hertha BerlinSG Wattenscheid 09 Vainqueur FC Kaiserslautern Deuxième Bayern Munich Relégué(s) Hertha BerlinFC Sankt Paul...

 

托库斯-杜莫吉

托库斯-杜莫吉Tocos do Moji市镇托库斯-杜莫吉在巴西的位置坐标：22°22′15″S 46°05′45″W / 22.3708°S 46.0958°W / -22.3708; -46.0958国家巴西州米纳斯吉拉斯州面积 • 总计114.945 平方公里（44.381 平方英里）人口 • 總計3,926人 • 密度34.2人/平方公里（88.5人/平方英里） 托库斯-杜莫吉（葡萄牙语：Tocos do Moji）是巴西米纳斯吉拉斯州的一个...