Steve says: According to someone, the estimated normal rate of verbal dialogue in most films is around 90 words a minute. IN 1940's masterfully written HIS GIRL FRIDAY, the delivey has been clocked at 240 words per minute, likely made possible by the fact that the film is one of the first onscreen examples of characters impolitely and hilariously talking over each other.

But that has nothing to do with why the film is my pick. For years, the Music Box programmers have talked about doing a series of movies about journalism, and while we originally focused on more serious fare, it also seemed important to include some more lighthearted that still took the practice of news gathering seriously—the writers of the source material play, "The Front Page," Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, would guarantee that journalism would be given its respectful due. But director Howard Hawks' HIS GIRL FRIDAY is best known for being a rapid-fire, slapstick masterpiece, so being able to enjoy the film on both levels makes it all the more special and impactful as a comedy, love story, and a worthy representation of the frenetic, whirlwind pace of a newsroom.

And we haven't even mentioned that the material is exponentially more fiery thanks to the brilliant pairing of Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant as ex-spouses and cutthroat reporters. Face it, folks: this one has it all