His Girl Friday has a running time of 92 minutes. We will screen as much of the film as we can today, but finish our screening during our next session. Although we will not have finished the film, you should still have your study questions complete and ready to turn in for next time.
Study Questions:
1. What are the signs of modernity in His Girl Friday? How does all that is solid melt into air in the film?
2. What characters seem to handle the modern condition better? Which characters seem pre-modern? How is this related to geography? What characteristics march each of these types?
3. What are we to make of the speed in which so many of the characters speak? What are the film's ideas about communication?
4. Is Hildy Johnson a "little man" like the Tramp or Kafka's protagonist? What similarities does she share with them? How is she different?
5. "Production for use" is an old socialist slogan. It is thought of the opposite of production for profit, the hallmark of the capitalist system. What is the film's point of view on this particular ideology? Is it a capitalist film?
