The Front Page Page #6

Synopsis: When Hildy Johnson, the top reporter of a Chicago newspaper announces that he is quitting to get married, his editor, Walter Burns desperately tries to change his mind. When denial, cursing, and luring don't work, Walter resorts to tricks. It's the day before a supposed communist is to be hanged, and all Chicago waits with baited breath. Meanwhile, each of the papers has a man on the story trying to get a scoop or angle for themselves. With a train to catch at midnight to join his fiancé, Hildy is at first not interested, but events and his own habits work against him as the day unfolds, and he can't help but get roped in, especially when the man to be executed escapes and then almost literally falls into his lap.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Director(s): Billy Wilder
Production: Universal Pictures
  Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
7.4
Rotten Tomatoes:
73%
PG
Year:
1974
105 min
3,153 Views


I'll give you a statement.

Mad Dog Williams

shot his way out.

My men chased him up

to the top floor,

but he got out

through the skylight.

We've searched the roof,

nothing.

We figured he must've slid down

the rain pipe to the street.

Still not straight

on what happened in your office.

I told you Dr. Eggelhofer

was asking him

some questions, very polite.

All of a sudden,

Williams started firing.

One bullet hit the doctor

in the groin, the second one went wild,

and the third shot

just grazed my ear.

One more inch and...

Oh, boy.

What we want to know is,

where did Williams get the gun?

Yeah, well, tha-that's what

I'd like to know, myself.

Was it smuggled

into his cell?

Maybe under the roast beef

and Brussels sprouts?

You sure that

Chaplain's a Methodist, not a Communist?

Is this the work

of outside agitators?

Boys, boys, I assure you

I'll follow up every single lead.

Right now, my entire force

plus 200 special deputies--

Make way. Make way.

Make way!

What happened in there,

Doc?

Care to give us your version?

Is Williams sane

or insane?

Please, gentlemen,

no statements, no questions.

I'm in terrible pain

after what he did to me,

that fruitcake.

Stand back, let him through.

Where are they taking me?

Passavant hospital.

Just 5 minutes from here.

No. No. No. No.

I want to go to

the Allgemeines Krankenhaus

on Alserstrasse.

Where is that?

In Vienna. I do not

trust American doctors.

You'll never make it

to Vienna.

In this case, I want a big mirror

and some instruments.

I shall operate on myself.

Is this your first trip

to the United States?

How do you like Chicago?

Sprechen sie Yiddish?

Where'd he get you, Doc?

Right in the old love bells?

Pete, if you don't mind,

there's a couple of things

about that story

that bother me.

Is that so?

Well, you're bothering me.

You don't work

here anymore, Johnson.

I don't have to

talk to you.

Jennie, will you mop

up my floor, please?

There's blood

all over it.

Right away, Sheriff.

As soon as I get a new bucket.

I've got my own ideas

about the escape.

You do?

Oh, yeah. I think you let

Earl Williams out yourself,

so he could vote

for you next Tuesday.

Very funny.

What happened

to your bucket, Jennie?

He shot it.

Who shot it?

That Earl Williams.

I was cleaning the office next door

when it all happened.

You saw it?

No. But I could hear

what was going on.

What?

I better keep my mouth shut,

'cause he wouldn't like it.

Who?

The Sheriff. He'd fire me.

Jennie, we've been friends

for a long time.

You told me that your husband could play

his dentures with a teaspoon,

who got him

on the Amateur Hour?

Well, I really shouldn't,

but I-- I...

Attention all cars,

attention.

A man answering Earl Williams'

description has been seen boarding

southbound trolley

at Cottage Grove and Austen.

Please investigate.

Earl Williams

has been reported

in vicinity of

Wrigley building.

Proceed there immediately.

Here's a late report.

Earl Williams has just

been spotted in a rowboat

on Lake Michigan

disguised as a nun.

Fruitcake!

Fruitcake!

Fruitcake!

Dr. Eggelhofer is on his way

to Passavant Hospital

to operate on himself.

You heard me.

Tightest dragnet

in Chicago's history

is happening

in the North side.

Sheriff Hartman expects Williams

to be recaptured any moment now.

Which means they don't

have the slightest idea where he is.

Here's a cute little sideline,

I just spoke to the hangman.

Whether they get

Williams back or not, he gets his $50.

It's play or pay.

Hold on,

I have something coming up.

This is Schwartz.

Give me rewrite.

Mr. Schwartz, your wife

left this for you. Stuffed cabbage.

Ugh.

A tear-gas bomb went off accidentally

in one of the Sheriff's cars.

The following deputies

needed emergency treatment:

Ted Kowalski,

Philip Lustgarten--

She said to be sure

to bring home the pot.

Joe Matsburg, Wally Coogan,

William Gilhooley.

The Crime Commission

has offered $1,000

for the capture of Williams.

No one knows about the gun.

Maybe the Reds dropped it

by parachute.

How're we doing?

Any flashes, any scoops?

It's almost deadline time,

you know.

You still here?

Showing the kid the ropes.

Listen, Rudy, the Mayor's car drove up.

See if you can get

a statement from him.

The Mayor

just showed up. More later.

There's gonna

be fireworks.

This is Hildy,

get me Walter.

I forgot to tell you,

Miss Peggy Grant called.

Peggy? Oh, my God,

I forgot. Walter?

Will you

get out of here?

Walter, I got the story.

It's a pip,

and I got it exclusive.

That's my Hildy.

You see why I love you?

Okay, let's have it.

It's the jailbreak

of your dreams.

No. No Bolshevik plot.

The whole thing was an inside job.

And guess

where he got the gun?

All loaded and ready to fire?

Damn it, hang on, will you?

Yeah? Peggy. Hi, baby. Hi.

I'm sorry. I know

I'm late, darling. But--

No, I'm not

getting drunk.

The party's already over.

It's just--

For God's sake,

wait a minute, Walter.

We could save time, love.

Instead of me coming downtown,

why don't you grab a cab and pick me up

on the way. How about that?

You're a sweetheart.

Okay, Walter, here we go.

That profound thinker

from Vienna, Dr. Max J. Eggelhofer

in order to prove

some cockamamie theory

decides to reenact the crime.

Naturally, he needs

a gun, huh.

Who do you think supplied it?

Don't tell me.

Sheriff Peter B. Hartman?

That's right. "B" for brains.

That idiot hands his gun

to the Professor,

the Professor

points it at Williams,

Williams takes the gun

from the Professor and shoots him,

right where the money is.

That's beautiful.

Where's Eggelhofer now?

Okay, here's what

I want you to do.

Get to the hospital

and get ahold of that bullet.

So, if the Sheriff

tries to deny the story--

Hold it. Walter, I'm not going to

any hospital, not stealing any bullets.

There may be

further developments.

In the meantime,

bat me out a lead.

You know, "Sheriff Hartman:

Stooge of Stalin or simply stupid?"

If we move fast, we can make

the early edition.

You don't understand, Walter.

I've quit.

I gave you that story

as a personal favor

because you're such a warm,

loveable human being but that's it.

My girl's picking me up

in 15 minutes, it's goodbye Chicago,

goodbye Examiner,

goodbye to you.

You maniac.

Listen, you...

...not even their wives.

Now you want to throw it

all away for a dame?

You got the brains

of a pancake.

Same to you, buster.

How is this going to affect

the election, Your Honor?

Will it cost you

the colored vote?

The law and order vote?

No comments.

You're gonna stand there

all night

giving us that

"no comment" crap?

No comment.

The way we see it, you've got

your ass in a sling, Your Honor.

Rubbish.

The voters of Chicago

will not let themselves be swayed

by this

unfortunate incident.

They have complete confidence

in their Mayor,

just as I have complete faith

Rate this script:4.0 / 3 votes

Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder was an Austrian-born American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist and journalist, whose career spanned more than fifty years and sixty films. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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