Historical Context
America's Roaring Twenties
Throughout the 1920s, America surged onto the global stage as a leading economic powerhouse and cultural influencer. Under the leadership of Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover, the era became synonymous with the triumph of big business. Among these enterprises, the automobile industry stood out, and by 1930, an astonishing twenty-two million cars roamed the growing network of roads. These new highways and byways not only bound cities together but also revolutionized the movement of goods and people, heralding a new era of connectivity and commerce.
The Rise of Modern Metropolises
Majestic skyscrapers began to pierce the skies of urban landscapes, symbols of ambition and prosperity. A notable milestone was reached in 1928, when San Antonio, Texas, unveiled the first air-conditioned office building, a marvel of modern comfort. With such strides in progress, President Hoover optimistically envisioned the imminent eradication of poverty.
Turbulent Underpinnings
However, beneath this veneer of progress, trouble brewed. The economy displayed ominous signs of instability, with erratic stock market behaviors hinting at the catastrophic crash looming in October 1929. Public trust was further eroded by governmental scandals, while burgeoning social tensions highlighted the growing chasm between the affluent and the impoverished. Racial and ethnic conflicts escalated, painting a picture of a nation deeply divided.
Enduring Inequalities
In a grim reminder of persisting injustices, racial lynchings were distressingly prevalent across the United States. Segregation permeated schools, particularly in the southern states, while many rural homes remained devoid of basic amenities like electricity and indoor plumbing.
The Era of Prohibition
The 1920s also saw the enactment of a constitutional amendment prohibiting alcohol sales nationwide, a law that would persist until its repeal in 1933. Despite its intentions, Prohibition proved difficult to enforce. In response, the Prohibitions Bureau was established in 1927, leading to approximately 75,000 arrests for violations by the following year.
Advancements for Women
Amidst these societal shifts, women began to witness incremental progress. Educational opportunities expanded, with more women attending college in 1928 than a decade prior, paving the way for greater participation in the workforce and beyond.
A Cultural Revolution
Entertainment options flourished during this vibrant decade. The radio emerged as the dominant source of leisure and information, broadcasting an array of music, serial dramas—the precursors to television series—and even the first live sporting events. Many households across the nation eagerly tuned in, making radio a staple of domestic life.
The era also saw a surge in mass-circulation magazines and the burgeoning tabloid press. In these new media landscapes, advertising found fertile ground, leading to an explosive growth in the industry.
The Dawn of Television
Television was beginning to take its first tentative steps. In 1928, the first television station license was granted, marking the start of broadcasts that heralded a new era in visual entertainment.
Style and Technique
Setting
The Front Page unfolds its comedic melodrama against the vibrant backdrop of Chicago, capturing all its hustle within the confines of the pressroom, where the clock ticks around 8:30 p.m. on a lively Friday night.
In this stark, somewhat grimy space, a handful of tables, chairs, overflowing trash cans, and clunky telephones fill the room. Tall windows offer a view into the ominous Cook County jail, while a nearby bathroom adds to the gritty atmosphere. Dominating this austere setting is an elaborately crafted desk, standing as the room’s centerpiece.
By tethering the drama to this singular locale, Hecht and MacArthur elevate the reporters to center stage, underscoring their critical role in unraveling the truths hidden just beneath the surface.
Symbolism
For Williams, the pressroom becomes a refuge, a hidden haven from his relentless pursuers. Similarly, the room offers the reporters a clandestine...
(This entire section contains 387 words.)
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escape, distancing them from the clutches of domestic life, overbearing bosses, and mundane troubles. Even figures like the Mayor and Sheriff find solace in its secluded corners to converse in private.
Burns and Hildy perceive Williams as a poignant emblem of the tainted political scene. They aim to leverage Earl's predicament as a spotlight to shine on the corruption festering within the current administration.
In a twist of irony, Earl finds concealment within the room’s singularly distinguished piece of furniture—the ornate black walnut desk, an heirloom once belonging to Chicago’s Mayor, Fred A. Busse.
This intricate symbolism invites a multitude of interpretations. The desk may signify the press's formidable authority over politics, with its ownership by a reporter suggesting the servant role of the Mayor to the public.
Even through Burns and Hildy’s self-serving maneuvers, Williams is granted a reprieve, reinforcing the notion that the desk ultimately embodies the commanding power of the press.
Dialogue and Language
In The Front Page, Hecht and MacArthur masterfully weave overlapping dialogue, especially amidst scenes bustling with reporters. The pressroom becomes a cacophony of voices, each conversation layering over the next, as reporters frequently interrupt and counter each other. This style infuses the play with a brisk pace, lending an air of authenticity and immediacy.
The essence of the reporters' exchanges lies in their words. They speak in a dialect true to their trade, unflinchingly verbalizing whatever necessary to capture the elusive story.
Compare and Contrast
1928: Half of American homes echo with the crackle of radio broadcasts. Television remains in its infancy, a nascent innovation poised to transform the landscape of entertainment and information.
Today: A television graces almost every American living room, with many households hosting multiple screens. Yet, the Internet fiercely challenges television's longstanding reign as the king of entertainment and information.
1928: "Lights of New York," the first talking film, illuminates cinema screens, released by Warner Bros. through the Vitaphone system. While some dismiss these "talkies" as a fleeting craze, Kodak simultaneously unveils their new color film stock, adding hues to the cinematic experience.
Today: Movies boast ever-advancing soundscapes, enriched by digital technology. Audiences now enjoy films beyond the silver screen, with DVDs offering the magic of cinema at home.
1928: Steel giants traverse the nation as railroads dominate cross-country travel. Meanwhile, commercial aviation gingerly spreads its wings.
Today: Airplanes now soar as the preferred mode of crossing vast distances, while Amtrak, the primary lifeline for passenger rail, relies on government support to continue its journey.
Adaptations
• The Front Page found its way to the silver screen in 1931, transformed into a cinematic spectacle under the deft direction of Lewis Milestone. Produced by the legendary Howard Hawks, the film brought to life the dynamic duo of Hildy and Walter Burns with Pat O’Brien and Adolphe Menjou stepping into their shoes with charisma and flair.
• A fresh take on this classic came in 1940, when director Howard Hawks reimagined it as Girl Friday. With a twist of gender, Rosalind Russell shone as a female Hildy opposite the debonair Cary Grant, who took on the role of the ever-conniving Walter Burns.
• Venturing onto the small screen, a television adaptation aired from 1949 to 1950. This series starred John Daly as the sharp-tongued Walter Burns, with Mark Roberts portraying the intrepid Hildy, bringing the narrative to living rooms across the nation.
• The story received yet another cinematic revival in 1974, under the masterful direction of Billy Wilder. This iteration featured the comedic brilliance of Walter Matthau as Walter Burns and Jack Lemmon as the ever-determined Hildy, capturing audiences with their undeniable on-screen chemistry.
Bibliography
Sources
Atkinson, J. Brooks. A review in The New York Times, August 26, 1928, p. 1.
Bemrose, John. ‘‘Cynics and Sybarites: Attacking a De- ficiency with First-Rate Drama,’’ Maclean’s, June 13, 1994, p. 45.
Brien, Alan. ‘‘The Front Page,’’ Plays and Players, August 1972, p. 35–36.
Brustein, Robert. ‘‘Headline Hunting,’’ in The New Republic, January 5 & 12, 1987, pp. 25-26.
Fethering, Doug. The Five Lives of Ben Hecht, New York Zoetrope, 1977, pp. 67-87.
Kerr, Walter. God on the Gymnasium Floor and Other Theatrical Adventures, Simon and Schuster, 1969, pp. 176-78.
Morrison, Michael A. A review in Village Voice, August 9, 1994, p. 86.
A review in The New York Times, August 15, 1928, p. 19.
Simon, John. Uneasy Stages: A Chronicle of the New York Theater, 1963–73, Random House, 1975, pp. 246-47.
———. ‘‘Satire is Dead in America!,’’ in New York, December 8, 1996, p. 113.
Wyatt, Euphemia Van Rensselaer. A review in Catholic World, November, 1928, pp. 211-12.
Further Reading
Epstein, Joseph. ‘‘The Great Hack Genius,’’ in Commentary, December 1990. A critical biography of Hecht, including analysis of The Front Page.
Hecht, Ben. A Child of the Century, Simon & Schuster, 1954, 654 p. Hecht’s autobiography.
———. The Improbable Life and Times of Charles MacArthur, Harper, 1957, 242 p. An incomplete biography of MacArthur.
Martin, Jeffrey Brown. Ben Hecht: Hollywood Screenwriter, UMI Research Press, 1985, pp. 41-56. Discusses The Front Page as a play as well as a movie. Also compares the play and the movies to other ‘‘newspaper’’ movies.
Zion, Sidney. ‘‘The Scoop from Helen Hayes,’’ The New York Times, November 16, 1986, pp. 1, 22. Provides background on The Front Page.
