The Front Page
A veteran editor weaponizes a breaking crime story to keep his star reporter from escaping the newspaper business.
Overview
A relentless editor pushes for one last story, testing the limits of loyalty and ambition.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- sardonic
- frantic
- lazy sunday
- classic comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the Lemmon-Matthau chemistry and supporting performances enjoyable, but considered the adaptation stilted and less energetic than Wilder's best farces.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Walter Burns manipulates reporters, police, and political pressures to control coverage of the crime story.
Hildy Johnson's planned retirement and marriage proposal are repeatedly disrupted by Walter's demand for one last assignment.
The newspaper office and its immediate journalistic orbit organize the escalating pursuit of the final crime story.
The film emphasizes con artists, police authority, reporters, and civic institutions through exaggerated comic behavior.
Films like The Front Page, and why
His Girl Friday
rapid-fire newsroom comedy, cynical workplace satire, and charismatic male duo
One, Two, Three
Billy Wilder's fast, caustic farce about professional scheming and institutional absurdity
The Paper
biting newspaper-world comedy driven by deadline pressure and romantic conflict
Movie Details
- Director
- Billy Wilder
- Release Date
- 1974-11-01
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (399)
Cast
- Jack Lemmon
- Walter Matthau
- Susan Sarandon
- Vincent Gardenia
- David Wayne
- Allen Garfield
- Austin Pendleton
- Charles Durning
- Herb Edelman
- Martin Gabel
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Front Page about?
- A veteran editor weaponizes a breaking crime story to keep his star reporter from escaping the newspaper business.
- What is The Front Page like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Front Page as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Front Page violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Front Page as mild.
- What did critics think of The Front Page?
- Critics broadly found the Lemmon-Matthau chemistry and supporting performances enjoyable, but considered the adaptation stilted and less energetic than Wilder's best farces.
- Which films are like The Front Page?
- Films with a similar feel include His Girl Friday, One, Two, Three, and The Paper.
- How long is The Front Page?
- The Front Page runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Front Page?
- In United States, The Front Page streams on YouTube TV.
