Professor Elam

Clint Eastwood and Quentin Tarantino have both mentioned My Girl Friday  as the classic example of dialog on screen. I have linked to the scene marked Classic Comedy Dialogue in that movie. Better yet, take a look at the longer ten minute clip (watch this one first!)  from the start of the movie. Cary Grant plays the hard bitten out to get the story editor and Rosalind Russell plays the strong willed better than the other guys gal reporter who can get that story. Banter gives as good as it gets, this is the one example where Grant and Russell are the equal of the other great pair at this, Spencer Tracy and Kate Hepburn in their many pairings on screen.

The movies is cited as an example of how people can talk fast and still be understood. This is in stark contrast to today’s cable tv shows where hsots and guest talk over one another trying to command the ‘floor’ and be heard.  Directed by another legend, Howard Hawks, My Girl Friday is worth studying as a landmark in communications.

In the ten minute clip from the start of the movie

Note how the opening scene sets up the strong character of Hildy when she enters the frantic press room
Note the perfectly tailored suits that each wears.
Note how Bellamy is established as a much weaker character right from the start, we learn that Grant and Russell are divorced, care for one another but cannot live together, but feed off  the energy that flows between them
Notice the period comments foreseeing today as Grant comments that divorce does not mean much
The movie was made in 1940, clearly the country is coming out of the depression, in fact little mention is made of it, the war in Europe is mentioned but the focus is on the trial that forms the plot of the movie

In the classic comedy dialogue clip

Note how the dialogue frames the character of each player
Bellamy is pleading for attention, Grant is the puppet master on the phone, Russell is creating the story, all the subplots are taking place as others come and go in the room and on the phone

Now what can we learn about communication and how to telegraph meaning to an audience by watching these clips?

Times change people do not.The newspaper has been displaced by cable news and tv, same people playing the roles though.
Stars are stars and that is telegraphed by their outfits and what they say as well as how they say it.
As Carnegie notes, each person has their own focus, note how that drives the different characters to do what they do, gee nothing changes.

As I have said before, another purpose of the class is to move you from a consumer of communications to being someone who can evaluate the worthiness and context of a message and then decide how to use it to your best purpose in promoting your cause.