The Front Page (1931)

Pat O'Brien: Hildy Johnson

Photos 

Quotes 

• Walter Burns : Hildy, I was in love once - with my third wife. I treated her white. Let her have her own maid and everything. I was sweet to her.

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Who wants to hear about your wife?

• Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Did you ever come up out of a sewer and have the cool, fresh air hit you? Well, I did. And, honey, you're the cool, fresh air. You made a fresh air fiend out of me, dear.

• Walter Burns : So, you're leaving me for marriage? Why?

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : None of your business.

  Walter Burns : How'd it happen?

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : There was a moon.

• Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Why, your language is shocking, Mr. Burns. Now, listen you crazy baboon! Get a pencil and paper and take this down and get it straight; because, it's important. It's the Hildy Johnson curse. The next time I see you, no matter where I am or what I'm doing, I'm going to walk right up to you and hammer on that punky skull of yours until it rings like a Chinese gong.

• Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : What are you looking for Roy?

  Roy B. Bensinger : I forgot my aspirin.

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Oh, you don't want to use aspirin. It's bad for your heart.

  Roy B. Bensinger : Is it really?

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Yes!

  Roy B. Bensinger : You know, I felt little palpitations around here.

• [Hildy tries to explain to his fiancee why he's still working for Walter Burns' newspaper when he promised to resign] 

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Listen, dear, something terrific has happened. I was going to tell but I couldn't!

  Walter Burns : Tell her nothing. She's a woman, you fool!

• Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : I'm all washed up.

  Walter Burns : What's that?

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : I mean it this time, Walter.

  Peggy Grant : Oh, Hildy, if I only thought you did!

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : If I'm not telling you the absolute truth, may I fall dead. I'm going to New York tonight with you, if you give me one last chance. I'm going to cut out drinking and swearing and everything connected with the crazy newspaper business! Honey, I'll never even read a newspaper.

• Schwartz : Can you imagine? Punching a time clock, sittin' around with a lot of stuffed shirts, talking statistics. Why, you'd be like a fire horse tied to a milk wagon.

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Listen to whose talking. Journalists! Peeping through keyholes, running after fire engines like a lot of... dogs, waking people up in the middle of the night to ask them what they think of Mussolini, stealing pictures off of old ladies with their daughters to get attacked in Grove Park, a lot of daffy buttinskies running around with holes in their pants, borrowing nickels from office boys, and for what? So a million hired girls and motorman's wives will know what's going on.

• Peggy Grant : Every time I've wanted you for something, my birthday, New Year's Eve when I waited up till five in the morning...

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Oh, I know, but a big story broke.

  Peggy Grant : It's always a big story. The biggest story in the world. Then, the next day, everybody's forgotten it. Even you.

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Oh, what do you mean, forgotten. That was the Clara Hammond murder on your birthday.

• Diamond Louie : Well, I tell you what I'll do with you. I'm gonna take-a the chance.

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Oh, that's the stuff! I'll write you a note, you give it to Walt and get the dough. You're a white man, Louie!

• Roy B. Bensinger : What's the name?

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Tonseline! T for Taffy, O for Oxen, N for Nuts! Get the tonseline.

  Roy B. Bensinger : I know how to spell it.

• Walter Burns : Where do you think you're going?

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : I'm gonna get my girl!

  Walter Burns : Your girl! What are you? Some crooning college boy? Why, in time of war you could be shot for what what you're doing - for less!

• Walter Burns : Why you drooling saphead! What do you mean a story? You've got the whole city by the seat of the pants!

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : I know, but...

  Walter Burns : You know - you've got the brain of a pancake. Listen, Hildy, if I didn't have your interests at heart, would I be wasting time arguing with you now? You've done something big! You stepped into a new class!

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : What?

  Walter Burns : Why, we'll make such monkeys out of those ward heels that nobody will vote for them, not even their wives!

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Expose 'em, huh?

  Walter Burns : Crucify 'em. We're gonna keep things under cover until the morning so The Post can break the story exclusive. Then we'll let the Governor and the Captain share the glory with 'em. Crucify 'em.

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : I see! I see!

  Walter Burns : We'll kick over the whole city hall like an apple cart. We'll get the Mayor and Hartman against the wall. We'll put one administration out and another one in. Why, this isn't a newspaper story, it's a career! And you stand there belly-achin' about some girl.

• Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : [to Peggy]  Now, listen dear, something terrific has happened. I was going to tell you, but I couldn't.

  Walter Burns : You tell her nothing! She's a woman, you fool!

• Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : If you want me, you'll have to take me as I am. You can't make a floozy outta me. I'm not a stuffed shirt writing peanut ads. I'm a newspaper man!

• Walter Burns : Fifteen years I've been telling you how to write a newspaper story. Have I got to do everything? Get the story. Write the story.

  Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Now, listen you crazy baboon, I could sneeze a better newspaper story than you can write.

• Hildebrand 'Hildy' Johnson : Fifteen years we've been knockin around together. That's before you were born, honey.