Extrablatt

Für meine erste Begegnung mit Billy Wilder habe ich mir anscheinend einen sehr passenden Film ausgesucht. Eine Komödie über Journalisten voll von Wortgefechten zwischen Matthaus tollem Chefredakteur und seinem beliebtesten Spitzenreporter Lemmon; ein wegen der Dummheit des Sheriffs angeschossener jammernder Arzt, der in ein Wiener Krankenhaus gebracht werden möchte (sonst wird er sich selbst operieren); die Durchsuchung aller Ecken von Chicago; das Versteck eines entflohenen Häftlings im Schreibtisch… Alle Szenen sind ausgezeichnet. Ganz zu schweigen vom Finale. Extrablatt ist einfach ein gelungener Film. Und was den Journalismus betrifft – in diesem Streifen gibt es so viele wahrheitsgetreue Dinge, dass es eigentlich keine Satire sein kann. (21.01.2014)

I am very fond of chamber comedies based on stage plays, so I was looking forward to this one. Maybe too much. I enjoyed the theme, especially when it turned out that some practices in the journalistic industry have not changed much since the 1930s. The characters were excellently written and performed, but the overall execution occasionally fell short. Of course, I expect to laugh with a comedy, but this time, I felt the creators wanted to force laughter out of me. I have no idea why they pushed so hard at times, considering it was an experienced team from whom I wouldn't expect such a mistake. It was really unpleasant, and I would compare it to a not-that-loud but persistent and annoying sound that you almost stop noticing, but you still know it's there. This excessive effort, which at one point turned into a mediocre slapstick, truly disappointed me, spoiled my overall impression, and cost the film at least one star in my rating. / Lesson learned: If your work is your hobby, you risk becoming a workaholic. (22.04.2023)

In The Front Page, two excellent comedy actors came together, who, whether by decision of the producers or based on their own directions, created a successful comedy duo in a series of other films. In this case, it was one of their best works, because Wilder's film relied on a clever script with polished dialogues and well-crafted scenes. The story takes us into the golden age of independent journalism, which was not yet overrun by the internet and the nonsense of bloggers. The rivalry of the newspaper party and their confrontation with the corrupt world of politicians and government officials, along with the efforts of one unfortunate man to escape the noose, creates an endless series of quality gags and crazy situations. Overall impression: 90%. (06.04.2010)