Purd Werfect, Tusculan… did you ever know that you’re my hero(es)?
The dialogue in His Girl Friday moves along at a pretty fair clip, but nobody could talk faster than James Cagney. Any of his early anti-hero movies leave HGF stuttering in the dust. But his most impressive feat of fast talking was accomplished in the film he retired* on: Billy Wilder’s funniest film, One, Two, Three (1961). You’ll suspect editing tricks, but it’s all Jimmy.
*Though he later came out of retirment for Ragtime.
[facetious]You mean it wasn’t because they were on amphetamines (which makes you do everything faster) whereas now they’re on cocaine (which makes you feel more confident, therefore important, so you talk slower)?[/facetious]