This is perhaps the creakiest of all crime or journalism films, a yawner that was passed by the snail one way and a turtle the other way. It isn't the year it was made, simply the slow-moving recitation of the dialog (except by some newcomer named Clark Gable) with deadly pauses. This is a situation where the plot is actually quite interesting but the majority of the acting deadly dull.
It is the story of a novice reporter who slowly moves up the ranks at his New York newspaper reporting on corruption in the city and eventually the mouthpiece for a racketeer whom he betrays to his own detriment. Richard Barthelmess, still utilizing a silent movie acting style, is terribly unconvincing, and Fay Wray is nothing more than eye candy for the camera. Regis Toomey tries to add on some humor (including a cute toy duck) but even his jokes are delivered as if the soundtrack was deliberately slowed down. This is surprising coming from Warner Brothers in the same year of "Little Caesar", "The Public Enemy" and "Five Star Final" which took similar themes and moved them along with wild fire.
What is refreshing here is the performance of Clark Gable as the racketeer who gives Barthelmess all sorts of scoops in exchange for protection from the press. His character may be amoral, but his performance is dynamic. If you must suffer through this for almost 90 minutes, be aware that the last few minutes of the film take the film up a few notches with its sudden verve, but the egg has already been laid.
It is the story of a novice reporter who slowly moves up the ranks at his New York newspaper reporting on corruption in the city and eventually the mouthpiece for a racketeer whom he betrays to his own detriment. Richard Barthelmess, still utilizing a silent movie acting style, is terribly unconvincing, and Fay Wray is nothing more than eye candy for the camera. Regis Toomey tries to add on some humor (including a cute toy duck) but even his jokes are delivered as if the soundtrack was deliberately slowed down. This is surprising coming from Warner Brothers in the same year of "Little Caesar", "The Public Enemy" and "Five Star Final" which took similar themes and moved them along with wild fire.
What is refreshing here is the performance of Clark Gable as the racketeer who gives Barthelmess all sorts of scoops in exchange for protection from the press. His character may be amoral, but his performance is dynamic. If you must suffer through this for almost 90 minutes, be aware that the last few minutes of the film take the film up a few notches with its sudden verve, but the egg has already been laid.