Perfect cast and a good story

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Scandal Sheet (1952) *** (out of 4) Exciting mystery about a hard-working reporter (John Derek) who starts to uncover a mysterious murder of a young woman at a "Lonely Hearts" dance. His editor (Broderick Crawford) doesn't think the story will add up to much but what the reporter doesn't know is that his very own editor is the murderer. This comes from a novel by Sam Fuller and there's enough good drama here and nice dialogue that you're almost shocked that Fuller himself didn't write the screenplay or direct it. Fuller's style of writing is all over this film so I'm guess that the screenwriters took a lot of this from the novel or perhaps they got a few tips from Fuller himself. Either way, this is a pretty good little mystery as we get to see the murder happen early on and then watch everyone else try to figure out all the clues. There are many twists and turns that pop up through the short 80-minute running time but they're all quite clever and work out nicely. The performances here are a major plus with Crawford turning in fine work as the editor. I'm not sure what it was but Crawford had some kind of uncanny ability to start sweating on time just like other actors could start crying on a cue. There were several scenes in the film where the heat is put on him and sure enough he's start sweating right then and there. This is just something that caught my attention but the actor is very tense in the role and has a fiery quality about him. Derek was also pretty good as the star reporter who doesn't know how much damage he's doing to his friend by not letting the story die. WE also get a young Donna Reed playing a reporter who doesn't like the fact that the paper is turning into a tabloid. Rosemary DeCamp, Henry O'Neill, Jonathan Hale and Harry Morgan turn in fine supporting performances as well. The screenplay is full of sharp dialogue and they also aren't scared to take several hits at the media. The battle between real news and tabloid material gets a few mentions throughout and we also see some rather frank dialogue with the reporters at the scene of the crime making jokes about the victim, which is something a lot of other movies weren't doing at this time. Fans of Fuller will certainly want to check this one out.

Broderick Crawford is the publisher of a "Scandal Sheet" in this 1952 noir directed by Phil Karlson and also starring Donna Reed, John Derek, and Rosemary DeCamp.Crawford plays Mark Chapman, a ruthless tabloid publisher who is bringing along a young, ambitious reporter, Steve McCleary (Derek). When a woman (DeCamp) who attended the tabloid's Lonely Hearts Dance is found dead, McCleary investigates further and finds out that she was murdered. He's determined to track down the killer, not realizing that the murderer is very close by.Good, fast-paced noir from Columbia. Lovely Donna Reed plays Julie, who writes features and eschews the tabloid side, while the hunky Derek is a guy who loves to go after a good story and is interested in Julie. Harry Morgan is a photographer. Henry O'Neill plays Charlie, a formerly great, not drunk journalist who knows more than he should. The acting is good all around.Crawford was one of those character actors whose talent brought him to leading roles. We boomers will know him forever as the star of "Highway Patrol" and his barking "10-4." Reed, Morgan, and DeCamp went on to make their marks on television, and Derek would retire from acting on concentrate on promoting his beautiful wives.Based on a story, "The Dark Page" by director Sam Fuller, this film is well done, and if you like noir, you'll enjoy it.

This movie from 1952 is a great period drama of the age of yellow journalism. The opening scene sets the tone as a young reporter, John Derek, and his photographer partner, Harry Morgan, rush to a tenement building in the back streets of New York arriving before the police to get the story. Scandal Sheet features Broderick Crawford as the tough as nails editor, Mark Chapman, who insists on giving the public what they want. There is some boardroom flack from people who feel their paper has abandoned its past for the catchy headline and the fast buck but Chapman has no time to consider anything other than newspaper sales. His protégé Charles McCleary, played by John Derek, is an aggressive young reporter who fits right in with Chapman's school of journalism. Then the tables are turned as Derek finds himself on a story that leads right to his boss. Crawford is a larger than life actor who gives a great performance and Derek is impressive as the young reporter who shows his fibre in the final showdown. Actor Henry O'Neill, as Charlie Barnes, turns in a fine performance as the skid row character. O'Neill was often seen in suave roles and had a long career in film. Donna Reid is outstanding as one of McCleary's spunky colleagues in the newsroom with hints of a romantic interest.

The only thing unfortunate about this movie is that it wasn't actually directed by Samuel Fuller. It is, however, based off of one of his novels, and it's a damn good story of the highest form. Basically, the new editor for a New York magazine has been increasing readership by turning to yellow journalism, led by wet-behind-the-ears but star reporter Steve McCleary. Unfortunately, editor Mark Chapman gets a visit from his past and ends up murdering his abandoned wife, leaving a perfect sensationalist story to increase readership but a trail that leads to him. From there it is an unaware cat and mouse as McCleary investigates to find the killer and Chapman tries to steer him off-course without revealing why. Kudos is given to the character development by not making Chapman's actions change too abruptly to make him seem suspicious, while the remarkable screenplay is smart enough to add in enough realistic situations to make many scenes seem incredibly uncertain (will he remember that person? Does he recognize the killer? Will he find such and such lead?). It's also fun seeing a character basically watch another character investigate into himself, and the interplay of what the characters know versus what the audience knows, especially in scenes where facts are re-interpreted via the dialog. It's a tense and thrilling movie through and through, none moreso than for the characters, who all seem realistic and never fully fall into cliché. Fuller was a yellow journalist himself and if this movie adaptation of his text is any indication, he got a real feel for the people and the language of the streets and newspaper offices of New York. I think I'm going to track down this book and read it, because this movie was nothing if not pure entertainment.