The Famous Ferguson Case

In a small upstate New York town, Marcia Ferguson (Vivienne Osborne) and local bank teller Jed Brooks (Leon Ames) are seen about town being maybe just a little too friendly to one another given that both are married to other people. Then Mr. Ferguson comes back from New York City unexpectedly - he's a big banker there and this is the Fergusons' summer home. That night shots are heard fired from the Ferguson home, a man is seen fleeing the scene, and the authorities find Mr. Ferguson dead on his bedroom floor with Mrs. Ferguson bound and gagged in her bed. She says two very distinctive looking burglars are the culprits, and that they have taken her six carat diamond ring. These are the facts of the situation, which a young local newspaperman, Bruce Foster, lays out in a story he does.

With Mr. Ferguson being such an important person, the press from New York City descend on the town. They aren't happy with the story being just about a burglary gone wrong with the burglars being unknown and at large. They want this to be about two lovers - allegedly Mrs. Ferguson and Jed Brooks - killing Mr. Ferguson and making it look like a burglary and then set about to make that be the story. They flatter and cajole the county attorney into action, and at first they similarly flatter and dazzle the local newspaper reporter Bruce Foster. But then he realizes that one of these big city reporters is romancing his sweetheart away from him with talk of the big city and plenty of booze. As a result, Foster has both a professional and a personal change of heart and sets out alone to determine the actual facts of the case. Complications ensue.

Nothing was sacred with Warners' precodes, because no institution is without corruption and the cynicism in Depression weary audiences was quite high, and this time WB takes aim at the press. It's not quite as good as Five Star Final from the previous year, but still it's a fine ensemble effort with some gut-wrenching moments, especially at the end.

There was some really interesting camera work in this one to the point that I was sure the director must be Michael Curtiz, but it was in fact Lloyd Bacon. If I have any complaint it's that Tom Brown is just too baby faced to be playing the part of the small town reporter, plus he is actually only 20 at this point.

Any movie that starts off with an apology is in trouble. But "The Famous Ferguson Case" opens with a long-winded credit crawl warning against newspapers that takes sides in a sensational murder case and run scare headlines. Only Tom Brown as a local reporter seems content to deal with the facts. As for the visiting journalists, they spend most of their time boozing, ribbing each other and occasionally filing stories back to New York. Joan Blondell is along for the ride as a sassy member of the band who is less than impressed with her male colleagues. Not a bad little thriller -- but not a very good one, either.

"The Famous Ferguson Case" is a movie that attacks many reporters--showing them to be a group of selfish, amoral ghouls who would murder their own mothers to sell a story! Along the way, they destroy and besmirch people with abandon.

Bruce Foster (Tom Brown) stars in this story, though oddly he's billed very low in the credits. Regardless, he's excellent as a naive young man who hopes to become a newspaper reporter. His chance comes when Mr. Ferguson is murdered and he's the first one on the scene. Because he broke the story, the veteran reporters who soon arrive take him under their wing...and he gets to see their yellow journalism first hand. In order to make a story where there isn't one, the leader of these scumbags convinces the simple-minded District Attorney to prosecute the man's widow...insinuating that the murder was a crime of passion and that Mrs. Ferguson and her supposed lover did it! The problem is that she's innocent...and the man identified by the press as her lover isn't! But do they care? Not really. Will the true story ever come to light? And, if it does, what about that young reporter?

Like "Five Star Final" (1931), this film is a great indictment of the press--or at least the sleazy element why would do anything...anything to sell papers. And, like this other excellent film, it's rather timeless and still resonates well today. Although "The Famous Ferguson Case" occasionally pulls its punches (such as in the prologue), the film is a hard-hitting story....with plenty of entertainment as well as several shocking moments...such as the hard to watch fainting scene.

There were quite a few reasons for wanting to see 'The Famous Ferguson Case'. Really liked the concept, and will always admire it when any film offers a true to life and relevant today portrayal of the media. Have liked but not loved what has been seen of Lloyd Bacon's other work, which admittedly is not enough, and really liked how he handled atmosphere. A talented cast was involved here, including Joan Blondell in a different role from her famous wisecracking roles, though she did prove more than once that she could step away from that type of role.

Like she does here in 'The Famous Ferguson Case'. Other films of hers did a lot better though at utilising her, which was one of the film's bigger disappointments. 'The Famous Ferguson Case' is an interesting film with enough to recommend it. At the same time, it didn't strike as great and more uneven with a lot of good but a near-equal amount of not so good. It is worth a look but is a long way from an essential. Was not expecting masterpiece level just to say, it's not that type of film, but it should have been more than just decent.

Am going to start with the good things. It is slickly shot and even better is the appropriately moody lighting in spots and use of shadow. Bacon directs with ease, has an eye for atmosphere and succeeds in building up the momentum at the end. He agreed really shines in a powerful scene when the reporters see the consequences of their work. Some of the script is thought provoking, what is said about the media having both bite and relevance, and 'The Famous Ferguson Case' really does pick up towards the end in energy and in intrigue with more going on, ending strongly.

Blondell does a very good job with what is given to her, though for top billing her role is surprisingly not a large or meaty one. Grant Mitchell brings authority and fun to his part and it was hard to not cheer when his character expressed his view on the media, which is so true now. Two of the best performance come from Tom Brown, as one of the film's more likeable characters, and Leon Ames.

However, 'The Famous Ferguson Case' to me didn't start off that well. The early portions of the film are too talk-heavy and tediously paced, some of it also rather heavy-handed (the portrayal of the media at times is a little exaggerated). The opening is as long winded as one can get.

Kenneth Thomson overdoes it in his role and his character could have done with a toning down. Do agree too that everything about the prosecutor is stupid and downright incompetent.

Summing up, decent but not great. 6/10

Upon its release, this film was quickly dismissed as "trite" by "Variety". In its day, it must have seemed like a rehash of commonly-debated issues regarding the press. From our point of view, it comes across as preachy and overcooked, but it still is an interesting glimpse into the concerns of the last century.

A small newspaper in suburban Cornwall, north of New York City, is run by Bruce Foster (Tom Brown) and his girlfriend, Toni Martin (Adrienne Dore). They dream of making it big in the city and leaving the small town behind. When a local murder case falls into their laps, Bruce sends the story out, including intimations of marital impropriety. Before long, hordes of reporters descend on the town, because the victim was a notable New York financier.

There are two camps of reporters: those looking for the truth and those looking for the sensational. Bruce and Toni fall under the influence of the big-city newsmen, as does County Attorney Jeffries (played admirably by character actor Clarence Wilson).

By the time the case goes to trial, the film has painted a black or white picture of the two methods of reporting. One side is respectful of journalism and legal proceedings. The other is dishonest, cynical, manipulative, and corrupt. Another big-city journalist named Maisie (Joan Blondell) travels between the two camps and provides commentary on the transgressions of the sinful. The film ends in expansive speeches, tragedy, karmic retribution, and the departure of the outsiders from Cornwall. And a touch of hope.

There is plenty of moralizing in this film, but there are also some fine moments. They may not stir the heart, but they are food for thought.