The Murder Man

I predict that when junk like Big Brother and The Weakest Link are gone and forgotten from our TV screens movies of the vintage and caliber of `The Murder Man' will still be providing us with superb entertainment.

I love these old thirties `Newspaper dramas' which probably culminated with the sublime `His Girl Friday' and this one stands up well despite lack of realism. Did New York papers really produce fresh editions all day long? Come to think of it perhaps they did in the days pre-TV.

I agree with the many judges who rate Spencer Tracy one of the greatest of all screen actors but feel he goes a bit over the top here, he certainly reined in his performances later. On the other hand James Stewart in his debut (?) appears fully formed with all the shy gawky charm which made him a star for the next fifty years already apparent.

`The Murder Man' is an excellent fast-moving film with a twist in the plot that I challenge you to pick. See this one if you can.

Murder Man, The (1935)

*** (out of 4)

Very good "B" movie from MGM has Spencer Tracy playing newspaper reporter Steve Grey who has the nickname of "The Murder Man" due to him being able to crack any case. The latest big story deals with a murdered insurance man who appears to have been killed by his partner (Harvey Stephens) but he claims he's innocent and the majority of the evidence from the police captain (Lionel Atwill) really doesn't tie him to the events. THE MURDER MAN looks like it was a rushed job and there's no question not too much money went into it but the cast, story and direction make it a must see and it's really a gem that should be better known. The greatest aspect is certainly the cast as we get veterans like Tracy, Atwill and Virginia Bruce but we also get a small role played by James Stewart. I'm sure a number of lesser actors could have been handed this role but it's quite easy to see that they wouldn't have brought as much to it as Tracy. Tracy has that terrific ability to make acting look easy but the role here was a pretty difficult one because he's character is dealing with alcohol abuse as well as other issues. Tracy does a remarkable job at showing off all of these emotions and while this certainly isn't as great as many of his future roles, the actor really gives it his all and delivers a memorable performance. Bruce is also very good in her role as the girlfriend and the two have some nice chemistry together. I was also quite impressed with Stephens who manages to be quite cocky early in the film and the actor really gets to shine towards the end when he's cracking from about to hit the chair. Stewart doesn't have a very big role but he does what he can with it. I love watching legends before they were stars and here's the perfect example because it's not everyday you can see someone like Stewart playing such a role. Tracy and Stewart share a couple scenes together, which will certainly please film buffs. The story itself is a pretty strong one and when the final twist happens you can't help but feel good that the film would stick to its gun and go for the shock instead of dealing some weak, lame attempt to make everything happy.

This is one of those films that plays very well because it's so well acted and directed. It's very contrived, but that's the fun of it, really.

Steve Grey (Spencer Tracy) is a homicide reporter - the murder man - for a big city paper. He's always drinking too much and sullen, but his editor loves him because he always seems to have a good handle on murders. When a crooked stock broker is murdered - shot to death while riding in his car - his equally crooked business partner looks to be the culprit and is arrested and tried for the crime. Steve Grey covers this story with the same flair, aplomb, and ability that he's been known for, and he always seems to be one step ahead of all of the other reporters. There's good reason for that, and I'll let you watch and find out why, but it turns out to be a great character study of "the murder man" with Tracy getting a dynamite role for his first film at MGM. Just don't expect something along the lines of "The Thin Man", because it is not that kind of film.

I'd probably make this one an 8/10 if not for Virginia Bruce who plays the writer of the advice column on the paper and who loves Tracy's character for no good reason that I could find. He doesn't treat her well, he's a rather mean drunk, he doesn't let her in emotionally, and he seems morbidly stuck on his dead wife. Bruce's character goes around doe-eyed and over emoting like she's in a silent film.

This was not only James Stewart's first film at MGM, but it was also his first credited film role ever. He plays a reporter on the same paper as Grey but is considered one of the minor or "cub" reporters. He still shows some of those trademark James Stewart expressions. For example, the editor is going to send Stewart - or "Shorty" as he is called here - to do an interview in the death house at Sing Sing. But then the editor rethinks this and says Steve would be better for it. The editor doesn't mean to hurt Shorty's feelings when he says "this job needs more than just any reporter" but that's what it does. Stewart indicates with just a look that he has been disrespected, doesn't like it one bit, but doesn't know what to say or how to react.

Spencer Tracy is the title character. He is a newspaper's ace crime reporter in this very good movie that could have been great.

I've read quite a lot about Tracy's life. The character he plays seems to have many traits and behavioral patterns in common with the real Spencer Tracy, who was apparently a far darker person than many of the benevolent roles he played.

This moves along at a good clip. At times it's upsetting, at others it's exciting.

Virginia Bruce is the lonely-hearts columnist at the paper. She has crush on Tracy but he has secrets and a past that have kept him from allowing a relationship to develop. (A couple years earlier, before the Code, it well might have developed anyway.) Bruce was a beautiful woman, with a poignant, ethereal quality. Here, however, she is unflatteringly costumed, made-up, and/or lit. She comes across more as a mannish, dowdy old maid schoolteacher than the romantic leading lady she was.

"Fury" is not a sunny movie, to say the least. This is another movie that shows a different Tracy we know from his two 1930s Oscar-winning roles, the collaborations with Katharine Hepburn, and "Father of the Bride" and its sequel.

The very darkest of all his movies, however, is "The People Against O'Hara." I consider that one a classic. This is not quite a classic but it's unique and gripping.

This is an exceptional little film due to an excellent script. Spencer Tracy stars as an alcoholic newspaper man who specializes in covering murder investigations. His ability to guess what occurred and how it occurred is amazing--as again and again he's able to piece together the little it of evidence they have to determine the facts of the case. As a result, he always beats out the competing papers for breaks in the investigation. However, Spencer actually has a bit of an edge in this particular case, but I don't want to say more as it would spoil the film.

The writing, acting and direction are all exceptional and the film is well worth seeing. Overall, an excellent effort by Tracy playing a role VERY close to home, as he himself was an alcoholic and binge drinker in real life--just like the character in the film. Also, look for a very young Jimmy Stewart in a rather bland supporting role before he became a star.