Graft

In 1928 a new play about fast-talking newspapermen took Broadway by storm: "The Front Page" by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur packed the stage with jaded reporters, mean cops, corrupt politicians, and hard-bitten dames. And when the talkie revolution swept Hollywood soon afterward a new movie genre was born: the city room saga. Several popular comedy-dramas set wholly or partly in newspaper offices were produced in the early '30s, including Five Star Final, Platinum Blonde, Blessed Event and the first film version of The Front Page itself. Following the Hecht-MacArthur prototype, hallmarks of the genre tended to be rat-a-tat pacing, violent action, and a deeply cynical attitude that presaged the Noir classics of the '40s.

Graft is an example of this sort of movie, but it's far from the best of the lot. As film-making goes it's little more than competent. We wait in vain for colorful types to deliver snappy wisecracks or spit out underworld slang; instead, the simpletons who comprise this film's characters dutifully deliver their pedestrian dialog through scene after scene, and when the movie's over not a single line stands out as memorable. Christy Cabanne's direction is as uninspired as the script, and at no point does he attempt to enliven the proceedings with any creative flourishes. Cabanne tells this routine crime story of political corruption and murder at a deliberate pace, which feels slower because of the lack of background music, and without much humor, although the plot takes such a ludicrous turn at the finale that some viewers may chuckle anyhow. Perhaps the movie's biggest drawback is the personality of our hero Dusty Hotchkiss, played by Regis Toomey. Toomey was always a dependable actor and sometimes an excellent one (as in the first-rate melodrama Kick In, where he held his own opposite Clara Bow), but here he is stuck playing the most exasperating "hero" imaginable. Dusty Hotchkiss is an eager beaver cub reporter who forgets the name of a key witness, can't describe a suspect's face, writes a story implicating the wrong person in a murder, and allows the actual killer to slip away with ease. Harry Langdon would have been a more formidable leading man than this guy, and at least he's funny.

Still and all, however, there is one reason to watch this film. The crime kingpin's creepy henchman -- a character named "Terry," all of things -- is played by Boris Karloff, and although his dialog is just as dull as everyone else's Karloff at least brings an air of menace to his role, and lends the movie some much-needed color. Terry is a thug of a decidedly misogynistic bent: when he isn't kidnapping or killing people he's warning his boss (who is having problems with Pearl, his moll) that dames are all double-crossers who aren't worth the trouble. Hearing these words delivered in that inimitable voice, matched by the sight of those dark, hollow eyes and strikingly gaunt features, gives these moments considerably more juice than anything in the other scenes. My favorite bit comes when Terry has to lure Pearl onto a yacht where she will presumably be rubbed out, and his manner changes: suddenly, the killer oozes sinister sweetness and phony cheer. I was reminded of the Grinch promising Cindy Lou Who that he'd return her Christmas tree just as soon as its broken light was repaired.

Karloff fans willing to watch him in anything will be impressed at the way this still unknown character actor deftly steals the show from the other players, although this particular show was hardly worth stealing. Regis Toomey, for his part, would get another shot at playing a reporter in a vastly superior example of a city room comedy-drama, perhaps the best of them all: His Girl Friday, Howard Hawks' 1940 remake of the Hecht-MacArthur play that launched the whole cycle.

"Graft" was the film being shot at Universal in late June 1931, the time when director James Whale had taken over preproduction reins of the upcoming "Frankenstein," spotted actor Boris Karloff dining in the commissary, and remembered his powerful presence in Howard Hawks' "The Criminal Code." Karloff is very much the sole reason for bothering to watch this fleeting programmer from director Christy Cabanne, whose only genre titles both starred George Zucco, "The Mummy's Hand" in 1940 and "Scared to Death" in 1946, plus the very first Crime Club entry from 1937, "The Westland Case." Screenwriter Barry Barringer certainly did better, with Lugosi's "The Death Kiss" and "The Return of Chandu," and one of the first starring roles for future Wolf Man Creighton Chaney, Monogram's outdoor effort "Sixteen Fathoms Deep." "Graft" looks like a small scale newspaper comedy/drama in the wake of "The Front Page" and "Five Star Final," so unambitious that it runs a meager 54 minutes but offers a rare lead for longtime utility man Regis Toomey, admittedly well cast as a dimwitted would be reporter, Dustin Hotchkiss, tiring of scripting ad copy but unable to secure the major gigs scored by Herold Goodwin's Speed Hansen (not Scoop Hanlon from "The Missing Guest"), so unlike his nickname that he never brings himself to bother leaving the bleeping office! News editor E. T. Scudder (Willard Robertson) offers Hotchkiss an opportunity to interview contractor M. H. Thomas (William B. Davidson), which explodes into a major scandal once Thomas' girlfriend, Pearl Vaughan (Dorothy Revier, later reuniting with Boris in "Night World"), emerges with the determination to spill the beans about his corrupt activities on the eve of certain electoral victory. She threatens to come clean with the D. A. but top henchman Terry (Karloff) not only prevents her from keeping the appointment at his home, he himself shoots the D. A. from outside his window, bumping into the inept Hotchkiss on his way to notifying the police (inexplicably, the unwitting newshound never considers him to be the killer). With a corpse unable to prosecute and Pearl safely being transported dockside for an intended watery grave, who else but Hotchkiss should predictably come to the rescue, but only if the villains act with supreme overconfidence and utter incompetence. Even Karloff's presence isn't enough to convey any sense of danger for the protagonist, who really takes the law into his own hands by spiriting the murderer away from the cops to lead them on a merry chase to his waiting editor, welcomed as some kind of hero instead of being arrested for reckless driving and endangerment! Thankfully, the days when smarmy, clueless reporters were the norm are long gone, making this extremely dated and exasperating save for the gravitas of Boris Karloff, who would not start shooting "Frankenstein" until after a quartet of small parts in "Business and Pleasure," "Scarface," "The Yellow Ticket," and "The Guilty Generation" (this was not the beginning of his career, merely the end of a 12 year screen apprenticeship).

'Graft' is a peculiar film. It's a straightforward crime drama, except that the actor in the central role -- Regis Toomey -- plays his character as a comic-relief stumblebum. He plays a reporter named Dustin Hotchkiss, a name that's nearly as funny as "Regis Toomey". At one point, Hotchkiss sees the D.A. shot dead by an unknown assailant. As Hotchkiss hurries away, he bumps into another man fleeing the same scene ... and it doesn't occur to him that this might be the gunman, as indeed it is.

Nor is Toomey's character the only one slow on the uptake. Dorothy Revier plays a ward-heeler's floozy who threatens to shop him to the D.A. The ward-heeler's toady promptly abducts her, holds her hostage for several days, then tells her she's going on a trip. He hustles her to the quay, drags her aboard a yacht, puts her in a cabin and locks the door. This is when she begins to suspect she's in trouble.

We get several of the crusading-newspaper clichés here. Willard Robertson is extremely impressive as the newspaper's overworked editor, juggling incoming calls on a row of candlestick telephones. Hotchkiss's rival is a reporter cried Speed Hansen, but Speed doesn't seem to be in a hurry. Sue Carol is annoyingly twee and crumple-faced as the daughter of the reform candidate. George Irving is good in that brief role ... but please note that his character is named Robert Hall, not the punning "M.T. Hall" that's shown on IMDb's cast list. Carmelita Geraghty, whom I've never liked, has one very peculiar scene as a receptionist who shows up at the office dressed in elaborate chinoiserie.

Christy Cabanne's direction is brisk throughout, although with a bit too much undercranking in the action sequences, and some of the rear projection is more obvious than it needs to be. This story takes place in an unnamed city, but the street photography makes it clear we're in Los Angeles.

'Graft' is (rightly) best known for featuring Boris Karloff in one of his last roles pre-'Frankenstein'. (James Whale discovered him while he was shooting this film on the Universal lot.) Although Karloff has only a supporting role, Cabanne seems to be aware of Karloff's star quality, and gives him every opportunity to shine. Karloff makes his first entrance with his back to the camera (anticipating 'Frankenstein'), and he's thoroughly menacing throughout the film. There are several good points in 'Graft', but Karloff's performance is far and away the best reason for seeing this film. Almost entirely on the strength of his performance and Cabanne's direction, I'll rate 'Graft' 8 out of 10.

A young reporter investigates the murder of a District Attorney on the eve of a big election. The film Boris Karloff was making when he was awarded the career changing role of Frankenstein's monster suffers from one of those relentlessly chirpy heroes (Regis Toomey) you feel like strangling by the third reel. Given his gangling frame, it's odd that Karloff was repeatedly cast in these criminal sidekick roles, but he's inarguably the best thing about an otherwise routine crime thriller that's ably directed by the prolific Christy Cabanne

Viewed this picture on late, late, late night TV in the mid 1950's and taped this hard to view picture,"Graft". Boris Karloff was beginning to get the breaks he needed, this film was made before "Frankenstein" and it was also around the time he made,"Criminal Code" which launched his career as the KING OF HORROR. In this picture, Dusty (Regis Toomey), a young cub reporter on a big-city newspaper, wants to have a huge story by-line. A crooked politician learns Pearl (Dorothy Revier), his former mistress, is going to reveal their affair to the District Attorney. Afraid of an indictment, the politician orders the D.A. to be killed and Pearl kidnapped. Dusty gets involved with the murder and accuses Constance,(Sue Carol,wife of Alan Ladd of "Shane"), the reformed candidate's daughter, of the murder. The story appears in the paper and the editor fires Dusty. Dusty still continues to follow the crooks and Pearl to a yacht, where she is being held prisoner. After a big fight, Dusty captures Terry, the leading Crime Boss, (Boris Karloff) and frees Pearl as the police arrive. The young reporter gets back to the newspaper in time to give them his story. Dusty eventually gets his position on the newspaper back and also wins the heart of Constance. This is a newspaper story revolving around the City Desk. "GRAFT" is like "FIVE STAR FINAL" 1931. This movie is so crazy and unrealistic, it would really make a good COMEDY with lots of laughs. (This film is rare and is not for sale or a gift)