Gentlemen of the Press

'Gentlemen of the Press' is one of the darkest counterculture experiences an spectator can undergo.

Wickland Snell is a righteous and workaholic star reporter of a newspaper of New York, and step by step he plunges into the obscenity of the mediocre society -he actually moves in-.

The title refers to the 'gentleness' of Wickland, about his daughter Dorothy, with him losing his mind to protect her and her husband.

During the first two acts, the movie can't really take off from being only an adaptation of a Broadway play, but near the end, the story progressively gains all kinds of shades of gray -REALLY dark tones-, to so become really absorbing.

It's a tricky movie, because its author (Ward Morehouse) was also one of those 'bloody' reporters.

Walter Houston (Snell) takes on a tough and rightful role a-la Kevin Costner, while Kay Francis (as the so lascivious Myra May) is such a femme-fatale, taking him to 'Little Hades', there in New York.

This is an absorbing early talker, given solid grand with an excellent performance by Walter Houston and the editor of a big city paper. He has had no time, as a single dad, to participate in his daughters life except via phonecalls. A good script keeps the viewers interest alive, but the real wow! in this film is Kay Francis. In her film debut she knocks Houstons socks off, appealing to him not to print a scandalous story about her. She's not the obvious vamp from the silent era -- but a very straightforward, no excuses made, girl about town. She invites Houston to her apt. smiling with innuendo with the line, "I'm sure you'll love my Pekingese!" Houston loves it several times before realizing the tantalizing Kay is also after his son-in-law! It's a shame these Paramountfilms aren't on video. If you get the chance, don't miss this one.

I'm a fan of the early talkies, so I know the limitations of the medium of film in 1929. Thus static cameras, long-winded dialogue, and some wild gesturing on the actors' part don't bother me when it comes to films of this era. Yet, I was expecting more from this film considering the other reviews and the high rating. The performances are good, that's not the problem. The problem is that this film can't figure out what it's really about. The overriding theme is how much Walter Huston's character has lost personally in order to achieve professionally as a newspaperman. The rest of the film is a bit of a muddle. The romance between Huston and Francis never really plays out, the scandal surrounding one of his employers never really plays out, and the relationship between he and his daughter never quite plays out, though that part of the film is the most complete in plot. The most annoying part of this film is Charles Ruggles' character who plays Huston's long time friend and associate. A little bit of his drunk routine is funny, but the joke tries to ride out the entire film and wears out its welcome.

The only reason to watch this film is Kay Francis and Walter Huston. They are terrific as always, and about ten years ahead of their time in acting technique. Watch it for that reason, but pretty much forget trying to find a coherent plot line. You'll just hit a bunch of dead ends.

The face value of Gentlemen Of The Press is the undertow of breaking news in journalists' lives. Walter Huston as featured reporter Wickland Snell finds himself repeatedly pulled from his life by current events and looming deadlines. On the home front, wife grows old and daughter grows up. Cleverly put across with photo albums, the story is illuminated in the films' first reel. Mr. Huston delivers a fine restrained performance under Millard Webb's direction. A lack of overt histrionics immediately set this May 1929 release apart from other talkies. And this would be a more than adequate entertainment were the film confined to this plot development.

Then in walks Kay Francis (billed as Katherine Francis). You can almost hear the writers sharpening their pencils. As Myra May, she protests Snell's paper defaming her character. Smooth Snell puts her at ease, promising to take personal charge of the matter. Myra melts, and Snell will need her phone number in case he needs to get the details. Myra smolders. You won't be able to take your eyes off Myra. I couldn't wait to see what she would do next. Kay Francis gives her Myra a cool fire, confident and direct. Her lines are the mother load of innuendo.

A witty, frank script populated with broad characters keep every scene interesting. Here's a film BEGGING for RESTORATION. The only print I'm aware of is the TV syndication transfer, again done with 1:16 Movietone matte which clips off the left side of the picture. But don't let that stop you from enjoying Kay Francis' landmark performance. See this film!

Gentlemen of the Press is a very early talkie, and boy, does it show. There are long pauses in between dialogue, as though the actors are waiting for the director to talk to them or for the title card to cut them off. Director Millard Webb continually cuts off the actors' heads while framing his long shots. But, if you want to see Walter Huston and Kay Francis in their film debuts, there's only one movie you can rent.

Walter plays a newspaper man who values his career above all else. He's been completely absent from his daughter's life, with only snapshots to remind him of her appearance. After an eight-year period of no contact, he finds out about her marriage while writing about it in the paper. She comes to his office to introduce her new husband, and after a few minutes, he gets distracted by a hot tip and waves them off as he returns to his typewriter.

In the meantime, he has a lukewarm affair with society dame Kay Francis. She turns heads every time she enters a room, and Walter's perpetually drunk pal, Charles Ruggles, paws her. "Come up to my apartment sometime and fight for your honor," he slurs. If you've ever wondered why Charlie got typecast as the comic drunk in his early movies, you can trace it back to this one. This is the first movie I've seen where he actually has brown hair, and it's also his first talkie. Oh, and don't blink, otherwise you'll miss seeing Brian Donlevy for five minutes.

I couldn't bring myself to turn this movie off, even though I desperately wanted to. Nothing about it showed good quality, not even the actors who later turned out to be great professionals in every film. I couldn't believe my eyes, seeing Kay Francis and Walter Huston awkwardly swinging their arms at their sides as they try to avoid looking in the camera. Walter Huston was green, once? Where was the incomparable actor we all came to love by the time 1932 came around? It turns out, he makes an appearance in Gentlemen of the Press after all. In the very last scene makes the movie, he brings out the big guns and shows audiences his mesmerizing acting chops.