Une enquête sensationnelle

Although the plot of Exclusive Story revolves around a gangster story, the climax of the film was the fire at sea of an ocean liner on a return trip from Havana to New York. Two years earlier the famous Morro Castle disaster occurred and I believe MGM used some of the footage from that infamous tragedy.

Weaving that into the plot, MGM fashioned a story about some gangsters now moving in on different rackets and in this case the numbers racket. Robert Barrat plays a Lucky Luciano type kingpin and Joseph Calleia his murderous chief enforcer. When they move in on grocer J. Farrell MacDonald thinking he's not selling enough chances his daughter goes to a crusading newspaper which has been trying to get evidence on Barrat and his gang. Later on J. Carrol Naish who is a Dutch Schultz type winds up murdered on MacDonald's doorstep.

To cut to the chase reporter Stu Erwin gets his story, but also the counsel for the newspaper, Franchot Tone, gets appointed a Tom Dewey like special prosecutor. And together they start to move on Barrat and the rest. And to top it all off Tone and MacDonald's daughter Virginia Bruce get a nice little romance going.

Even in a gangster film that would have been more a product of Warner Brothers than MGM, Louis B. Mayer just had to get Franchot Tone in white tie and tails. Tone is of course a society lawyer so a scene with formal wear was naturally worked into the plot for him.

The action scenes were well done however and I doubt Tom Dewey ever thought of himself parachuting on to a burning ocean liner to personally save a witness. And Tone of course just came from a big society shindig as well.

I doubt a lot of today's audience will get the significance of the people and events that the audience of 1936 did. Still the dating of the film does not in any way lessen the entertainment value.

Franchot Tone is Barton, big shot lawyer. Tone had only been in the biz for a few years at this point, but got top billing. This was during the organized crime days of the 1930s..... numbers game, racetracks, lottery. Joseph Calleia is the mug who keeps track of the mob's shady rackets. when reporter Higgins' story (Stuart Erwin) makes the mob look bad, they sue, and force the paper to print a retraction. This only makes Higgins work harder to dig up dirt on the mob. With Madge Evans as the love interest. Erwin is the big star in this one, even though Tone is listed as the lead. Erwin never really got top billing, but was supporting in so many films for comedic effect. When a ship at sea is on fire, Higgins covers the story, and of course, an acquaintance is on board. Dick Burton (Tone) really shines in the second half of the film. and this all busts the mob wide open. it's very typical of the crimes going on in the 1930s. Directed by George Seitz, who directed most of the Andy Hardy films. sadly, he died young at age 56. Story by Martin Mooney.. his first script was "Special Agent", for Bette Davis!

Madge Evans tracks down a newspaper reporter and asks for help: she overheard a racketeer pressuring her grocer father to sell more numbers - or else. Hard-nosed reporter Stuart Erwin is on the case but newspaper lawyer Franchot Tone thinks it's a lot of fuss over nickel and dime gambling.

Erwin investigates while Evans assists and worries about her father. Tone gradually comes around and joins the fight. It's a predictable plot but this fast-paced crime drama features some solid performances.

J. Farrell MacDonald is sympathetic as Evans's father, the kindly grocer. Joseph Calleia is appropriately nasty as the clever racketeer who threatens MacDonald and leers at Evans. The cast of familiar B movie veterans also includes Robert Barrat as the head mobster, Wade Boteler as a bodyguard, and Raymond Hatton as a newspaper editor.

Erwin has the juiciest role as the hard-working wise guy reporter. In one great shot, he's about to board a flight out of town, coat on, cigarette in mouth. He says goodbye to his wife, takes out his cigarette, kisses her--and then exhales smoke.

Evans and Tone are a little less colorful but both come across as attractive and convincing. Overall it's an enjoyable and fast-moving adventure that is fun as long as you don't think about it too much. (For example: Evans calls up Erwin to report that a man has been murdered on her doorstep. His response: "I'll be right there. Hold everything. And don't call the cops!")

During the 1930s, MGM gave even its "B" movies a touch of class and "Exclusive Story" is typical. Stu Erwin co-stars as a crusading newspaperman attempting to expose the racketeers behind a lottery scam, masterminded by Robert Barratt. He'd like society lawyer Franchot Tone to join him, serving as a special prosecutor. But Tone is having too much fun catering to his upscale clients. Then a mysterious fire aboard a ship bound out of Havana hits Tone personally -- and the mob has met its match. Over at RKO or Universal, this would have been a decent second feature. Here, while it's still a "B," it has style, sumptuous sets and first-rate performances.

The ace production values suggest there should be longer runtime than 70- minutes. But it's MGM, The Tiffany of Studios, so whatever their Andy Hardy proclivities, nothing's done on the cheap. The first half had me wondering why Tone had top billing since he hardly puts in an appearance. Instead, it's third-billed Irwin who gets the screen time. He's all fast- talking, high-energy crime reporter eager to get the goods on a heartless numbers racket. But the kingpins are too tough and slimy to crack. So, uptown lawyer Tone is assigned to get the goods on them, that is, if he can sober up long enough. Thus, Tone gets the movie's second half. Meanwhile, second-billed Evans bridges the halves and wins audience sympathy with a nicely modulated turn as an aggrieved daughter.

The movie's high point is likely the burning ocean liner, some of whose footage appears real life. (Thanks reviewer bkoganbing for the Morro Castle info.) Meanwhile, the medium shots on board the burning vessel are worthy of an A-production. I guess my only gripe is that we don't see more of one of the era's most intimidating actors, Robert Barrat. Here he's a kingpin but would have been better as an enforcer.

All in all, nothing special here, just a good solid slice of thick-ear, with MGM pulling a Warner Bros. to good effect.