Gentlemen of the Press (1929)

Director:

Millard Webb

Writers:

Mark Barron (play)
Bartlett Cormack (writer)

Release Date:

4 May 1929 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Melodrama | Based On Play

Cast

Walter Huston	...	Wickland Snell
Kay Francis	...	Myra May (as Katherine Francis)
Charles Ruggles	...	Charlie Haven
Betty Lawford	...	Dorothy Snell
Norman Foster	...	Ted Hanley
Duncan Penwarden	...	Mr. Higgenbottom
Lawrence Leslie	...	Red
Harry Lee	...	Copy-desk editor

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (MovieTone)

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

One of the earliest of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by MCA ever since.

Amazing Kay Francis performance will rivet you!

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!