The Finger Points (1931)

Writers:

W.R. Burnett (story)
Robert Lord (adaptation)

Release Date:

11 April 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Lee is a fresh young kid from the South when he gets a job with The Press. His first assignment on gangsters gets his name in the paper...

Plot Keywords:

Newspaper | Beating | Bribery | Corruption | Debt

Cast

Richard Barthelmess	...	Breckenridge 'Breck' Lee
Fay Wray	...	Marcia Collins
Regis Toomey	...	Charlie 'Breezy' Russell
Robert Elliott	...	City Editor Frank Carter
Clark Gable	...	Louis J. Blanco
Oscar Apfel	...	Managing Editor Ellis Wheeler
Robert Gleckler	...	Larry Haynes, Sphinx Club Manager
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Noel Madison	...	Larry Hayes (scenes deleted)

Runtime:

90 min | USA:85 min (Turner library print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Vitaphone

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Company:

First National Pictures

Trivia:

The film is based on Chicago Tribune reporter Jake Lingle, who was shot and killed the day before he was to meet with federal agents in connection with 'Al Capone (I)''s finances. Lingle was on Capone's payroll.

Soundtrack:

Funeral March (Marche Funèbre)

early talkie - good script

Good story, but you can tell it was made in the early years of talkies - very slow, deliberate movements, and LOTS of dark eye makeup on everyone. The supporting cast is the strength of this movie - Fay Wray (2 years before King Kong) plays the love interest Marcia Collins. Clark Gable (eight years before Gone with the Wind) is the antagonist-designee Louis Blanco, who is helping to cover up the naughty things his boss is doing. Blanco is trying to convince reporter Breckenridge Lee, played by Richard Barthelmess to help them cover up the naughty things going on in this fair city. I love the line by Fay Wray that she can tell he's from the South from his accent, although the only accent I can hear is some dropped R's, (since he was raised in New York). Unfortunately, Barthelmess, who is very wooden and stiff, being used to working in the silent movies, is the main character and the weakest link here. Note in his list of films, he made about sixty silent films prior to 1930, but very few after that - probably his best known talkie would be "Only Angels have Wings" with Cary Grant.