The Mystery Man (1935)

When he runs short of money, a newspaper reporter pawns a police revolver he was given after he helped the police solve a case. Later on the gun is used in a murder, and the reporter is suspected of committing the crime.

Director:

Ray McCarey

Writers:

Tate Finn (story), William A. Johnston (adaptation),

Stars:

Robert Armstrong, Maxine Doyle, Henry Kolker

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Armstrong	...	Larry Doyle
Maxine Doyle	...	Anne Ogilvie
Henry Kolker	...	Ellwyn A. 'Jo-Jo' Jonas
LeRoy Mason	...	The Eel, Gangster
James Burke	...	Managing Editor Marvin
Guy Usher	...	District Attorney Johnson
James P. Burtis	...	Whalen (as James Burtis)
Monte Collins	...	Dunn, Reporter
Sam Lufkin	...	Weeks
Otto Fries	...	Nate, Pawnbroker
Norman Houston	...	T. Fulton Whistler
Dell Henderson	...	Mr. Clark, Hotel Manager
Lee Shumway	...	Plainclothes Man
Sam Flint	...	Jerome Roberts, Publisher

Storyline

Larry Doyle, a reporter fond of hard-and-much drinking, insults his city editor on one of his drunken sprees. When he alter awakens, he finds he is on a train bound for St. Louis, and has one dollar and a revolver in his pocket. He also finds he is involved in some kind of crime plot, and a whirlwind romance with a cutie named Anne Olgivie. He sets out to resolve both issues.

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Plot Keywords:

reporter | revolver | police | drinking | editor | 

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Taglines:

MYSTERY! - ROMANCE!- DRAMA! (original ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 February 1935 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Monogram Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

65 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Balsley and Phillips Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Anne drops her gun, which is then back in her hand in the next shot.

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Connections

Remade as Man from Headquarters (1942)

User Reviews

Prehistoric Fishing

Cinematic archeology is what this is all about. The film has lost all its appeal as the hooks have gone out of style. But we can see major chunks that have evolved to what we have now.

The basic setup is the fold of a reporter as a detective, a miraculously simple concept in narration, as his job is to 'get the story.'

He has an easy hookup with a perky girl, though cleanly post-code.

Our reporter is an adventure-loving party man (which then meant an occasional drunk) who cannot keep money and who hates authority.

The environment is one in which police are inept and essentially invisible, and 'the paper' runs the town behind the scenes. You can easily see the seeds of noir here.

Oh, and we have a stereotyped villain, a mystery man who calls himself The Eel and who calls to taunt police (represented by the DA).

Good digging here, if you have the patience.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.