Scandal Sheet (1952)

Director:

Phil Karlson

Writers:

Ted Sherdeman (screenplay) &
Eugene Ling (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 January 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Romance | Thriller

Plot:

The editor of a New York exploitation newspaper meets the wife he had abandoned years ago, while using another name...

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Newspaper | Killer | Murderer | Exploitation

Cast

Broderick Crawford	...	Mark Chapman aka George Grant
Donna Reed	...	Julie Allison
John Derek	...	Steve McCleary
Rosemary DeCamp	...	Charlotte Grant
Henry O'Neill	...	Charlie Barnes
Harry Morgan	...	Biddle (as Henry Morgan)
James Millican	...	Lt. Davis
Griff Barnett	...	Judge Elroy Hacker
Jonathan Hale	...	Frank Madison
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jay Adler	...	Bailey (uncredited)
Gertrude Astor	...	Neighbor (uncredited)
Shirley Ballard	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Eugene Baxter	...	Edwards (uncredited)
Don Beddoe	...	Pete (uncredited)
Helen Brown	...	Woman (uncredited)
Charles Cane	...	Heeney (uncredited)
Kathryn Card	...	Mrs. Rawley, Board Member (uncredited)
Cliff Clark	...	Doc O'Hanlon (uncredited)
Chuck Colean	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Luther Crockett	...	Jordan (uncredited)
Harry Hines	...	Bum in Heeney's Bar (uncredited)
Edna Holland	...	NY Express Board Member (uncredited)
Victoria Horne	...	Mary (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Newspaperman (uncredited)
Tom Kingston	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Raymond Largay	...	NY Express Board Member (uncredited)
Mike Mahoney	...	Reporter (uncredited)
John 'Skins' Miller	...	Bum in Heeney's Bar (uncredited)
Ida Moore	...	Needle Nellie (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Newspaperman (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Bum in Heeney's Bar (uncredited)
Jack Perrin	...	NY Express Board Member (uncredited)
Ralph Reed	...	Joey - Office Boy (uncredited)
Ric Roman	...	Elkins, Reporter (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Newspaperman (uncredited)
Peter Virgo	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Ralph Volkie	...	Bum in Heeney's Bar (uncredited)
Katherine Warren	...	Mrs. Allison (uncredited)
Pierre Watkin	...	Baxter (uncredited)
Duke Watson	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Blackie Whiteford	...	Bum in Heeney's Bar (uncredited)
Guy Wilkerson	...	Janitor (uncredited)
Pat Williams	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Matt Willis	...	Joe (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Bum in Heeney's Bar (uncredited)

Directed by
Phil Karlson

Writing credits
Ted Sherdeman		(screenplay) &
Eugene Ling		(screenplay) &
James Poe		(screenplay)
Samuel Fuller		(based upon the novel "The Dark Page" by)

Produced by
Edward Small	....	producer

Original Music by
George Duning

Cinematography by
Burnett Guffey

Film Editing by
Jerome Thoms

Art Direction by
Robert Peterson

Set Decoration by
William Kiernan

Costume Design by
Jean Louis

Makeup Department
Clay Campbell	....	makeup artist
Helen Hunt	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frederick Briskin	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Jack A. Goodrich	....	sound engineer (as Jack Goodrich)

Music Department
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Motion Picture Investors
• Columbia Pictures

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1952) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures Corporation (1952) (UK) (theatrical)
• Kamera Film (1952) (Norway) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures Near East (1952) (Egypt) (theatrical)
• Consorzio Cinematografico (1952) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures of Argentina (1952) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures of Chile (1952) (Chile) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures do Brasil (1952) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures de Cuba (1952) (Cuba) (theatrical)
• Christiaan van der Ree (1952) (Venezuela) (theatrical)
• Medal Fim Exchange (1952) (Puerto Rico) (theatrical)
• Columbia Film-Verleih (1952) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1953) (France) (theatrical)
• Constantin-Filmverleih (1953) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Sam Fuller Collection)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

82 min | West Germany:76 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #15405) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | West Germany:16

Company:

Motion Picture Investors

Quotes:

Mark Chapman:Get her in here, we have to be at the ballroom at 8. No time for face powder.

Movie Connections:

Remade as Scandal Sheet (1985) (TV)

Solid suspense and well-paced

Gripping storyline fueled by some heavy duty irony. Crawford plays a ruthless tabloid newspaper editor who has the tables turned on him when he commits a crime, then finds himself having to encourage his top reporter to get to the bottom of the story, in order to deflect suspicion. Top notch suspense as Crawford gambles that he can keep his cool and get away with it, even as the walls close in and the odds look worse and worse. The dialogue is typical Samuel Fuller, (he wrote the novel upon which the film was based) colorfully gritty but at times head-scratchingly obtuse. Crawford is at his no-nonsense, take no prisoners, mince-no-words best, and able support from a young John Derek and Donna Reed (smoking cigarettes and a little less squeaky clean than usual). Good stuff.