-30- (1959)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Jack Webb

Writer:

William Bowers (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

In just nine hours they put the world on your doorstep.

Plot:

Managing Editor Sam Gatlin arrives in the afternoon and departs early the next morning, having assembled a morning newspaper for Los Angeles...

Plot Keywords:

Film With Ambiguous Title | Digit In Title | Number In Title

Cast

Jack Webb	...	Sam Gatlin
William Conrad	...	Jim Bathgate
David Nelson	...	Earl Collins
Whitney Blake	...	Peggy Gatlin
Louise Lorimer	...	Lady Wilson
James Bell	...	Ben Quinn
Nancy Valentine	...	Jan Price
Joe Flynn	...	Hy Shapiro
Richard Bakalyan	...	Carl Thompson
Dick Whittinghill	...	Fred Kendall
John Nolan	...	Ron Danton
Howard McNear	...	Editor
Jonathan Hole	...	Pettifog
Richard Deacon	...	Chapman
Ronnie Dapo	...	Billy

Also Known As:

Deadline Midnight (UK)

Runtime:

USA:96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Company:

Mark VII Ltd.

Trivia:

The story of the girl trapped in the Los Angeles sewer was loosely based on the real life tragedy of Kathy Fiscus of San Marino, California. On 9 April 1949, the three-year-old fell down a 90-foot deep, 14-inch wide uncapped well. After 50 hours, rescuers finally reached her, but she had already died. It was one of the first televised "media events", with more than 27 hours of the rescue recorded by television cameras. History repeated itself in 1987 when Jessica McClure fell down a well in Texas, though she was brought up alive after 58 hours.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: After a fledgling writer turns in a news story on her first night as a reporter, the editor sends it to be typeset without even reading it.

Soundtrack:

Boy

A ' lost gem',.. and Who Needs Reality ???

Before I begin, a bit of a 'disclaimer' here.

I grew up watching the old "Dragnet" (the 1950's version), and the second go-round, too in the 60's; as well as the rest of the Jack Webb-produced stable ("Adam-12", "Emergency !").

And I especially enjoyed the movies he made for Warner Bros; my favorites being "The D.I.", the Marine Corps movie and this lost gem, which I had not seen for at least 30 years, until recently.

I finally found a copy of this movie on eBAY, and to my delight I found it to be just as good as I remembered when I first saw on it the Late Show many years ago.

Unfortunately to many in our PC sanitized culture, Jack Webb may be an acquired taste, due to his stiff demeanor and his pro law and order image acquired through "Dragnet"; though to me he is the cornerstone of all I have grown up to love and respect.

We easily forget that he stood for progressive things too, and in this movie, guiding a woman reporter through her first news assignment.

His 1950's demeanor notwithstanding (which seemed humorous now), there was no doubt as Joe Friday that he was the 'good guy', and while as always it would take a little time (with commercials), you knew how the story would end ... HAPPILY, with the crook behind bars; or in this case with the latest edition put to bed.

Okay, many of you purists are a bit too picky about the lack of reality here, probably in reference to what we all liked so much about "Dragnet", and came to expect from Jack Webb; as well as David Nelson being too young to be a Korean War vet.

This is a movie after all, so get over it !!!

And while we can find fault with some of the plot devices in this film, namely the clichés and jokes one has to point out that humor, especially in times of great tension and stress is welcome; unless you go crazy from the experience otherwise.

"Dragnet" was famous for it, and considering the world the policeman inhabits. they need a laugh.

And how about M*A*S*H ???

There was a great deal of humor there as well; and let's remember that the movie and the TV show were set at a front-line Army hospital during the Korean War; and is offered here as a good example of grace under pressure.

And no, David Nelson wasn't there either !!!!!

Though admittedly the humor is a bit heavy-handed, Webb's heart was always in the right place here, and considering what the characters went through in this film, it was definitely called for.

Also a point worthy of praise should go to any movie that includes among the cast of recognizable Webb standbys the talents of William Conrad (radio's Matt Dillion, TV's Cannon), for dramatic as well as comic relief.

Conrad's booming baritone had been a radio staple for many years, and while his equally impressive physical presence is yet another benefit, that he is shown to have a soft side in the role of the beleaguered city editor practically made this movie for me.

This was especially true when the tension begins to heat up, at which point all the humanity possible was needed.

News stories like the little girl lost in the storm drain and the air crash that kills 'Lady 's grandson' were both highly emotional moments, and regrettably happens every day, and must be dealt with in a way that saves the sanity of those who must report it.

While Jack Webb's expertise belongs with the cop on the beat and "Dragnet", and perhaps not with this movie, he gets a solid 'A' for effort in my book here, and it is CRIMINAL that this and much of his film work has been lost in the limbo of OOP home video.

My God, do we need him now; not only his talent, but the integrity he brought to his work in creating those heroic figure we looked up to for so long.

Laughable as they may be now, they truly meant something !!!