Tonight's Movie: Back Page (1933) - A Flicker Alley Blu-ray Review

Time for another enjoyable evening with a film from the Flicker Alley Blu-ray set In the Shadow of Hollywood: Highlights From Poverty Row.

I've previously reviewed two of the set's four films, MIDNIGHT (1934) and WOMAN IN THE DARK (1934).

Tonight I watched BACK PAGE (1933), an entertaining 65-minute newspaper film. I think BACK PAGE might be my favorite film in the set to this point, or perhaps it's tied with WOMAN IN THE DARK.

Peggy Shannon plays Jerry Hampton, who quits her city job as a newspaper reporter when her first big scoop is killed for political reasons.

Jerry good-naturedly turns down a marriage proposal from her boyfriend (Russell Hopton), not feeling ready to settle down; despite Jerry's refusal, he's a supportive guy and arranges for her to take a job with a small newspaper in his hometown, the mythical Apex, California, population 8,000.

The paper is owned by elderly Sam Webster (Claude Gillingwater, seen last week in BEFORE MIDNIGHT). Sam expects Jerry to be a man and is extremely dubious about hiring a woman as editor, but Jerry's gumption and enthusiasm convince him to give her a fair shot.

Jerry immediately turns the newspaper around, mixing local gossip (divorce news!) with deep reporting on business issues impacting the community. Banker Martin Regal (Edwin Maxwell), who also happens to be her boyfriend's uncle, is none too pleased as Jerry reveals some of his shady business maneuvers, but she soldiers on, having a positive impact on the lives of her readers.

There were a lot of things I liked about this film, starting with the confident performance of Shannon. Her Jerry is a fast thinker who keeps pushing the paper onward and upward, improving its coverage and increasing its advertising pages.

I believe I first became aware of Shannon when I saw her in SOCIETY GIRL (1932) at the 2015 UCLA Festival of Preservation. She also appeared with Lee Tracy in FIXER DUGAN (1939).

While Shannon is an engaging screen presence, off the screen she sadly was a drinker. Her last film, just a few years later, was a supporting role in the George O'Brien RKO "B" Western TRIPLE JUSTICE (1940), playing his best friend's fiancee. She died the following year and is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. It's sad to think what might have been when one watches her excellent performance in this film.

BACK PAGE was also refreshingly uncliched. Jerry's boyfriend wants to marry her but doesn't expect her to quit working; instead he finds ways to assist her career advancement, while at the same time it's always clear Jerry is moving up on the strength of her hard work.

It would have been easy to write a story in which the employees of the moribund newspaper resent the young woman from the big city who shows up and expects them to work, so I liked that instead they're excited by the changes. Indeed, when the paper is in trouble, the society editor, Mrs. Mellon (Ottola Nesmith), pitches in to help financially. The staff also includes a young Sterling Holloway.

Along similar lines, store owner Nathan Young (David Callis) initially has an antagonistic relationship with Jerry, but they develop a platonic friendship which proves to be helpful for each of them. There are some fun jokes about his family's long history in the area.

Things may wrap up a little too neatly, tying a current story back to Jerry's lost scoop at the big city paper, but it's also a feel good moment which ends the film on a nice note.  I really enjoyed the hour I spent with this movie.

BACK PAGE was directed by Anton Lorenze and filmed by James S. Brown, Jr. The story was by Harry E. Chandlee and Douglas W. Churchill, with dialogue by F. McGrew Willis.

The last film in this set is THE CRIME OF DR. CRESPI (1935), starring Erich von Stroheim.

Coming soon: A review of the eagerly anticipated Flicker Alley release of the magical REPEAT PERFORMANCE (1947), starring Joan Leslie.

Thanks to Flicker Alley for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray collection.

In the Shadow of Hollywood: Highlights From Poverty Row may be purchased at the Flicker Alley website as well as through retailers such as Amazon.

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