Tonight's Movie: Inside Story (1939) at Cinecon

One of the films I most enjoyed at last weekend's Cinecon Classic Film Festival was a 60-minute "B" film, INSIDE STORY (1939).

INSIDE STORY was released by 20th Century-Fox in March 1939. I'll note at the outset that it has no connection with the later, similarly obscure film THE INSIDE STORY (1947), which I reviewed after seeing it at UCLA a dozen years ago.

INSIDE STORY was introduced at Cinecon by Jeremy Arnold, a "B" film aficionado and author of CHRISTMAS IN THE MOVIES. He's seen giving his intro in a photo near the end of this review.

Jeremy told us that this was the first of seven films directed by actor Ricardo Cortez in 1939-40; by the time it came out he'd already directed two more. Something that made it particularly fun for the audience was that earlier in the day we'd seen Cortez starring in another Fox "B," CITY GIRL (1938), so we enjoyed his work both in front of and behind the camera.

Jeremy noted that he'd read the story takes place at Christmas and, not having seen it, he wondered if the film would meet his personal criteria for a Christmas film, with Christmas directly impacting the film's plot and characters.

We saw INSIDE STORY in a lovely print, and I'm happy to say it proved to be very much a true Christmas film! I would certainly love for Turner Classic Movies to obtain rights to show the movie at Christmas.

Jerome Cady's screenplay was based on a story by Ben Ames Williams, author of the later novel LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (1945).

The INSIDE STORY plot strongly foreshadows REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1940) which premiered in South Dakota in December 1939, with a wide release following in January 1940 (hence the film typically being identified as from 1940).

In both films a female thief is reformed by spending a "farm Christmas" including elderly "relatives," in this case Jane Darwell and Spencer Charters. There's also a phony "family" angle, a plot point which calls to mind the later CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945).

June White (Jean Rogers) works in a "clip joint," a nightclub where lovely young ladies induce male guests to spend lots of money.

One night June goes beyond encouraging expensive drink purchases and robs a large sum of money from Paul Randall (John King) when his back is turned. Randall protests and later ends up dead at the hands of June's boss Gus Brawley (Douglas Fowley).

June wants to get out of town in a hurry and by sheer luck ends up chosen by a newspaper as "The Loneliest Girl in Town." This means she gets to go out of town for a "country Christmas" with newspaper columnist Barney Callahan (Michael Whalen), hosted by his "aunt and uncle," Mary and Ben Perkins (Darwell and Charters).

June learns early on that Mary and Ben aren't really Barney's family and the "farm" is owned by his publisher (Charles D. Brown), but they all have a lovely time regardless. June starts to fall for Barney, but after she bakes him a pie for Christmas, but Brawley shows up and forces her to leave.

June later agrees to testify against Brawley but is dismayed when Barney refuses to believe she's a reformed woman... I'll leave off with the plot there so that the many people who have never seen this film can hopefully one day discover the rest for themselves.

According to Jeremy Arnold, Phyllis Brooks, who had played the title role in the previously mentioned CITY GIRL, was originally to star in this film; for unknown reasons she did not want to work with Cortez again and instead went on suspension.

Jean Rogers had previously appeared in WHILE NEW YORK SLEEPS (1938) with Michael Whalen and was cast in this film instead of Brooks. Rogers began in the movies with bit roles in the early '30s and was perhaps best known for FLASH GORDON (1936); she was in films through 1950. I thought she looks a bit like Ann Sheridan in this film!

Whalen was never a big star but was a steady working actor for three decades. I've enjoyed him in supporting roles in later minor films such as HIGHWAY 13 (1948) and SKY LINER (1949). Both actors are pleasant leads in this, with a nice chemistry.

The movie also features Jan Duggan and Louise Carter, who are hilarious as Flora and Dora, inquisitive sisters who live next door to the "farm." They're quite delightful and play a key role in the movie's resolution.

The supporting cast also includes Chick Chandler as Barney's photographer, plus June Gale (later Mrs. Oscar Levant), Theodore von Eltz, Bert Roach, Pat O'Malley, and Irving Bacon.

Charles Lane, who plays the District Attorney, was also in CITY GIRL, along with Fowley and Chandler. We saw several faces in multiple films at the festival!

INSIDE STORY was filmed in black and white by Virgil Miller.

A few similar types of Fox "B" movies came out on DVD-R from the Fox Cinema Archives or have been shown on Fox Movie Channel, but to my knowledge INSIDE STORY has been completely unavailable for home viewing. I would so love for sets of these minor but very enjoyable Fox films to be released on DVD or Blu-ray!

Let's hope that INSIDE STORY becomes more widely available in the future, including being added to Christmastime movie rotations!

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