Review of Exclusive

Stars Fred MacMurray as assistant editor of a newspaper, Charles Ruggles as an older reporter on the same paper, and Frances Farmer as the former's fiancee and the latter's daughter. Lloyd Nolan stars as his typical gangster persona. The paper MacMurray works for is printing articles to expose Nolan and his rackets and help elect a reform candidate, played by Ralph Morgan. But Nolan has a novel angle. He buys a competing paper and hires reporters at top dollar to try and put the crusading paper out of business. Any likability or sympathy Farmer's character has - she is fired from her job in the middle of the Great Depression because she won't put out for the boss - is lost when she calls her dear old dad an "old licked failure" professionally. Plus she decides to go to work for Nolan's paper, partly because she wants to repay a debt somebody else took on for her, partly because MacMurray forbids her to do so and she does not want to be pushed around. The two break up over it. In spite of Nolan warning his hoods to "cool it around the broad, she's not stupid, she'll put two and two together", Farmer plays a girl that really is not that world-wise and does not put two and two together until much later.

It's really a fast moving film about yellow journalism versus decent reporting, and about how every little dirty secret about somebody does not need to be revealed in print. MacMurray is good in these fast talking roles in his younger days. If it's Paramount and Charles Ruggles is around, you are going to have to put up with some of his drunk act, but I don't think they overdo it here. I'd recommend it if you ever find a copy. The last time I saw it on TV was on the old AMC.