The Story on Page One

Playwright Clifford Odets wrote and directed the absorbing courtroom drama, "The Story on Page One," starring Rita Hayworth, Tony Franciosa, Gig Young and Mildred Dunnock. Lovers Larry Ellis and Josephine Brown (Hayworth and Young) are accused of killing her sometimes violent and verbally abusive husband (Alfred Ryder). Josephine's mother (Katherine Squire) begs the down and out Harvard law school grad Victor Santini (Franciosa) to take the case. Josephine insists to Victor that the killing was an accident.

You'll never see a movie with such long scenes again. It's a shame, because they were very absorbing, with Franciosa really ratcheting up the fireworks. This is especially true in his cross-examination of Ellis' mother (Dunnock).

As good as the courtroom part of the film is, there are a few problems with the rest of the script. There isn't enough character fleshing out of Franciosa's character - seemingly within minutes, he goes from a broke lawyer with a hangover to this handsome, confident, sharp lawyer in a suit. We learn precious little about Young's character either, for instance, why is he still a mama's boy in his thirties. Strangely we know most about two supporting characters, Ellis' mother and Josephine's husband. Franciosa, Dunnock, Ryder and the well-known drama coach Sanford Meisner, as the prosecuting attorney, hand in the best performances.

Rita Hayworth actually began to show signs of Alzheimer's only a few years after this film and suffered from it for the next 25 years. People who knew her say she was much like the character of Josephine - quiet, shy, insecure and sweet. The sex goddess is gone; in her place is a good-looking woman wearing a frumpy house dress, her hair worn off of her face. Hayworth doesn't exhibit much personality in this, but then, probably the unhappy Josephine wouldn't have either.

One other problem with the script is the killing itself. If in fact Josephine's husband's hand never came off of the revolver, why wouldn't a fingerprint test show that Ellis never touched it? Actually the evidence of the gun is never mentioned, so maybe Josephine got rid of the gun. Also, the wild shot fired while the men were fighting landed somewhere in the kitchen and would at least have helped Ellis' story a little. That isn't mentioned either.

Nonetheless, the courtroom segments make for great drama. Recommended.

I finally had a chance to see this film from beginning to end. I first came across the movie one Saturday afternoon in 1997 and never knew its title. After a couple of years of searching, I gave up. Just last week, a librarian referred me to a video store in North Hollywood that had the title. Rita Hayworth is Prozac-like and convincing in her portrayal as a sensitive, yet withdrawn woman. Her husband, played by Alfred Ryder is as insensitive and abusive as they come; especially that he carries a gun. I thought Gig Young's character would have stood up to his mother, played by Mildred Dunnock, more sooner than later in life. Dunnock's, Mrs. Ellis was superbly overbearing, manipulative and snobbish. Tony Franciosis performed magnificently on cross of the character when questioning her undue and unwanted influence over her son. Once Defender Santini took his seat after questioning, one could see the flames of anger and disdain flow from his nostrils. This movie is a definite must-see for classic movie lovers. All those years were worth the wait and anticipation.

Excellent performances from all, and especially a rare performance from Sanford Meisner. Great direction and intensity from Clifford Odets. A rather simple story superbly told. Sanford Meisner's performance is especially outstanding and fresh as the prosecuting attorney on the scent.

Other than trying to figure out why Rita Hayworth was falling for such a weak mama's boy like Gig Young in the first place The Story On Page One is one of her best roles showing our World War II era sex goddess can really act in a good role with proper motivation.

The Story On Page One has Rita Hayworth still beautiful, but in a drab role as a housewife married to cop Alfred Ryder who's a real caveman alpha male type and abusive. I guess Young's sensitivity is what attracted her, he's a 180 degree different from Ryder.

In any event we know what happens right away. Ryder catches Young and Hayworth together at their home. Ryder being a cop has a licensed weapon. He and Young struggle for the gun and it goes off killing Ryder.

She needs a lawyer and as it turns out Hayworth's mom Katherine Squire knows a good one who's kind of gone to seed. Anthony Franciosa who I think is one of the most underrated talents ever is hired.

I'm not sure charges would have been brought had Ryder not been a cop. And Young and Hayworth do some stupid things not helping their case any. In their stupidity they actually convince Franciosa that they're innocent. Now if he can sell a jury which is the crux of the film.

Soome other nice performances of note are Robert Burton as the District Attorney and Mildred Dunnock as Young's mother. She has a scene with Hayworth telling her to keep her hands off her darling boy that's another highlight. One of my favorite of players Hugh Griffith plays the judge and Griffith is not given all that much to do.

The film is adapted from a Clifford Odets play and directed by Odets. He sure brought out a great performance in Rita Hayworth.

This movie is pretty disappointing. Rita Hayworth and Gig Young are, each in a different way, completely unconvincing in roles that portray characters so dumb and passive that it would be hard to play them really well. The long denouement, their trial for murder, is boring and inferior to a standard Perry Mason. How Odets did a movie this trite is a puzzle. For a while I had hopes of a surprise ending, a la "Witness for the Prosecution" -- but Tony Franciosa is not Charles Laughton and the heartwarmingly straight ending is so unsurprising that I was surprised by it.