The Murder Man

This was one of the first features that Spencer Tracy did for his new studio MGM when they signed him in 1935. At his first studio, 20th Century Fox he was cast in a whole lot of routine action pictures as a two-fisted rugged type in whatever role he played. It's no different here, in fact until he played Father Mullin in San Francisco, Tracy's MGM career promised more roles of the same type.

Here he's a newspaper reporter in the best tradition of The Front Page which this film borrows a lot from. He's called The Murder Man because he's the one the editor, Robert Barrat, call for when he wants coverage on any homicide. He's covering one in this film concerning an investment broker (con artist) who's accused of killing his partner. In fact Tracy provides key evidence for a conviction.

The movie does have a surprise ending which I won't reveal, unusual for a film in the 1930s. That and the presence of Spencer Tracy and James Stewart make it worth viewing.

This was the film debut of James Stewart. He has a role of another reporter on the same paper as Tracy. He was signed by MGM after appearing on Broadway in the play Yellow Jacket and garnering rave reviews. He's the same Jimmy Stewart that soon became an icon, but he didn't get much attention for the few lines he had here. He would have to wait for his next film appearance in Rose Marie to get moviegoers attention.

Steve Grey (Spencer Tracy) is the best homicide newspaper journalist in the city: they call him "the Murder Man." If there's a murder, he'll get all the inside information, and he'll have it on the press first. That he always succeeds despite a debilitating weakness for alcohol is considered by colleagues simply a part of his genius. In the killing of investment broker (read: con artist) James Spencer Halford – snipered in a car from a streetside shooting gallery – Grey is once again on the frontline, with an uncanny knack for reporting murder details before even the police know them.

Grey plays the story from both sides, as a pivotal witness in the murder case against Henry Mander, the victim's business associate, and as a reporter ostensibly reporting the unbiased facts (intriguingly, it's a two-way street, since Grey often twists the facts to his advantage). This MGM drama, which I had expected to be as grim as the similarly- themed 'Crime Without Passion' with Claude Rains, is surprisingly light- hearted in tone for the most part. Particular amusement is provided by the lanky young form of Jimmy Stewart, boasting a cheerful cockeyed grin in his feature debut. Jimmy's first ever words in a prolific movie career? "Hi, Joe!"

This is one of those films that plays very well because it's so well acted and directed. It's very contrived, but that's the fun of it, really.

Steve Grey (Spencer Tracy) is a homicide reporter - the murder man - for a big city paper. He's always drinking too much and sullen, but his editor loves him because he always seems to have a good handle on murders. When a crooked stock broker is murdered - shot to death while riding in his car - his equally crooked business partner looks to be the culprit and is arrested and tried for the crime. Steve Grey covers this story with the same flair, aplomb, and ability that he's been known for, and he always seems to be one step ahead of all of the other reporters. There's good reason for that, and I'll let you watch and find out why, but it turns out to be a great character study of "the murder man" with Tracy getting a dynamite role for his first film at MGM. Just don't expect something along the lines of "The Thin Man", because it is not that kind of film.

I'd probably make this one an 8/10 if not for Virginia Bruce who plays the writer of the advice column on the paper and who loves Tracy's character for no good reason that I could find. He doesn't treat her well, he's a rather mean drunk, he doesn't let her in emotionally, and he seems morbidly stuck on his dead wife. Bruce's character goes around doe-eyed and over emoting like she's in a silent film.

This was not only James Stewart's first film at MGM, but it was also his first credited film role ever. He plays a reporter on the same paper as Grey but is considered one of the minor or "cub" reporters. He still shows some of those trademark James Stewart expressions. For example, the editor is going to send Stewart - or "Shorty" as he is called here - to do an interview in the death house at Sing Sing. But then the editor rethinks this and says Steve would be better for it. The editor doesn't mean to hurt Shorty's feelings when he says "this job needs more than just any reporter" but that's what it does. Stewart indicates with just a look that he has been disrespected, doesn't like it one bit, but doesn't know what to say or how to react.

A very good film. It is typical of the 1930's "news reporter" films that were so prevalent back then, and this one holds up very well. Spencer Tracy gives another great performance as the reporter and the rest of the cast help him out with outstanding performances all around. It was something to see Lionel Atwill without a moustache!! Never saw that before!! LOL And it was great to see my favorite character actor, Charles Trowbridge in it also, although he is the prosecuting attorney in the film and not the investor, as it says in his bio on the IMDB. Great little film with a twist ending!! Be sure and catch it when it is on television. You won't be disappointed, I wasn't.

I predict that when junk like Big Brother and The Weakest Link are gone and forgotten from our TV screens movies of the vintage and caliber of `The Murder Man' will still be providing us with superb entertainment.

I love these old thirties `Newspaper dramas' which probably culminated with the sublime `His Girl Friday' and this one stands up well despite lack of realism. Did New York papers really produce fresh editions all day long? Come to think of it perhaps they did in the days pre-TV.

I agree with the many judges who rate Spencer Tracy one of the greatest of all screen actors but feel he goes a bit over the top here, he certainly reined in his performances later. On the other hand James Stewart in his debut (?) appears fully formed with all the shy gawky charm which made him a star for the next fifty years already apparent.

`The Murder Man' is an excellent fast-moving film with a twist in the plot that I challenge you to pick. See this one if you can.