''Exclusive Story'' is a 1936 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by George B. Seitz and written by Michael Fessier. The film stars

Franchot Tone Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone (February 27, 1905 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor, producer, and director of stage, film and television. He was a leading man in the 1930s and early 1940s, and at the height of his career was known ...

, Madge Evans, Stuart Erwin,

Joseph Calleia Joseph Calleia ( ; born Joseph Alexander Caesar Herstall Vincent Calleja, August 4, 1897 – October 31, 1975) was a Maltese-born American actor and singer on the stage and in films, radio and television. After serving in the Merchant Navy (Un ...

Robert Barrat Robert Harriot Barrat (July 10, 1891 – January 7, 1970) was an American stage, motion picture, and television character actor. Early years Barratt was born on July 10, 1891 in New York City, and educated in the public schools there. He left ...

and J. Farrell MacDonald. The film was released on January 17, 1936, by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

Plot

In 1935, the numbers racket (selling of illegal lottery tickets) is big business throughout New York City, much of it controlled by mobsters, who are feared by the populace. Meanwhile, crusading, likeable young newspaper reporter Tim Higgins has just published an exposé of graft in the awarding of major city contracts, only to have his article challenged by the accused, who threatens to sue for libel. He is ordered by his editor to print an apology, Higgins is approached by Ann Devlin, the daughter of a kindly old shopkeeper near the waterfront. She pleads for Higgins to help her father, who was just visited and ordered by a mob representative to aggressively increase his sales of lottery numbers to gullible store patrons. Higgins over many days interviews Ann, her father, and other witnesses, sometimes over dinner dates. He jokes to his wife that he is dating a blonde. He gets help from Dick Barton, the newspaper's lawyer. At one point, they receive a package containing a dynamite bomb. Mr. Devlin eventually sells his store to a man he does not realize is a mobster, who throws in a free sea voyage to Cuba. Suddenly, radio news reports that Devlin's ship is aflame and sinking off North Carolina. Higgins and Barton hastily board an open-cockpit(!) airplane to fly and view the disaster, taking photographs of the burning ship. Devlin is among the passengers rescued, and he later tells his daughter that the cause of the fire can be laid at the feet of the mob. Due to having this incriminating knowledge, Devlin is killed by the mob. In the end, however, the murderer is tricked into a confession, not only of his role but of the identities of the men at the top.

Cast

as Dick Barton * Madge Evans as Ann Devlin * Stuart Erwin as Timothy Aloysius Higgins *

as Ace Acello *

as Werther * J. Farrell MacDonald as Michael Devlin * Louise Henry as Tess Graham *Margaret Irving as Mrs. Higgins *

Wade Boteler Wade Boteler (October 3, 1888 – May 7, 1943) was an American film actor and writer. He appeared in more than 430 films between 1919 and 1943. Biography He was born in Santa Ana, California, and died in Hollywood, California, from a heart ...

as O'Neil *

Charles Trowbridge Charles Silas Richard Trowbridge (January 10, 1882 – October 30, 1967) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 230 films from 1915 to 1958 principally playing patrician authority figures. Biography Trowbridge was born in Verac ...

as James Witherspoon Sr. * William "Bill" Henry as James Witherspoon Jr. * Raymond Hatton as City Editor * J. Carrol Naish as Comos

References

External links

* 1936 films American drama films 1936 drama films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films directed by George B. Seitz American black-and-white films Films scored by Edward Ward (composer) 1930s English-language films 1930s American films {{1930s-drama-film-stub