The Murder Man

The Murder Man

Directed by	Tim Whelan
Written by	Screenplay: Tim Whelan John C. Higgins Story: Tim Whelan Guy Bolton
Produced by	Harry Rapf
Starring	Spencer Tracy Virginia Bruce Lionel Atwill Harvey Stephens Robert Barrat James Stewart
Cinematography	Lester White
Edited by	James E. Newcom
Music by	William Axt
Production company	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributed by	Loew's Inc.
Release date	July 12, 1935 (1935-07-12) (U.S.)
Running time	70 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$167,000^[1]
Box office	$546,000^[1]

The Murder Man is a 1935 American crime-drama film starring Spencer Tracy, Virginia Bruce, and Lionel Atwill, and directed by Tim Whelan. The picture was Tracy's first film in what would be a twenty-year career with MGM. Tracy plays an investigative reporter who specializes in murder cases. The film is notable as the feature film debut of James Stewart (who had previously appeared in a Shemp Howard comedy short called Art Trouble). Stewart has sixth billing as a reporter named Shorty.

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Plot

Steve Grey is a hotshot New York newspaper reporter specializing in murder. When a crooked businessman named Halford is murdered, Steve pins the blame on the dead man's associate, Henry Mander, theorizing that Halford was killed by a rifle from a shooting gallery across the street.

Mander is arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced to death. Steve visits his father, who is depressed because his business has been ruined. The hard-working, hard-drinking Steve is urged by Mary, a gossip columnist who loves him, to take some time off.

Another colleague, Shorty, arrives to tell Steve that their editor wants an exclusive interview with Mander in prison. He goes to Sing Sing to conduct the interview.

Driven by guilt, Steve shocks everyone by confessing to having committed the murder himself, as revenge for Halford and Mander having ruined his father. Steve's last act is to tell his editor that he's got his biggest story ever.

Cast

Spencer Tracy as Steve Grey
Virginia Bruce as Mary
Lionel Atwill as Capt. Cole
Harvey Stephens as Henry Mander
Robert Barrat as Robins
James Stewart as Shorty
William Collier, Sr. as Pop Grey
Bobby Watson as Carey Booth
William Demarest as Red Maguire
John Sheehan as Sweeney
Lucien Littlefield as Rafferty
George Chandler as Sol Hertzberger
Fuzzy Knight as Buck Hawkins
Louise Henry as Lillian Hopper
Robert Warwick as Colville
Joe Irving as Tony
Ralph Bushman as Pendleton

Reception

Writing for The Spectator, Graham Greene praised Tracy's acting, describing his portrayal of Steve Grey as "as certain as a mathematical formula" and noting that the scene of confrontation between Grey and Henry Mander (portrayed by Harvey Stephens) gave Tracy the chance "of showing the reserve of power behind the ease".^[2]

Box office

According to MGM records the film earned $344,000 in the US and Canada and $202,000 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $184,000.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
^ Greene, Graham (23 August 1935). "Where's George?/The Great God Gold/Boys Will Be Boys/The Murder Man". The Spectator. (reprinted in: Taylor, John Russell, ed. (1980). The Pleasure Dome. p. 16. ISBN 0192812866.)