You can almost smell the ink on the printing presses in this gripping if slightly static newspaper drama about an embattled editor (a superbly cast Humphrey Bogart) and his fight to stop the sale of his beloved paper and at the same time expose a crime boss. Director Richard Brooks and producer Sol C Siegel were no strangers to the world of print journalism and their first-hand knowledge ensures maximum authenticity and an almost semi-documentary approach. Among a superb supporting cast, Martin Gabel is fascinating as the Capone-style Mafia boss, belching out evil incarnate. Ethel Barrymore, meanwhile, stamps her authority on the pivotal role of the noble and tough newspaper-owning widow, Mrs Garrison, trying to resist the efforts of her spendthrift daughters (Fay Baker, Joyce MacKenzie) who want the sale to go through to support their lifestyle. Bogart has a great last line.


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