DbcultAccessing Vault...
7.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Five Star Final remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Alright, so if you’re into those sharp, cynical pre-Code movies, Five Star Final (1931) is absolutely worth a watch today. It’s a quick, brutal jab at the newspaper business that still feels surprisingly fresh. If you appreciate a good dose of moral ambiguity and fast-talking dialogue, you’ll probably find a lot to chew on. But if you’re looking for a feel-good story or something with clear heroes, you should probably just skip this one. 😬
The whole thing kicks off with The New York Star, a newspaper that’s really struggling. Sales are down, and the owner, Mr. Hinchecliffe (Purnell Pratt), is demanding a sensation. And I mean *demanding* it.
His solution? Dig up a 20-year-old murder case. The one where Nancy Voorhees killed her lover. People have mostly forgotten about it, but the paper wants to make it front-page news again.
Edward G. Robinson plays Randall, the city editor. He’s the one who has to make this awful plan happen. You can see the weariness in his face right from the start.
Randall is a cynical man, but even he knows this is wrong. He’s forced to send his reporters out to re-open old wounds, and you can practically hear him gritting his teeth every time he barks an order. It’s a great performance; you feel his frustration.
The film doesn't pull any punches about how nasty these tabloids were. They send a reporter, Michael Townsend (Anthony Bushell), to pretend he's a minister to get info from the Voorhees family. That detail really *stuck* with me, it's so brazen. 😠
The original murderess, Nancy Voorhees (Frances Starr), and her husband, Michael (Franklin Parker), have rebuilt their lives. They’re living quietly, their daughter Jenny (Ona Munson) doesn't even know their past. And then the newspaper just rips it all open.
You just feel awful for them. Jenny, especially, her world just utterly crumbles when the truth comes out. It’s pretty heartbreaking to watch.
The newsroom itself is a chaotic, noisy place. Phones ring constantly, everyone’s talking over each other. It gives you a real sense of that old-school newspaper energy, like everything is urgent and a little bit unhinged.
For a movie from 1931, it moves at a fantastic clip. There’s almost no wasted moment. It’s not a slow burn at all. The urgency is just there, all the time.
Aline MacMahon as Miss Brannigan, Randall’s assistant, is a quiet standout. She’s loyal, sure, but she also has this weary, knowing vibe about her. She sees all the awful stuff unfold. There’s a moment she just sighs, and it says so much about being tired of the whole cruel game.
Oh, and Boris Karloff pops up in a small role. Like, really small. He plays a preacher in one scene. It’s one of those blink-and-you-miss-it things, but his presence, even for a moment, is undeniable. I was not expecting that!
This movie leaves you with a really sour taste about the whole business of sensationalism. It doesn’t try to make you feel good. The ending is pretty bleak, showing the real, human cost of chasing headlines. It makes you think about what we consider "news." 🤔
It’s not just about a newspaper; it’s about people. And the way institutions can just chew them up. Definitely one to see if you like your films with a bit of a bite.
IMDb 7.6
1926
Community
Log in to comment.
