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6.1/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Gentlemen of the Press remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies where men yell into chunky black telephones while wearing suits that look three sizes too big, you'll dig this one. It is definitely worth a watch if you're into that specific 'old school journalism' vibe where everyone has a cigarette glued to their lip.
But if you hate early talkies where the actors sometimes stand very still because they're terrified of moving away from the hidden microphones, you’ll probably find it annoying. It’s a bit stiff, like a play that someone filmed while the actors were still learning where the exits were. 📽️
Walter Huston is the main reason to stick around here. He plays Wickland Snell, and honestly, the guy has a face that looks like it was carved out of a very tired mountain.
He's a newspaper editor who basically lives in his office. He misses his daughter growing up, misses her wedding, and probably would miss his own funeral if there was a good enough scoop to cover instead.
The movie doesn't try to make him a hero, which I liked. He’s kind of a jerk, but in that way where he thinks he’s doing something important, so he ignores everything else.
There is this one scene where his daughter comes to the office to tell him she's getting married. Huston is 'listening' to her, but his eyes are constantly darting to the papers on his desk. It’s a small thing, but it made me feel really bad for the kid.
The newsroom itself feels real, or at least how I imagine a newsroom in 1929 felt. It's messy. People are shouting. It's not as visually weird or artistic as something like The Fall of the House of Usher, but it has its own kind of clunky charm.
Actually, it came out the same year as The New Babylon, but they feel like they were made on different planets. One is all about the camera moving and the other is just... guys talking in a room.
The sound quality is a bit fuzzy, like you’re listening to a conversation through a thick wool blanket. Sometimes the background noise of the typewriters is louder than the people talking. It’s bursty and loud and then suddenly very quiet when someone stops to think.
Kay Francis shows up too. She plays this 'vamp' character who tries to manipulate Snell. She’s way more interesting here than in some of her later stuff, like maybe The Rage of Paris, because she’s still figuring out her screen presence.
There’s a weirdly long bit where they talk about a story involving a ghost or something that doesn't really go anywhere. I think they just wanted to show off that they could record multiple voices at once.
The movie is mostly just people in rooms, talking. If you're looking for action, go watch Fast and Fearless instead. This is a movie about the grind.
One thing that bugged me was how they handled the ending. It feels like it just stops. Like the film ran out or the director just decided he'd had enough of the newsroom for one day. 📰
But the middle part, where Snell is trying to juggle a massive news story while his daughter is literally having a crisis, is actually pretty tense. You want to yell at the screen for him to just go home.
He doesn't, though. He never does.
I noticed this one extra in the background who was holding the same piece of paper for about four minutes straight. He didn't even pretend to read it. He just stared at the back of Walter Huston's head. It was hilarious once I saw it.
The hats are another thing. Everyone wears a hat inside. Why? Was it cold? Did they all have bad haircuts? It’s a sea of felt out there.
It’s not a perfect movie by any stretch. The pacing is weird, and some of the supporting actors are acting like they're trying to reach the back row of a theater in the next town over.
Still, there's something honest about it. It’s about how your job can become a ghost that follows you around and eats your life.
I think I liked it more than I expected to. Even with the scratchy audio and the static camera shots.
It’s a depressing little flick if you think about it too much. But Huston makes it work. He’s got that gravitas or whatever you want to call it.
Anyway, if you find a clean copy of it, give it a look. Just don't expect a happy ending where everyone learns a lesson and goes for ice cream. That’s not this kind of story.
It's just a guy, his typewriter, and a lot of missed birthdays. 🎂
IMDb —
1918
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