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Rob Edelman : Investigative Journalism In The Movies

When one thinks of Humphrey Bogart, one thinks of "The Maltese Falcon", "The African Queen", "The Treasure of The Sierra Madre", and, of course, "Casablanca". However, one worthy film starring Bogie has finally become available on home entertainment. It is titled "Deadline - U.S.A" , it dates from 1952 and, while admittedly not of the caliber of a "The Maltese Falcon" or "Casablanca", it is a fine film that for one reason or another is too little-known.

At its core, "Deadline - U.S.A" is a portrait of what journalism should be in a free society, and how dedicated reporters often place their personal lives on hold just to do their jobs. Bogie plays the fast-walking, fast-talking managing editor of The Day, a forward-thinking big city paper dedicated to reporting “the facts, and the meaning of those facts.” In the course of a brief time period, he must deal with a range of crises. They involve everything from exposing the nefarious activities of the local crime boss to dealing with advertisers who pressure editors regarding the content of news coverage to responding to the news that his paper is about to be sold to a competing tabloid.

Bogie is surrounded by a dedicated staff of reporters, who are played by actors whose faces are recognizable to anyone familiar with 1950s films and TV shows. One of the more interesting characters is a rarity for the era: a female reporter, played by Audrey Christie, who does more than just report on fashion and food. 
 
Now granted, "Deadline - U.S.A" is not without flaws. Some of the dialogue is a bit preachy, particularly when the Bogart character pontificates on the role of journalism in a free society. But there is one bit of dialogue that has extra-special meaning. That is: Journalism “may not be the oldest profession. But it’s the best.”
 
Even though "Deadline - U.S.A" came to theaters 64 years ago, the manner in which its scenario emphasizes the role of journalism resonates to this very day. For after all, we live in an era in which way too much news reporting seems to originate from press releases. Also, newspapers increasingly are losing circulation and laying off staff, and in some cases ceasing publication. And also, the 24/7 news stations primarily are concerned with ratings, rather than the kind of investigative journalism that gets at the truth of a story. This is why a film such as "Spotlight" , last year’s well-deserved Best Picture Academy Award winner, is so valuable. 
 
The bottom line in this fact-based film is that, if not for the tenaciousness of the Boston Globe journalists presented in"Spotlight", would we ever have known about the long, distressing history of the sexual abuse of children on the part of Catholic priests? And  "Deadline - U.S.A" is a worthy predecessor of "Spotlight". Both films underscore the value of a free press and the efforts of steadfast journalists to peel away the hype, and hunt for the truth. 
 

Rob Edelman has written several books on film, television, and baseball, and was a longtime Contributing Editor of Leonard Maltin’s annual Movie Guide. He teaches film history at the University at Albany.

The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.

 

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