I don't know if this film is an historic film, it is shot in documentary style, and it plays out like a historical document. We want the things that happen in the film to be historic, it would be nice if the innovations shown in the film came from once source.
Like Martin Scorsese's 'Gangs of New York,' this film depicts New York city in a time of great changes, where the old ways of doing things even helped propel the changes. We even hear references to Plug Uglies, Dead Rabbits, and other NY gangs, and they are used in this film in a positive way (Watch the film to see how)- As a matter of fact Sam Fuller wrote the screenplay for the 1938 treatment of Herbert Asbury's book.
Basically, this film is about Park Row in NY city, and the history of journalism related to that street. Just about every Newspaper Cliché we can think of originated there: Newsboys, News Stands, Large Type Headlines and the eventual use of Linotype.
Each of these innovations had it's own origin, but in this film, director Sam Fuller puts it all in one place: A New Newspaper called The Globe.
Even though I have a background in Printing that includes some Journalism, I learned a lot by watching this film. The way the film moves brings you right into the story, the characters become important, even though they are all character actors. By not casting any familiar faces, Fuller added to the honesty of the film.
The female lead played by Mary Welch is the 1886 version of a Goth Princess. Actually I was sad to see that she had only acted three times, and two of those times were for Television. I like that the film leaves you to make up your own mind about the character.
Another notable is the woman who plays the barmaid who has a special talent for writing on the head of a glass of beer, a talent which comes in handy toward the end of the film.
There are lots of great things in this movie, the tension level rises and falls naturally. The print they showed on TCM just now had lots of digital artifacts- I hope that this was just transmission error and not the quality of the print.
Like Martin Scorsese's 'Gangs of New York,' this film depicts New York city in a time of great changes, where the old ways of doing things even helped propel the changes. We even hear references to Plug Uglies, Dead Rabbits, and other NY gangs, and they are used in this film in a positive way (Watch the film to see how)- As a matter of fact Sam Fuller wrote the screenplay for the 1938 treatment of Herbert Asbury's book.
Basically, this film is about Park Row in NY city, and the history of journalism related to that street. Just about every Newspaper Cliché we can think of originated there: Newsboys, News Stands, Large Type Headlines and the eventual use of Linotype.
Each of these innovations had it's own origin, but in this film, director Sam Fuller puts it all in one place: A New Newspaper called The Globe.
Even though I have a background in Printing that includes some Journalism, I learned a lot by watching this film. The way the film moves brings you right into the story, the characters become important, even though they are all character actors. By not casting any familiar faces, Fuller added to the honesty of the film.
The female lead played by Mary Welch is the 1886 version of a Goth Princess. Actually I was sad to see that she had only acted three times, and two of those times were for Television. I like that the film leaves you to make up your own mind about the character.
Another notable is the woman who plays the barmaid who has a special talent for writing on the head of a glass of beer, a talent which comes in handy toward the end of the film.
There are lots of great things in this movie, the tension level rises and falls naturally. The print they showed on TCM just now had lots of digital artifacts- I hope that this was just transmission error and not the quality of the print.