drjgardner Newspaper stories like this one were popular beginning with "The Front Page" (1931) and including "Dance Fool Dance" (1931), "It Happened One Night" (1934), "Front Page Woman" (1935), "Love on the Run" (1936), and "Libeled Lady" (1936). My favorite newspaper stories include "Citizen Kane" (1941), "The Front Page" (1931),"All the President's Men" (1976), "Deadline USA" (1952) , "Sweet Smell of Success" (1957), and "Ace in the Hole" (1951), and "Meet John Doe" (1941).This film doesn't have the acting, direction, or location to match any of these films. It does have Spencer Tracey and a good supporting cast that includes Jimmy Stewart (his second film), Fuzzy Knight, Lionel Atwil, Robert Barrat, and Virginia Bruce. And it does have a twist that comes out of left field. But when you consider the quality of the films being produced in 1935 ("Mutiny on the Bounty", "The Informer", "Anna Karenina", "The 39 Steps", "The Bride of Frankenstein", "David Copperfield", "A Tale of Two Cities", "Les Miserables", "Top Hat", and "A Night at the Opera") the film has little merit.

MikeMagi Okay, it was the height of the depression. But who at MGM back in 1935 signed off on making a depressing murder mystery? I'd say more but then I'd have to add a spoiler alert. The tale centers on Spencer Tracy as a boozy, embittered crime reporter who's hauled back from a bender to cover the murder of a crooked financial guru. He not only helps homicide detective Lionel Atwill solve the case but becomes a star witness when the accused killer goes on trial. Along the way, he's assisted by Virginia Bruce as a lonely hearts columnist who's clearly nuts about the drunken newsman as well as a gangly young reporter nicknamed "Shorty" -- Jimmy Stewart in his feature film debut. "Murder Man" also gives stage actor Robert Barratt the chance to deliver a terrific performance as Tracy's long-suffering editor. The movie clips along at a fast pace and the twists keep building nicely although I found myself wondering how a carnival shooting gallery wound up across the street from an investment firm's high-rise HQ? But I guess that's the cinematic version of poetic license. As a curiosity piece, "Murder Man" is well worth watching -- and quite entertaining. But I'm still surprised that in those dark days when moviegoers went to the movies to escape the gloom, the screenplay ever got approved.

MartinHafer This is an exceptional little film due to an excellent script. Spencer Tracy stars as an alcoholic newspaper man who specializes in covering murder investigations. His ability to guess what occurred and how it occurred is amazing--as again and again he's able to piece together the little it of evidence they have to determine the facts of the case. As a result, he always beats out the competing papers for breaks in the investigation. However, Spencer actually has a bit of an edge in this particular case, but I don't want to say more as it would spoil the film.The writing, acting and direction are all exceptional and the film is well worth seeing. Overall, an excellent effort by Tracy playing a role VERY close to home, as he himself was an alcoholic and binge drinker in real life--just like the character in the film. Also, look for a very young Jimmy Stewart in a rather bland supporting role before he became a star.

sol1218 **SPOILERS**Even though crooked financial investor Henry Mander, Harry Stephens, was nothing but a low down and despicable swine he still didn't deserve the fate that faced him with Mander being just hours away from his trip to the Sing Sing electric chair. Nobody knew that better then the "New York Star" ace crime reporter Stev Gray, Spencer Tracy, yet it was Gray's testimony that put Mander in the very fix that he was in.The movie "The Murder Man" tries and succeeds to convince it's audience that justice should be blind in it's treatment even of someone as guilty as Henry Mander of the financial crimes that he committed against hundreds of unsuspecting victims. Two of Manders many victims included reporters Gray's both father "Pop" Gray, who lost his life savings in one of of Manders schemes, and his wife Dorothy who was driven to suicide by Mander and his partners J.S Halfords,Theodore Von Eltz actions. Halford not only took Dorothy's money but had an illicit affair with her and then unceremoniously dumped Dorothy leaving her estranged from Steve and out on the street. It's obvious right from the start that Mander was set up in the murder of his equally sleazy partner J.S Halford as we see him being told in a mysterious phone call to be at this shooting gallery where someone in the vicinity takes a pot shot at Holford, as he was in his open air limousine, that killed him. It doesn't take that long for the police to arrest Mander for his partners Halfords murder and the evidence is that Mander is to be the recipient of a $200,000.00 insurance policy on Halford.Being the star witness at Manders murder trial Gray's testimony is the icing on the cake that convinced the jury to come back with a guilty verdict that was to send Mander to the electric chair. Having the exclusive to the biggest news story in the city Gray doesn't at all act as if you, or his fellow reporters, expect him to and goes on a drinking binge that has his boss at "The Star" news editor Hal Robins, Robert Barrat, order Gray to take a forced vacation and dry out.Gray is obviously suffering some kind of severe depression over Manders impending execution but it takes an exclusive interview with Mander just before his scheduled execution for us the realize why. Gray had a lot more to do with Mander's crime and later conviction for it that anyone, but Gray, could have ever imagined and it's the absolutely shocking and surprising conclusion of the movie that put that all into focus.Powerful crime film that goes against the grain in it's treatment of both the killer and his victim that will really blow you away. Spencer Tracy as Steve Gray gives one of his most underrated as well as, being that the film is almost totally unknown to most movie goers, unseen performance of his long and distinguished career. The movie "The Murder Man" also has the distinction of being James 'Jimmy" Stewart's motion picture debut. The tall, six foot three inch, and lanky Stewart plays Steve Gray's fellow reporter on "The Star" who's ironically referred to by everyone in the movie as "Shorty"!