“(It) has the merit, uncommon in most newspaper
pictures, of being accurate in every detail. It is the best picture he has made and may be called a box-office success.” New York
Morning Telegraph
This is the latest film to be streamed on the San
Francisco Silent Film Festival website and features a suitably frantic
accompaniment from Stephen Horne originally recorded at the screening of the
restored film in 2013. The Last Edition is a thrill ride, from the hot
metal drama on the huge printing presses of the San Francisco Chronicle
newspaper to break-neck car chases, fire engines and criminal doings with
powerful, well-acted simple human stories, it’s a very solid late-period
Hollywood silent.
The film was considered lost until a discovery of a 35mm
nitrate print in the EYE Museum in 2012 led to a reconstruction, with Dutch
intertitles translated back to American English and tints fully restored under
the management of Rob Byrne’s team at the San Francisco Festival. The full
story is fascinating and told here on the film’s restoration site.
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| Off-set litho printing presses... the smell of ink!! |
Director Emory Johnson, an actor turned director and
writer, made films that focused on the working man and this is, as the above
quote indicates, a very accurate portrayal of the publishing business,
especially in the scenes showing the newspaper being typeset, plated and
printed – yes, I am old enough to have worked with hot metal presses! The
process is important as it not only shows the working reality of our hero Tom
McDonald (the excellent Ralph Lewis) It also becomes one of the key “races” in
a film full of urgency and tight spots. Johnson’s due diligence and
determination to anchor his film in the authentic production process of the
newspaper business, makes it both believable as well as historically
interesting. We forget how many hands moved so swiftly and in unison to bring
news to the world and most films focus on the journalism and not the setters
and printers, machine minders and delivery men who brought the ink and paper
over the final stages.
To this extent the film reminded me of The Day the
Earth Caught Fire (1961), if not in fantastical subject matter then just in
the process of newspapers, and how it plays a part in the narrative of
both films. Juts as the Day used the Daily Express offices and plant,
Johnson’s film was located at the actual Chronicle building in San Francisco,
shortly before they moved to new premises.
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| Louis Payne and Ralph Lewis |
Tom is an experienced pressman at the Chronicle and
the times they are a changing, circulation is down and Publisher Jerome T
Hamilton (Louis Payne), is looking for a fresh approach as he shouts
at his useless yes men in the board room, feeling his margins dilute with every
issue. Thus, it is that Tom’s departing boss’ recommendation is ignored as he
is just another “old hand” with twenty years’ at the paper.
Tom’s disappointment is amplified as he finds “Bull”
Collins (Tom O’Brien) moving into his old Forman’s office; a younger man but
one who has been a “complete failure” as a printer and yet who clearly
mangers upwards well and has now been appointed to his position of maximum
inefficiency.
My boy, never forget the story I told you about the
three generals… Truth, Love and Duty…
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| Frances Teague telephonist |
Tom takes it on the chin, he is proud of his job and
providing leadership and encouragement to his team, including young apprentice,
“Ink” Donovan (Billy Bakewell).
He also has a happy home with wife Mary (Lila Leslie), son Ray (Ray Hallor) who
has just been offered work at the District Attorney’s office, and Polly
(Frances Teague) a telephonist who is romancing one of the paper’s young
reporters, Clarence Walker (Rex Lease) – all three will play a major part as
the drama unfolds.
Meanwhile, back in the print palace, Jerome takes a walk
past banks of typographers, and the huge rolls of paper on the lithographic
printer. He’s looking for anything that can help him improve his paper’s
performance and he overhears Tom counselling young Ink with his motto about Truth,
Love and Duty… Jerome summons Tom to his office, offers him a cigar and
begins what will become a regular series of chats, all of which end with his
calling a ditzy stenographer (Ada Mae Vaughn, giving it extra!) into the office
and we see her taking his thoughts down using shorthand; the start of the
journalistic process even now.
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| Ray Hallor and Rex Lease |
Walker, it looks like Blotz is now part of high
society, give it your best shot boy and put a stop to his operation…
Talking of which, action picks up elsewhere as courthouse
reporter Harry Owens (C Hollister Walker) get’s the word on infamous bootlegger
Blotz and phones in for the file of the man who has so far evaded press and
police alike. Here we see the backroom researchers as every mention of the
gangster is pulled from the Chronicle’s extensive files. Clarence goes off to
investigate and tracks down Blotz (Will Frank) and his right-hand man, Red
Moran (David Kirby), climbing up outside their building to overhear them
sending a payment in to a contact in the DA’s office…
The bad penny is Gerald Fuller (Cuyler Supplee) but,
after Clarence follows Red in, Fuller fingers none other than young Ray to take
the rap. Ray is arrested and in the face of rather flimsy circumstantial
evidence, assumed as guilty even if Clarence suspects not. He must phone in his
story, which sets up a breath-taking finale, as the Chronicle tries to publish,
Red tries to destroy all of the paper’s evidence by setting fire to the
building, and Tom is faced with having to print a story that he cannot believe
as he sees the headline on the final edition announcing his son’s arrest: Young
attorney in $50,000 bribe!
Come on boys! All hands on deck, we still have
eighteen minutes until press time.
 |
| All action! |
Spoilers: Journalism works hand in hand with the police
as Clarence joins the dots and persuades the cops to listen for calls to
Fuller’s office and Polly plays her part in not only connecting the calls but
keeping the perps talking…
It’s a rousing finale with some great location shots
captured by cinematographer Gilbert Warrenton and greatly enhanced by some
power playing from Mr Horne who paces his musical sentiment as perfectly as
you’d expect. Johnson’s direction is very disciplined and allows Stephen to
weave dynamically between the cross-cutting action and emotion, especially as
buildings burn, bootleggers are pursued and Tom’s family face their greatest
challenge!
The Final Edition is still available to view on the SFSFF
site, you just need to register as a member and enjoy!
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