Deadline USA (1952) now on blu ray

Deadline USA

Directed and Written by Richard Brooks. Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ethel Barrymore, Kim Hunter, Ed Begley, Warren Stevens Paul Stewart, Joyce Mackenzie, Jim Backus.

Released March 14, 1952. Running time 87minutes. Kino Lorber blu ray.

Finally released on blu ray (and DVD) for the first time in North America, “Deadline USA” has long been hailed as the most accurate cinematic portrayal of the workings in a newsroom. It is also one of Humphrey Bogart’s strongest performances from this period in his career, but it has been overshadowed by films like “The African Queen” and “Caine Mutiny,” which were more popular.

Bogart’s character must balance several concerns, from his attempt to expose the illegal dealings of a notorious gangster, to keeping his paper from being sold to a conglomerate who plans to curtail its operation, and finally to his home life, as his ex-wife plans to marry. There are conflicting emotions, wondering if the Bogart character is steadfastly pursuing the gangster in an effort to see justice served, or if it is merely a ploy to increase circulation and keep the paper active. When word gets out that the paper is about to be sold, the tensions among the staff results in a myriad of emotional reactions, from steadfast business focus (“there’s still a sports page to get out”) to an actual fight between two older reporters.

By the 1950s, Bogart had firmly established a screen persona that was exhibited strength of character with an economy of movement. He seems to glide through each scene in this film, taking complete control anytime he is on screen, focusing on the immediate while ponder everything else. Bogart’s character is not just world weary or cynical. He has an underlying snarling contempt for all of the failures that seem to surround him at once, and his choice to relegate his paper to a type of yellow journalism to gain subscribers does not make him proud. Bogart was reportedly difficult on the set, his off screen drinking making it difficult to remember his lines. He is said to have left the set each day with a negative attitude. But his performance is outstanding. He is ably supported by a strong cast of veteran character actors in support.

Writer-director Richard Brooks is one of the directors who started in the studio system and worked into the era of more independent production. On “Deadline USA” he is a bonafide auteur, penning the screenplay and directing it from his specific vision. “Deadline USA” came along roughly in the middle of his career (he would not have a true hit film until “Blackboard Jungle” a few years later). Feeling personally about the newspaper business becoming consolidated under the thumb of big business, he set out to make a film that showed accuracy and understanding. He succeeds admirably.

The blu ray from Kino Lorber is outstanding, with special features including a commentary track by film historian Eddie Muller and a theatrical trailer. The picture maintains the original cinematography and cinematic grain. The sound is great, as the film uses music, clacking typewriters, and sirens backing up certain scenes.

In 1992, Ron Howard directed a movie called “The Paper” that attempted the sort of realism found in “Deadline USA.” And while the Howard film is competent, “Deadline USA” is superior. Most highly recommended.