Park Row (1952)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Samuel Fuller

Writer:

Samuel Fuller (writer)

Release Date:

12 August 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Street of rogues... reporters... and romance!

Plot:

In New York's 1880's newspaper district a dedicated journalist manages to set up his own paper. It is...

Cast

Gene Evans	...	Phineas Mitchell
Mary Welch	...	Charity Hackett
Bela Kovacs	...	Ottmar Mergenthaler
Herbert Heyes	...	Josiah Davenport
Tina Pine	...	Jenny O'Rourke
George O'Hanlon	...	Steve Brodie
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Dan O'Rourke
Forrest Taylor	...	Charles A. Leach
Don Orlando	...	Mr. Angelo
Neyle Morrow	...	Thomas Guest
Dick Elliott	...	Jeff Hudson
Stuart Randall	...	Mr. Spiro
Dee Pollock	...	Rusty
Hal K. Dawson	...	Mr. Wiley

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

German | English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Samuel Fuller Productions

Trivia:

Shot in 14 days.

Quotes:

Phineas Mitchell: The press is good or evil according to the character of those who direct it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) (TV)

A poor mans "Citizen Kane"?...low budget homage to early days of american journalism is full of the same electrically vital love of cinemacraft...and is even more honest about the world of new

Sam Fuller's brilliant direction combines a tatty set, low watt cast, and potentially preachy and pedantic script into a small masterpiece...seemingly with the sheer electric passion of his film sense. Superb use of camera takes ordinary talking head shots and makes them off kilter peeks into the clash of opposing souls. The passion filled but low key love/hate/love interplay between opposing editors played by Gene Evans and Mary Welch is one of the most adult and genuine dark romances in cinema history (how sad that this was only major appearance for Welch...who died in 1958). Fuller's lauded tracking shots...including some which seem to have the camera being tossed about like a football in an effort to keep up with the action..are very much in evidence...but film is most striking for it's effortless ability to capture the quiet passion and integrity of one mans devotion to the craft of journalism...a devotion so strong that great love for an unscrupulous competitor was no obstacle...a devotion so great that his insight and passion helped transform the press into the behemoth it is today. Any film that can turn the creation of linotype into a miracle of discovery is a wonder. Check out this 83 minute masterwork...rediscover how alive film can be.