Simply Perfect

Just perfect...

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Blistering performances.

Most of the lines delivered in this film convey no emotional content. As a result, the entire film has little impact.The story is not believable, mostly due to the performance of Richard Barthlemess, who plays the main character, Breckinridge Lee. Lee is a small-town reporter who moves to the big city and becomes a crime reporter. The love interest is played by Fay Wray, who has her moments. But only Clark Gable really shines through the dullness of this production.It's a shame, really, because the storyline has real potential. If only it had been fleshed out and given to an actor who could portray the important emotions: the uncertainty of the fish-out-of-water, the man in love with the woman, the fear of the reporter involved in something dangerous, the distress of a man torn between love and shame.

Savannah, Georgia born newspaper reporter Richard Barthelmess (as Breckenridge "Breck" Lee) takes a job at a "big city" (presumably Chicago) publication called "The Press". Right away, Mr. Barthelmess becomes a crusading investigator. Working for a measly $35 per week, he finds romantic compensation with pretty newspaperwoman Fay Wray (as Marcia Collins). Regis Toomey (as Charlie "Breezy" Russell) provides friendly competition. Alas, Barthelmess' investigative story gets him severely beat up by gangsters. After he gets out of the hospital and can't pay the bills, Barthelmess is tempted by the local crime lord's payroll, alongside tall gangster Clark Gable (as Louis Blanco). Never too convincing.***** The Finger Points (4/11/31) John Francis Dillon ~ Richard Barthelmess, Fay Wray, Clark Gable, Regis Toomey

This film is moderately engaging and offers the viewer a chance to see Clark Gable in one of his earliest roles. Lovers of Gable won't be disappointed, as Clark did a good job in a supporting role as a hoodlum. However, apart from this, the script is pretty poor and Richard Barthelmess is given a thankless job playing a really stupid character. These are exactly the sort of films that helped to kill Barthelmess' career prematurely--going from a leading man to a has-been very quickly.The film begins well, as Barthelmess plays a small town reporter who is hired by a big city newspaper. When he tries to make a name for himself by exposing a local mob joint, he is severely beaten but still wants to continue his job as a crusading reporter. However, oddly, his editor refuses to pay for Barthelmess' hotel bills and almost instantly, Barthelmess goes from good guy to a mob collaborator!! This makes absolutely no sense at all, though the basic idea COULD have worked. But, his switch is almost instant and you just can't believe this this sweet guy becomes an instant jerk. Additionally, aside from being "on the take", he soon gets a very swelled head and is just begging to be assassinated by the mob. Imagine a reporter trying to "put the squeeze" on the mob--demanding MORE money. No one is THAT stupid!! Overall, it's of no interest to anyone by Gable fans. Anyone expected good writing or intelligent characters should look elsewhere.By the way, there are a couple other items of note about this film. First, there is almost no incidental music--making this a very quiet film. This wasn't too unusual for 1931, as sound film styles still hadn't been completely worked out and they just didn't realize that not having music made the films seem flat. Plus, in the earliest films, the actually had to have the orchestra there on the set--they didn't yet figure out how to add music later. Second, there is a strong implied sex scene towards the end--something that might shock viewers but which wasn't that unusual in the Pre-Code days of Hollywood (before 1934).

It pays to watch a movie more than once. When I first saw "The Finger Points", I found it to be an enjoyable Warner Bros crime flick with few surprises. I just had the opportunity to see it again, and I found all kinds of interesting gimmicks.A young reporter, played by Richard Barthalmess, migrates from Savannah, to the big city to make his mark. He is picked up by a tabloid and charged with exposing the political/criminal junta that runs the town. He falls in love with his coworker, played by a yummy Fay Wray, and in his quest to hit the big time, gets his hands dirty. He throws in with the mob, eventually double crosses them for love, and gets his in the end.What is interesting about this movie, and what I never realized the first time I saw it, was that it was a tale ripped from the headlines of the day. After extorting money from the mob to bury the corruption, he is finally introduced to "Number One". We don't get to see his face, but he obviously represents Al Capone. The biggest scam of them all involves the mob moving in and taking over an entire city. They transform it into a mecca for gambling, bootleg liquor, speakeasies, and all manner of corruption. In the movie they call it Waverly, but it describes Capone's takeover of Cicero perfectly. Finally, the corrupt reporter with mob connections is gunned down in the street. I finally made the connection to a real life incident involving a reporter in Chicago named Jake Lingle. They even had a funeral procession down the main boulevard just as they did for Jake.These details may not mean much to everybody, but they make for a realistic story that, left to the hack writers imagination, would probably not be nearly as good. The dialog is kind of stilted, and the likable Richard Barthalmess' performance is predictably wooden, but nothing is perfect. If you're a crime buff, this is a winner.Note: In 1931, Clark Gable was just getting a toe hold in the business. In this movie he gets 4th billing as a gangster henchman.