1932 Directed by William A. Seiter
William Poster writes a gossip column for the Morning Gazette. He will write about anyone and everyone as long as he gets the credit. He gets most of his information from his showgirl gal-pal, Peggy. Eventually Bill's reckless tattling gets him in deep trouble with friends and enemies, putting his career and life in jeopardy.
Two pros play the types that practically nobody else could top them at in this tale of tabloid treachery and crimeland revenge. Ricardo Cortez is a heel to other heels, a ruthless gossip columnist who would sell his own mother up the river for a juicy scoop. And Helen Twelvetrees is his long-suffering girlfriend who has sacrificed everything to get him where he is, at the top of the food chain in the newspaper industry. But when he follows a story into the arms of a socialite, Twelvetrees becomes the jilted woman, the role she played for most of her career. She just had those sad, soulful eyes that typecast her... the type that one fellow cast member once called…
Not bad, and actually quite funny at times, but Warner Bros.' own Blessed Event and Picture Snatcher are snappier, more succinct takes on the same basic scenario. Ricardo Cortez does play sleazy quite well, though.
There was a great scene near the beginning between Ricardo Cortez and Helen Twelvetrees. There was no dialogue, just their sarcastic reactions as he watches her dance from backstage. The snappy dialogue that followed was nice and I thought, "Yes! More, please." Unfortunately, gossip columnist Cortez never elevated himself beyond a cad and all-around jerk. What a waste!
I watched this for Helen Twelvetrees. I wish that she had more screen-time. I thought Arline Judge and Zasu Pitts were funny!
Ricardo Cortez is a gossip columnist that just can't stop provoking. Good set of supporting actors with plenty of gags making it a easy experience, but the main plot of provoking a killer was weak. I'm glad he had dames Helen Twelvetrees, Arline Judge & Jill Esmond around him to spunk things up!
Ricardo Cortez plays a "likable" scumbag newspaper gossip with a huge ego and no fear. The really likable one is his loyal girlfriend of five years played by Helen Twelvetrees. She's smart, sly, helps him in his work, protects him... so of course he does her dirt, and the damned script asks her, and us, to forgive him. I was taken by another supporting performance - Arline Judge as his secretary, Bea. She had star quality in a Priscilla Lane kind of way. I can't understand why she didn't end up a major star.
If you can forgive the plot and its resolution, this is actually a fun and entertaining film. If you can't, you may end up yelling at your screen (yes, I did).
While others were piling in to the multiplex to watch Alien:Covenant, I was sitting in my home cinema watching this entertaining 1932 movie that has zero CGI, innocent wit and a language far gone from the current new millennium format. "I rootin' tootin' tell you" shouts Ricardo Cortez as if to insult a fellow journalist. With one of my favorite subject matters 'journalism', IMFR (the last line of the movie) entertained me for it's splendid running time of 65 minutes and threw in the wonderfully named Helen Twelvetrees for added attraction. No Aliens here folks.
REVIEW Sept, 2016-
Helen Twelvetrees and Jill Esmond provide the glamour to the cocky newspaper reporter Ricardo Cortez, who has a smile that says 'don't…
Disappointing crooked journo comedy. It's snappy, but the added romantic subplot is weak and Cortez, much as I love him, just isn't able to make the character slimy enough to be believable.
The man I like to call "Dick" Cortez and the woman I like to call...Helen Twelvetrees team up with RKO stalwart Robert Armstrong to tell this story of a so-called journalist (Cortez) who dishes the dirt on any and everyone he can find, as long as it boosts his career. Of course, it's never that simple and soon his life is in danger.
Some actors can become what is politely known as "typecast," but if you've got it, flaunt it, right? Wrong. Mr Cortez's gift was to play the selfish antagonist who will stop at nothing to get his way. Fine if you're a career criminal, but a reporter? Mr Cortez was the wrong man for this part. Who was…
Morning Gazette Telephone Operator: And get the lead out of my WHAT?… oh, Mister Poster!
OK newspaper movie with a smackable performance by Ricardo Cortez as an unscrupulous gossip columnist.
William Poster (Ricardo Cortez) is a fast-talking gossip columnist who rubs just about everyone the wrong way. When he witnesses a murder, he decides to not inform the police and instead push the story instead.
IS MY FACE RED? is a cute title but I'm really not sure what it has to do with the actual film. With that being said, this RKO film certainly isn't a masterpiece or even a good film but it does offer up a great cast as well as a fast pace, which makes it worth sitting through.
In a weird twist, Helen Twelvetrees gets the top billing for some reason even though she's a supporting player. She at least offers up a good performance…
All of the women in this movie should have teamed up to beat up Ricardo Cortez for all of his bad behavior.
