Unholy Partners

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Unholy Partners

. . . of the groaning fat cat one per centers tried to one-up the beloved iconic concurrent Warner Bros. classic, CASABLANCA. "Look," these PR liars shilled, "BOTH our feature and Humphrey's star gangsters from the Warner War Room. BOTH films have poignant scenes at their endings with airplanes taking off in the fog. And BOTH movies are built on the framework of star-crossed love affairs not meant to be. CASABLANCA and UNHOLY PARTNERS are two peas in a pod." No, Leo, they're most definitely not! UNHOLY's botched finale tacks on an extraneous SECOND conclusion back in the newsroom. And Eddie can't haul Hump's water in a million years. Plus, any "chemistry" between the dark frog prince and Miss Day evokes sulfuric acid more than sweet perfume.

In New York City, Bruce Corey (Edward G. Robinson) returns from the Great War and turns down the offer to return to his reporter job at the institution of his old paper. Instead, he wants to start his own sensationalized tabloid newspaper aiming to change the entire industry. He has a tough time finding a backer. He agrees to take on mob boss Merrill Lambert as a silent partner. There is a really great hand of poker in the middle of the movie. I wish the rest of the movie has that kind of daring and originality. Merrill's introduction should be him murdering someone. Bruce needs to show some fear to elevate the intensity. He's too cool and collected. There are no thrills in his reactions to Lambert, other than the poker hand. He does give some interesting fear but only after the incident. I still don't love the chase aspect of this thriller. It needs more actual thrills. With a few good scenes, this has some goodness especially for EGR fans.

Another great Edward G. Robinson performance in an entertaining film about a hard driven newspaper man,with fine performances all around. However,what gets me is this: Why place a film in a period setting and ignore aspects of that setting? In this case,this 1941 film was set in 1919. Besides a few indiscretions like inappropriate hairstyles on the women,at one point Marsha Hunt sings After You've Gone in a 1940's swing style with a big band(this is at about 15 years before the "Big Band Era"!) Funny...this film was made only twenty years after the story takes place...no one remembered what things were like? I am reminded of a similar problem(although much worse)in the Gene Krupa Story,where we had "boppy"soloists in the "twenties"! If film makers want contemporary hairstyles,music,etc.,why make a period film?

Potentially interesting story of go-ahead newspaperman Robinson and gangster Arnold as co-owners of groundbreaking tabloid newspaper, wrecked by reducing almost everything to melodrama. Despite the shadowy George Barnes cinematography and great performances by leads and supporting cast, the glossy MGM house style takes the sort of ripped-from-headlines story that director Leroy used to do at Warner Brothers -- often starring Robinson -- and reduces it to mush.

This was a "new" one to me...I don't recall ever hearing or reading a thing about it. Touches of comedy and a terrific story, with wonderful scenes of Robinson and Edward Arnold turning in superb performances. Nice support from the likes of Marsha Hunt, Larraine Day, Don Beddoe and the very underrated DON COSTELLO, so memorable in "The Blue Dahlia." An interesting companion piece to LeRoy's 1931 "Five Star Final" which also starred Robinson. Superior writing and directing, but a twisty ending which comes over as contrived.

This movie was a great reinactment of how newspapers changed their formats from pure journalism to sensationalism just after World War I. Edward G. Robinson, in one of his best unknown roles, starts his own N.Y. tabloid by becoming partners with a gangster who finances everything. The paper crusades against the underworld and soon enough the unholy partners are at conflict. A superp film that gives a better insight of the early newspaper business than "Citizen Kane"(Not saying its better than the Orsen Welles classic).Definatly a high recomendation; insight, drama, love, and guns.