Sam Fuller's fifth movie (from 1952) "Park Row" is sentimental and misogynist. "War" is not a metaphor in the description "newspaper war" as Fuller portrays publishing in the New York City of the 1880s. Phineas Mitchell (Gene Evans) envisions better ways of doing things, including sponsoring the invention of linotype, inventing newspaper stands, and launching a campaign to raise funds to put up the Statue of Liberty (accepted by Congress without any appropriation for erecting it).
Across the street from his marginal facility for -The Globe- is the established -Star-, published by a ruthless woman misnamed "Charity" but with a fitting last name (Hackett), a Joan Crawford role that was played passionately by newcomer Mary Welch.
An old sidekick of Horace Greeley named Josiah Davenport (Herbert Heyes) encourages Mitchell's innovations and encourages Ms. Hackett to get out of a man's business. After all such antagonism between a man and a woman can only mean they are in love, right?
Although the movie is difficult to get into and is filled with stock characters and hackneyed attitudes, the look of the old-time machinery and Fuller's talent for filming mayhem make an interesting spectacle.
Across the street from his marginal facility for -The Globe- is the established -Star-, published by a ruthless woman misnamed "Charity" but with a fitting last name (Hackett), a Joan Crawford role that was played passionately by newcomer Mary Welch.
An old sidekick of Horace Greeley named Josiah Davenport (Herbert Heyes) encourages Mitchell's innovations and encourages Ms. Hackett to get out of a man's business. After all such antagonism between a man and a woman can only mean they are in love, right?
Although the movie is difficult to get into and is filled with stock characters and hackneyed attitudes, the look of the old-time machinery and Fuller's talent for filming mayhem make an interesting spectacle.