Even though he had only made his radio debut 2 years before, in 1932 Walter Winchell was one of the most powerful newspaper and radio gossip columnists in America. He had already been caricatured by Lee Tracy in "Blessed Event", mentioned in a popular song "Shuffle Off to Buffalo" - "it's a cinch Winch'll know"!! Now it was time for a nitty gritty portrayal of a lovable heel as only Ricardo Cortez could do. He had been bought to Hollywood in the 1920s to bring Rudolph Valentino into line - Paramount thought Cortez may have had some of the Valentino magic. No one did but Cortez proved he was a capable leading man. In talkies he went from strength to strength and while his villains are indelibly etched in memory (who could forget his psychotic mobster in "Bad Company") it is nice that he could "lighten up" as well.
Sprinkled with some terrific supporting players - Robert Armstrong as Poster's rival columnist who finally scoops him and perky Arline Judge as Poster's world weary secretary ("Remind me to give you a break baby", "I've had a break, big boy"), Cortez plays William Poster who invites the public to look through his "Keyhole" column in the Morning Gazette and uses and abuses friends in his eagerness to spill the dirt on high society.
His girl, Peggy (beautiful Helen Twelvetrees), a showgirl, also helps him out with hot tips and overheard bits of gossip but she is soon forgotten as Will gets on the track of a genuine British Blue Blood, Mildred Huntington (unattractive Jill Esmond - why she was always cast as the sultry upper crust other woman, I'll never know - maybe because she talked posh!!)
When Will accidentally witnesses a murder in a bar he feels no fear in telephoning the story to his paper - even though the killer (Sidney Toler) is crazy and desperate and even though Helen has her best piece of emoting in the movie as she desperately pleads with the unbending Will in the phone booth to think of his safety!! Things start unravelling for Will (they always do!). Peggy dumps him after seeing his ring on Mildred's finger (can't Helen remember how he was in "Bad Company" - it was only the year before!!) Then Mildred gives him the air claiming she has just been using him as her "rough diamond" and seeing what it was like to walk on the wild side. Crazed killer finally confronts him in his office but fortunately Peggy is waiting in the wings to see he gets to the hospital on time - what a girl!!
Gorgeous Helen Twelvetrees was one of Radio's first discoveries and in "Millie" all stops were pulled out to make her "Sin Pictures No. 1 Star". But by the next year Radio and Pathe merged, Katharine Hepburn became the studio's big hope and established stars such as Irene Dunne, Ginger Rogers and Constance Bennett were far out distancing Helen in public popularity. Unfortunately after "Is My Face Red?" Helen's contract was terminated but seeing her luminosity in this movie, I think RKO were crazy!!!
Spot Rochelle Hudson as a surprised young bride through a porthole!!
Sprinkled with some terrific supporting players - Robert Armstrong as Poster's rival columnist who finally scoops him and perky Arline Judge as Poster's world weary secretary ("Remind me to give you a break baby", "I've had a break, big boy"), Cortez plays William Poster who invites the public to look through his "Keyhole" column in the Morning Gazette and uses and abuses friends in his eagerness to spill the dirt on high society.
His girl, Peggy (beautiful Helen Twelvetrees), a showgirl, also helps him out with hot tips and overheard bits of gossip but she is soon forgotten as Will gets on the track of a genuine British Blue Blood, Mildred Huntington (unattractive Jill Esmond - why she was always cast as the sultry upper crust other woman, I'll never know - maybe because she talked posh!!)
When Will accidentally witnesses a murder in a bar he feels no fear in telephoning the story to his paper - even though the killer (Sidney Toler) is crazy and desperate and even though Helen has her best piece of emoting in the movie as she desperately pleads with the unbending Will in the phone booth to think of his safety!! Things start unravelling for Will (they always do!). Peggy dumps him after seeing his ring on Mildred's finger (can't Helen remember how he was in "Bad Company" - it was only the year before!!) Then Mildred gives him the air claiming she has just been using him as her "rough diamond" and seeing what it was like to walk on the wild side. Crazed killer finally confronts him in his office but fortunately Peggy is waiting in the wings to see he gets to the hospital on time - what a girl!!
Gorgeous Helen Twelvetrees was one of Radio's first discoveries and in "Millie" all stops were pulled out to make her "Sin Pictures No. 1 Star". But by the next year Radio and Pathe merged, Katharine Hepburn became the studio's big hope and established stars such as Irene Dunne, Ginger Rogers and Constance Bennett were far out distancing Helen in public popularity. Unfortunately after "Is My Face Red?" Helen's contract was terminated but seeing her luminosity in this movie, I think RKO were crazy!!!
Spot Rochelle Hudson as a surprised young bride through a porthole!!