Jack Webb"s "-30-"

Jack Webb's 1959 film -30- is a compelling movie, even at times when you would rather not be compelled. It's It's both highly engaging and one of the best portraits of a big city paper I've ever seen on the screen (with all due respect to Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur). -30- is, of course, the designation  traditionally used by  reporters to indicate the end of their articles.  The film's flaws are obvious, such as the classic trope of every crisis, both public and private, occurring on one night in the newsroom, and all of them resolved by dawn. But the film looks great, with rain constantly beating on the windows, and tired middle-aged copy editors and coffee grinds everywhere.  Webb, most famous as Joe Friday in Dragnet, directed the film, as well as playing the paper's managing editor, Sam Gatlin, a man struggling with personal demons as he attempts to cover a major story.  Webb gives what is arguably his best performance in a feature film. Hard-boiled but with a heart of gold and all that.

Some critics asserted at the time that the portrait of the newspaper was wildly unrealistic. Having not been on a newspaper in the 1950s, I really can't judge. But the movie is fun.