Bibliograph

Blessed event, Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. & the Vitaphone Corp. present ; directed by Roy Del Ruth ; screen play by Howard Green

Type

Label

Blessed event, Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. & the Vitaphone Corp. present ; directed by Roy Del Ruth ; screen play by Howard Green

Language

eng

Characteristic

motion picture

Intended audience

Rating: Not rated

Main title

Blessed event

Medium

videorecording DVD

Responsibility statement

Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. & the Vitaphone Corp. present ; directed by Roy Del Ruth ; screen play by Howard Green

Runtime

Series statement

Warner Bros. Archives

Summary

"While his boss is on vacation, reporter Alvin Roberts has been writing a snappy gossip column featuring announcements of 'blessed events, ' impending births of both the married and unmarried. Although the column is not very respectable, circulation jumps, so Alvin is assigned a regular position. Soon, he is so powerful that gangster Sam Goebel sends his gunman, Frankie Wells, to threaten him. Instead, Alvin tricks Frankie into confessing to murder and records it on his dictaphone. He warns Frankie that if someone kills him, Frankie will be executed painfully. Alvin's nemesis, singer Bunny Harmon, is opening a new nightclub and vows that Alvin will not be admitted, ever. Alvin, on the other hand, insists that he will be there no matter what. When singer Dorothy Lane begs Alvin, who has no scruples when it comes to his column, not to print the news that she is pregnant, he promises not to, but even though she is not married and will not name the baby's father, he runs the story, disregarding the harm it may do to her. Alvin is in love with Gladys Price, another reporter on the paper, who despises his column. When Alvin discovers that Goebel is Dorothy's lover and threatens to expose him, Goebel decides he must be killed. Frankie warns Alvin that Goebel's men will be looking for him at Bunny's nightclub. Gladys begs him not to go, but Alvin sneaks in through the back. Although Goebel's men shoot at him, Alvin is not harmed. Dorothy, however, shoots and kills Goebel. Later Alvin agrees to give up his column for Gladys, using his last column to defend Dorothy and announce his engagement. ... Contemporary sources note that the character of Alvin was based on columnist Walter Winchell"--AFI catalog, 1931-1940

Technique

live action

Classification