In order for gangsters to thrive,three forms of corruption are required; the corruption of politicians, the police and finally the press. Unlike the newspaper in Warner Bros' Five Star Final (also released in 1931) the paper of The Finger Points known simply as The Press are proud to be socially responsible and even calling themselves "the world's best newspaper". However the paper's employee's don't entirely relish in this corny mentality as seen when the editor gives a speech at the end of the working day on what he calls the paper's crusade, yet afterwards the employees just laugh it up. Likewise we also discover that reporters for The Press often just avoid on reporting on the activity of gangsters in order to avoid the consequences. Breckenridge Lee (Richard Barthelmess) on the other hand goes on step further and takes bribes from gangsters in order to suppress stories. The plot of The Finger Points was inspired by the true story of Alfred "Jake" Lingle, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune whom had been suppressing stories for $60,000 a year from Al Capone. Lingle was shot to death on June 9th, 1930, a day before he was to testify against Capone.Richard Barthelmess was an actor with a gentle and sensitive nature that had a lot going on behind his deep set brooding eyes. I don't think any other actor could have performed the role of the naïve but eager go-getting southerner Breckenridge "Breck" Lee. At the beginning of the film he gives a letter to the managing editor of The Press from his former editor of the Savannah Constitution,calling Breckenridge Lee "one of the best reporter I've ever had" and "He's got the stuff. All he needs is a chance to show it. Give him a break into the big league". Breckenridge mentions he only did general reporting although can I assume Savannah isn't as tough as New York City in a movie which showcases the divide between northerners and southerners. Likewise Breck's group of friends along with Marcia (Fray Wray) and Charlie (Regis Toomey) really make for a fun trio.I've read a number of reviews calling Breck's transition to corruption unconvincing - I must disagree. I find the film makes this transition convincing in several ways; the pressure he's under from the hospital bills he has to pay, his general naivety plus it is evident from his previous journalistic success that the recognition is slightly going to his head. The Finger Points opens with an impressive, showy shot of a moving train as the camera pans from one side of it to another, once again disproving the notion that films from the early 30's where largely static. This is also exemplified with a number of long panning shots of the expansive and busy newspaper office with the sound of typewriters going on non-stop in the background; I never tire of classic atmosphere of a newspaper office.My main reason for seeking out this obscurity was for a certain Clark Gable in an early supporting role while on loan to Warner Bros from MGM. Along with Warner's Night Nurse released the same year, Gable is the show stealer. He is nowhere near as overtly evil than his role in Night Nurse, instead playing a sympathetic but still manipulative gangster in The Finger Points. He is also given more screen time than in Night Nurse, in this one of his best early screen roles.The crime boss in The Finger Points is simply referred to as "Number 1" and during his one scene in the movie he is only scene sitting from behind a desk with his back to the camera with a face which is never seen like Dr Claw from Inspector Gadget.There is even a shot which visualises the title of the movie in which we see a close up of Number 1's hand holding a cigar and pointing his finger towards the camera. I love this whole sequence as it leans towards being a live action cartoon but doesn't take away from the serious nature of the film.The Finger Points has never seen the light of day on home video. As I've said before, no other decade seems to have as many hidden gems as the 1930's; a real archaeological site of cinema.

Early WB "Pulled from the Headlines" Story that in this Case the "Headlines" were Literally the Gist of the Movie. This is One of those Newspaper Exposes Popular in the Early Thirties when "Print" was The Thing. Gangsters could be Exposed and Brought Down by "The Press" that could Alert Authorities and Stir Public Outrage. "Crusaders" was a Term Often Used to Describe those Pushing to Remove Vice and Murder from the Streets.In this One, Silent Star Richard Bartholomew, Regis Toomey, and Fay Wray are the Headliners with Clark Gable (in his fourth film) Supporting. The Film has its Moments of Intrigue Concerning Payoffs and Gangs, Crime Reporters and Ethics. There is Quite a Contrast here from the Spit-Fire Dialogs that were a Trademark of the Genre and Bartholomew's Slow Delivery and Stiff Performance may put Some to Sleep. But it is a Relief from the Usual Machine Gun Spouting that was Routine at the Time.Regis Toomey is, well, Breezy as Breezy the Third Wheel in this Triangle and Fay Wray has that Pleasant Voice and Delivery and is Filmed Quite Cute. Clark Gable, some say, Steals the Show but His Character here doesn't do much Except Maybe in a Scene or Two, and is OK but Surely Nothing Special.There are some Pre-Code Interest like an Unrepentant Protagonist and Pre-Marital Overnighting, but Not Much Else. Overall, Based on a True Story and with Enough Interest to Recommend, this One is Not a Must See but is Worth a Watch.

For his fifth credited film, Clark Gable was loaned to Warner Brothers where as gang leader Louis Blanco he dominates the film The Finger Points. The story is not so loosely based on the saga of Chicago Tribune reporter Jake Lingle who was gunned down because he had traded on his journalistic immunity from bullets just once too often.Richard Barthelmess plays a courtly and naive southern kid who comes to the big city to make good. Playing it on the square for $35.00 a week when the paper won't stand your hospital bills while hurt on the job was just a bit much for him. He decides to use his contacts to kill stories more than print them and get paid off big time for doing so. Clark Gable puts him on to this racket, but pretty soon Barthelmess is in business all for himself.I'm surprised in this pre-code drama that Barthelmess's character was softened in the end. Possibly to make him a suitable love interest for Fay Wray who plays the newspaper's sob sister columnist. The softening however cheapens the story, the real Jake Lingle was never repentant of any of his gangland dealings.Nevertheless Gable's charisma really dominates this film. He did about 10 films in 1931 mostly for his home studio of MGM and his parts kept getting bigger and bigger. I'm sure Jack Warner would love to have put him in his gangster stable of stars. If he could have it's interesting to speculate where Clark Gable's career might have gone.The Finger Points is a not a bad film, but Lingle's story inspired many films and has been done better.

This is typical of the social dramas, or hollywood gangster films of the thirties, except its protagonist is a newsman, who gets no thanks for being a good reporter, (he gets beat up, and his bosses refuse to foot the hospital bills) and thus decides to be a finger pointer for the mob, while being fed stories by one mob to knock off the operations of its rival mobs. Certain scenes are overplayed and dreary while others are quiet with a lot of pathos to it. The once great star of silent cinema, Richard Barthelmess, was not great at delivering dialogue and is much the same here. But you've got Gable playing a gangster and a last fifteen minutes where given no dialogue, Bartelmess gets to shine and show us the actor he was. Overall, a good gangster flick dealing with the stories of the time that the press had been infiltrated by the mob to withhold harmful stories against them. It also was a hit, if that's a plus.