Humphrey Bogart was the nominal star here, however he was outshined by two other actors who got fifth and sixth billing. The film is also known as "The Fatal Hour", which was the title under which I saw it on TCM. The story involves an irresponsible radio network that digs up a twenty year old murder story, leading to tragedy. Bogart is a radio network executive who has some morals, while his boss -- the owner of the network -- played by Robert Middlemass. The real stars here, however, are character actors Henry O'Neill (long a favorite of mine who really shines here) and Helen MacKellar (an actress of little note who turns in a superb performance here; they play the mother and father of a young woman about to be married. But the two parents have a secret...the mother once murdered someone...justifiably. The radio network digs up the story again, ruining the lives of several of the key characters, and -- rather unusual for this time period -- there are two suicides involved. I had never seen this film, but it was a treat. Recommended.

I started watching this film, "Two Against the World," then thought I'd seen it, and consequently found out it's a remake of "Five Star Final." It's been a while, but the story is basically the same. Humphrey Bogart plays Sherry Scott, the manager of a radio station. His boss suggests that may he's aiming the programming above the heads of the audiences. "You could sit on a toadstool and be above this one," Bogie sneers. The station owner wants a serial based on a twenty-year-old murder case, in which a woman killed her husband but the homicide was found to be justifiable.The woman, now Edith Carstairs (Linda Perry) at this point is married to a banker (Henry O'Neill) and their daughter (Helen MacKellar) is about to be married to a man from a very good family (Carlyle Moore, Jr.). When the show starts to air on the radio, Edith, whose daughter knows nothing of her past, begs her husband to do something about it. He tries, but to no avail.This film is an indictment against tabloid radio, as opposed to what we have today -- tabloid everything. Bogart is good in a real '30s melodramatic role, and Beverly Roberts has a nice turn as the know-it-all secretary. Linda Perry is sympathetic as Edith.I think "Five Star Final" is slightly better, but this film, for its time, was well done.

***SPOILERS*** Early Humphrey Bogart flick has Bogie playing the program director Sherry Scott of the UBC radio network the self proclaimed "Voice of the People" that in fact specializes in sleaze and scandal. Needing to up it's rating the station president Bertra C. Retnolds, Robert Middlemass, comes up with this great idea of reviving the notorious Gloria Pembroke, the O.J Simpson of the 1920's,case where Gloria was found innocent in the shooting death of her drunken and abusive husband. Even though Gloria was found innocent, like O.J was, she had to change her name and go into hiding since no one, but he jury who found her innocent, believed her story.As it later turned out sleaze-ball private investigator Dr. Martin Levenwoth, Harry Hyden, tracked down Gloria, who's now calls herself Martha Carstaris, Hellen McKallar, and pretending to be a priest gets the lowdown of her shadowy past and reports back to his boss UBC program director Sherry Scott with the story. The sad thing about all this is not only exposing Martha's past to the public with the 15 part radio program "Sin Doesn't Pay" but putting her sweet and lovely daughter Edith's, Linda Perry, marriage to steel magnet Malcolm Sims,Douglas Wood, son Maclolm Jr, Carlyle Moore Jr, on the rocks. That if the truth about Linda's mom's past was ever to became pubic!****SPOILERS**** The film shows just how far people in the media will go to make a buck not caring whom they destroy in making it. It's UBC's president Bertram C. Reynolds who refused to cancel the program even when Martha and her husband Mr. Jim Carstairs, Henry O'Neill, beg him too. It was the tragedy that the show lead to that had program director Sherry Scott have a sudden change of heart. In the aftermath of what damage the show caused Scott just couldn't go on working for the UBC network. And knowing what greedy low life scum like Reynolds and Levenworth are capable of doing Scott, despite his involvement in their crimes, in the end willingly goes to court to testify against them and put the two out of the media and radio business together with himself as well.

What a difference five years makes. This remake of "Five Star Final" (1931) came after the repeal of Prohibition and the institution of the Production Code. Consequently, the seedy speakeasy becomes a glossy cocktail bar, and the generally amoral atmosphere of the original acquires a bent to moral condemnation in the remake.Still, "One Fatal Hour" (as it was titled on TCM) has a lot going for it. It's fast, nasty as Joe Breen would allow, and borrows much of "Five Star Final"'s sharp dialogue. (I think it also borrows the set for the hapless couple's apartment.) Bogart, in a rare pre-1940 lead role, gives a first-rate performance as the news director who struggles against his own principles even as he greenlights a muckraking radio series that will ruin the lives of a rehabilitated murderess and her blameless family. Harry Hayden, as a divinity student-turned-tabloid radio host, actually improves on Boris Karloff's performance in "Five Star Final"; he's charming, genial and deadly. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is B-level, but watchable.