THE STORY ON PAGE ONE

US, 1959, 123 minutes, Black and White.
Rita Hayworth, Anthony Franciosa, Gig Young, Hugh Griffith, Mildred Dunnock.
Directed by Clifford Odets.

The Story on Page One is mainly a court-room drama, directed by veteran playwright of the leftist '30s, Clifford Odets (Golden Boy, The Big Knife, The Country Girl). Odet's direction is rather old-fashioned at times and the structure of the film seems technically clumsy - a stab at headline sensation to start with, the present, flashbacks, prison, flashbacks, the court scene. But the overall effect is quite striking and the film retains interest especially in the well-acted court scenes. The story is an old one played for human interest and understanding.

Rita Hayworth is fine in this film as one of the defendants and shows considerable dignity and feeling. The other standout performance is by Mildred Dunnock (she has played many mothers as in Death of a Salesman, Butterfield 8). She portrays a snobbish, possessive mother who is finally taken apart publicly in the court. It is an unsympathetic role and she is excellent. The film raises questions of human interest and justice and most audiences should find it quite absorbing.

1. Did this court-room drama hold your attention? Why?

2. Was the structure of the film effective - in the employing of the lawyer, prison scenes, flashbacks, court-room - satisfactory? Did it give the necessary information in good order to build up sympathy and understanding as well as tension?

3. Why did Santini take on the case? He changed from indifference to sympathy for his client. Was this an effective dramatic device for gaining audience sympathy?

4. What were your first impressions when you saw the newspaper headline and saw Jo Morris in prison?

5. What did the flashbacks show about the Morris family? Was the husband a good man, a good father, a good policeman? Was he capable of provoking anger?

6. What kind of a woman was Jo Morris? was she shown as a good wife and mother? Should she have got in contact again with Larry Ellis?

7. What influence did Jo's mother have on her? Was she too dominant and interfering or did she just give advice?

8. What kind of a man was Larry Ellis? Did you have sympathy for the couple? What do you think they should have done?
9. What did you think of Larry's mother when she visited Jo Morris? How dominant and interfering was she? How arrogant?

10. Was the accident credible - the party, the husband drunk, suspicious, getting his gun, the struggle, the shot and then the fabricated story?

11. Did you believe at once that J6 Morris was telling the truth? How did Rita Hayworth's acting convey that Jo was sincere and truthful?

12. Why were the court scenes interesting?

13. What did the scene show you about the reliability of witnesses and their assessment of their own evidence - e.g. the hotel proprietor, the insurance salesman?

14. How different was Jo's mother from Larry Ellis' mother?

15. The defendants, in allowing themselves to be cross-examined, exposed themselves freely to the kind of attack that the prosecutor made on them. Did you think the prosecutor overdid his job by seeming to persecute them or is what he did necessary for the execution of American justice?

16. Why did you dislike Larry's mother? Did you think Santini's exposing of her arrogance, selfishness and domination of her son was a good thing? Was it necessary for the trial?

17. How different was Santini's attack on Mrs. Ellis from the prosecutor's attack on the defendants? If one was justified, wasn't the other? If one was repugnant, was not the other?

18. Were you glad of the happy ending? Why?