A Dispatch from Reuters (1940)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

I love this movie so much

Fantastic!

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

I saw this again the other night after many years and was impressed at how entertaining it was. It moves at a cracking pace (so typical of Warner Bros style) and has a great cast of fine character actors (especially Albert Bassermann, Nigel Bruce and Otto Kruger) supporting Edward G Robinson in the title role, who gives a nicely understated performance.The telescoping of events and the dramatic license with facts are to be expected in a film from this period, and in the main, the film presents a stirring account of how the transmission of news grew in the 19th century. Some reviewers here criticise Warners for not mentioning Reuter's conversion from Judaism to Christianity but anyone thinking a Hollywood studio would tackle such a complex subject in 1940 is expecting far too much. The direction by Dieterle is first rate and the pace is brisk, with the hand of Hal Wallis very obvious in the snappy editing and excision of any superfluous material.Much was made on the historical accuracy of the sets such as the London Stock exchange) and certainly, the recreation of the House of Commons in London while smaller than the real thing, looked very convincing.There is much else to enjoy here if you are a movie buff of Warner films from this period. When Reuter & Max are walking through the city near the beginning, we see many of the famous standing sets on the Warner back-lot at the time, including :- the Casa di Bonnyfeather and canal at Leghorn (built for Anthony Adverse): the large church structure built circa 1930, with the pillars & big flight of steps that featured in so many films including The Roaring 20s (Cagney dies on those steps at the end) and Deception (Bette Davis runs up those steps at the beginning) and we even see the large Nottingham Castle Gate with portcullis built for The Adventures of Robin Hood in 1937. Some of these sets were still standing as late as 1975! Above all, there is Max Steiner's terrific score. This tale clearly resonated in him and he produces one of his most arresting and dramatic works, with a superbly heraldic Main Title which reappears throughout at key points of the story, and also Steiner's most gorgeous waltz (for Reuter's wife played by the lovely and underrated Edna Best) that betrays his Viennese background. Steiner's score for REUTER cries out for a modern recording, yet few ever mention it when discussing his work for films.I think it is one of his finest, the equal to Now Voyager, All This & Heaven Too and Big Sleep. If the film were shown more, maybe it would be noticed by the CD companies.So, while this may not be the greatest of the Warner bio-pics, it is certainly unjustly overlooked. Let us hope it reaches DVD soon.

"A Dispatch From Reuter's" pretty much has one great thing going for it, and that is Edward G. Robinson of course as Julius Reuter. Otherwise, this is semi-standard old-movie fare that can be quite dull most of the time.Reuter of course was a news pioneer, but not every successful story always makes for a good movie. Seeing guys in the 1930s and 1940s play people in the 1800s is always kind of funny. (Especially when they do the "harumph" thing when they get angry.) There's a lot of talk concerning pigeons that the viewer will get tired of pretty quickly. The characters aren't engaging and the plot is, well, boring and thin. It's a ten-minute movie stretched out to 90 minutes.Unless you are a fan of Edward G. Robinson really, which I am, this is definitely one you can certainly live without seeing.

Just like the other reviewer stated, this one has it all, great acting, great script, great music and direction. It has all the elements of the Warner Brothers films that I grew familiar with when I was a grammar school student, watching the Early Show on TV. I learned about literature, biography, acting, photography styles, music (Korngold, Steiner,Waxman), directing (Curtiz, Dieterle), and a warped view of history (They Died With Their Boots On), all at the same time. This one rests on the great humanity of Edward G. Robinson's acting ability. ****Possible Spoiler***** Watch for the pigeons bearing proposals of marriage! Sheer hokum, but very watchable, and yes, moving. I had never seen this one before; when I was young I would skip movies like this to watch ones promising more violence. But it brought back all those Warner Brothers emotions of warmth and idealism.

Another gem from Hollywood's golden age, "A Dispatch From Reuters", tells the fascinating true story of Julius Reuter (played by the marvelous Edward G. Robinson), founder of the famous news agency, and who started to transmit information using pigeons. Impeccable production, was a distinguished addition to Warner's series of biopics, with fine cast and a typically wonderful music score by the brilliant Max Steiner.