Scandal for Sale
Cast & Crew
Russell Mack
Charles Bickford
Rose Hobart
Pat O'brien
Claudia Dell
J. Farrell Macdonald
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Jerry Strong, editor of a Boston newspaper, quits his job after the publishers disagree with his sensationalistic method of reporting a murderer's confession. Jerry and his wife Claire move to New York, where he is hired as city editor of The Comet , promising Bunnyweather, the publisher, that he will increase their circulation. Jerry's best friend and star reporter, Waddell, is in love with Claire, and has come to New York to work with Jerry. When Jerry tries to expose a fraudulent beauty contest, he is tricked by Dorothy Pepper, who was working with him, and knocked unconscious with a poker, which Dorothy uses to make it look as if she was trying to fend off an attack. Jerry is arrested, but a trial proves his innocence, and he returns to work, for which his zeal has never waned. Jerry's marriage suffers because of his single-mindedness about work, and he even loses his son when the child dies because Jerry is too absorbed by work to get a doctor for him. Nothing sways Jerry's attention from his job, and with the Comet's circulation on the rise, Jerry arranges for a transatlantic flight to draw more readers. With a German pilot named Affner at the helm, Jerry assigns Waddell to report from the airplane by radio, despite the dangerous nature of the flight. Waddell, having sent a final letter to Claire and a separate one to Jerry, takes to the air with his ever-present bottle of liquor. When they encounter an electrical storm, however, the plane is debilitated, and the two men die as the plane crashes into the ocean. This event compels Claire to leave Jerry and take their daughter Mildred with her. Before she goes, Jerry leaves her a $25,000 check, which he received as a bonus for improving the newspaper's circulation, and reads Waddell's letter. In the letter, Waddell reveals his love for Claire, and begs Jerry to give up sensationalistic news reporting because of its destructive nature. Recognizing Waddell's wisdom, Jerry asks Claire to use the $25,000 to purchase a small town newspaper in Dayton, Ohio, where he promises to run the paper conservatively. Claire consents, and the couple reunites.
Director
Russell Mack
Cast
Charles Bickford
Rose Hobart
Pat O'brien
Claudia Dell
J. Farrell Macdonald
Harry Beresford
Berton Churchill
Glenda Farrell
Tully Marshall
Mitchell Harris
Hans Von Twardowski
Lew Kelly
Mary Jane Graham
Buster Phelps
Paul Nicholson
James Farley
Jack Richardson
Angie Norton
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working titles of this film were Ambition and Scandal Market.
