The Murder Man

"He knows the truth BUT HE CAN'T TALK!"

1935 1h 9m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 16

CrimeDramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Steve Grey, reporter for the Daily Star, has a habit of scooping all the other papers in town. When Henry Mander is investigated for the murder of his shady business partner, Grey is one step ahead of the police to the extent that he often dictates his story in advance of its actual occurrence. He leads the police through an 'open and shut' case resulting in Mander being tried, convicted and sentenced to death. Columnist Mary Shannon is in love with Steve but she sees him struggle greatly with his last story before Mander's execution. When she starts typing out the story from his recorded dictation, she realizes why.

“He knows the truth BUT HE CAN'T TALK!”

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Cast

Spencer Tracy
Steven 'Steve' Grey
Virginia Bruce
Mary Shannon
Lionel Atwill
Captain Cole
Harvey Stephens
Henry Mander
Robert Barrat
Robins
James Stewart
Shorty
William Collier Sr.
'Pop' Grey
Bobby Watson
Carey Booth

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tim Whelan
Writers: John C. Higgins, Tim Whelan, Herman J. Mankiewicz
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 69-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

91 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tim Whelan, shot by Lester White. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by William Axt. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor James E. Newcom shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Spencer Tracy and Virginia Bruce and Lionel Atwill carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He knows the truth BUT HE CAN'T TALK!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0026739 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tim Whelan directs. Lester White behind the camera. William Axt scores. James E. Newcom cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 69-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
291 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Tim Whelan, shot by Lester White. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by William Axt. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor James E. Newcom shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Spencer Tracy and Virginia Bruce and Lionel Atwill carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "He knows the truth BUT HE CAN'T TALK!".
8IMDB entry: tt0026739 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 16 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.