STAR REPORTER (1939) Warren Hull, Marsha Hunt & Wallis Clark | Crime, Drama, Romance | B&W

Star Reporter is a 1939 American film directed by Howard Bretherton, written by John T. Neville and starring Warren Hull, Marsha Hunt and Wallis Clark. It was released February 22, 1939.

SYNOPSIS
John Randolph (Warren Hull), an idealistic young newspaper owner who uses his paper as an instrument for the public good, uses a campaign against crime to successfully run grafting politicians out of town. District Attorney William Burnette (Wallis Clark), father of Barbara Burnette (Marsha Hunt) who John loves, learns that John's father (unknown to John) is a criminal they are seeking. He refuses to prosecute him and John, not knowing the real reason, turns against Burnette and tries to run him out of office.

Star Reporter, John Randolph (Warren Hull), with his fiancée, Barbara Burnette, (Marsha Hunt), has faith in her father, D.A. William Burnette (Wallis Clark), and throws the full weight of his newspaper behind him, in hopes of tracking down his own father's killer.

John is convinced that his father was murdered to stop him from revealing the organized crime bosses, in the city. Now, all he needs is proof. Just as he's about to get the goods on the criminal kingpin, lawyer Whittaker (Clay Clement), there is another murder.

Little does John suspect that the confessed killer, Joe Draper (Morgan Wallace) and his own mother, Mrs. Julia Randolph (Virginia Howell) have their own deep, dark secret, from the past: the true identity of her long, lost, already declared dead, husband; and, John's real father.

Whittaker and his mobsters will do anything to close the case. They're willing to shut anyone up permanently, who they can't buy off. John will stop at nothing, to see justice done, even when his own fiancée and Mother warn him that he might not be ready to handle the truth!

CAST & CREW
Warren Hull as John Randolph, aka John Charles Benton
Marsha Hunt as Barbara Burnette
Wallis Clark as District Attorney William Burnette
Clay Clement as Whittaker
Morgan Wallace as Joe Draper, aka Charles Benton
Virginia Howell as Mrs. Julia Randolph
Paul Fix as Clipper
Joseph Crehan as Gordon, Newspaper Editor
Eddie Kane as Sam Grey
William Ruhl as Police Investigator Lane
Effie Anderson as Molly, D.A.'s Secretary
Lester Dorr as Reporter Wilkins
Monte Collins as Reporter Hogan
Denis Tankard as Mason, Burnette's Butler

Directed by Howard Bretherton
Written by John T. Neville
Produced by E.B. Derr
Cinematography Arthur Martinelli
Edited by Russell F. Schoengarth
Distributed by Monogram Pictures
Release date February 22, 1939
Running time 62 minutes
Country United States
Language English