Blessed event
(DVD)

Title from container and the web.

Originally released as a motion picture in 1932.

"This disc is expected to play back in DVD Video 'play only' devices, and may not play back in other DVD devices, including recorders and PC drives"--Container.

"Based on the play 'Blessed event' by Manuel Seff and Forrest Wilson; staged by Harlan Thompson."

Edited by James Gibbon; art director, Robert Haas; photography by Sol Polito; Vitaphone Orchestra conducted by Leo F. Forbstein.

Lee Tracy as Alvin Roberts. Mary Brian as Gladys Price. Dick Powell as Bunny Harmon. Allen Jenkins as Frankie Wells. Ruth Donnelly as Miss Stevens. Emma Dunn as Mrs. Roberts. Edwin Maxwell as Sam Gobel; Ned Sparks as George Moxley. Walter Walker as Mr. Miller; Frank McHugh as Reilly. [Harold Waldridge].

"While his boss is on vacation, reporter Alvin Roberts has been writing a snappy gossip column featuring announcements of 'blessed events, ' impending births of both the married and unmarried. Although the column is not very respectable, circulation jumps, so Alvin is assigned a regular position. Soon, he is so powerful that gangster Sam Goebel sends his gunman, Frankie Wells, to threaten him. Instead, Alvin tricks Frankie into confessing to murder and records it on his dictaphone. He warns Frankie that if someone kills him, Frankie will be executed painfully. Alvin's nemesis, singer Bunny Harmon, is opening a new nightclub and vows that Alvin will not be admitted, ever. Alvin, on the other hand, insists that he will be there no matter what. When singer Dorothy Lane begs Alvin, who has no scruples when it comes to his column, not to print the news that she is pregnant, he promises not to, but even though she is not married and will not name the baby's father, he runs the story, disregarding the harm it may do to her. Alvin is in love with Gladys Price, another reporter on the paper, who despises his column. When Alvin discovers that Goebel is Dorothy's lover and threatens to expose him, Goebel decides he must be killed. Frankie warns Alvin that Goebel's men will be looking for him at Bunny's nightclub. Gladys begs him not to go, but Alvin sneaks in through the back. Although Goebel's men shoot at him, Alvin is not harmed. Dorothy, however, shoots and kills Goebel. Later Alvin agrees to give up his column for Gladys, using his last column to defend Dorothy and announce his engagement. ... Contemporary sources note that the character of Alvin was based on columnist Walter Winchell"--AFI catalog, 1931-1940.

Rating: Not rated.

DVD ; Dolby Digital mono; Full frame, 4x3, aspect ratio, 1.37.

DVD