Film Review: Nothing Sacred (1937)

“Fake news” is phrase that is used a lot in past few years, often in order to describe seemingly new and sinister phenomenon that should justify unprecedented levels of global censorship. In reality, media manipulation were as old as media itself and many decades ago American journalist Ben Hecht made quite a career writing comedies about it. One of such works was his script for Nothing Sacred, 1937 film by William A. Wellman, nowadays known as one of the most important screwball comedies of Classic Hollywood.

The film is based on “Letter to the Editor”, short story by James H. Street, originally published in Cosmpolitan magazine. The plot is set in New York City and begins when an African sultan (played by Troy Brown) on a widely publicised visit to the city is revealed to be Ernest Walker, bootblack from Harlem. The Morning Star, the newspaper that championed fake sultan’s cause, is disgraced by the fraud and its chief editor Oliver Stone (played by Walter Connolly) has Wally Cook (played by Fredric March), his star reporter that covered the story, demoted to writing obituaries. Wally begs his boss for another chance to revive career and it comes after learning that Hazel Flagg (played by Carole Lombard), beautiful young woman from small town of Warsaw, Vermont, is about to slowly die from radium poisoning. Wally travels there unaware that Hazel is actually completely healthy, being initially misdiagnosed by town’s often drunk physician Dr. Enoch Downer (played by Charles Winninger). Both Hazel and Downer conspire to hide the truth after learning that Wally intends to bring her to all-expenses-paid trip to New York City, where The Morning Star would cover her tragic story. Plan works like a charm with her sad fate capturing popular imagination and Hazel becomes toast of the city, receiving hero’s welcome and all kinds of perks. She is, however, increasingly troubled by her conscience and her deception gets even more complicated by the romantic feelings she and Wally developed for each other.

Driving force behind Nothing Sacred was David O. Selznick, one of the few independent producers and one of the most important personalities of Classic Hollywood. Few months earlier he produced A Star Is Born, first major hit in Technicolor. The same technique was used for Nothing Sacred, which included first colour footage made for the purpose of rear projection. While the film was made almost entirely in studio, the footage included establishing shots of New York, and colour cinematography provides one of the rare opportunities to see how the city really looked like more than eight decades ago.

The real reason why most people would like to see this film is Hecht’s script, later re-written by series of writers after Hecht left the project, unhappy over Selznick’s refusal to cast his friend John Barrymore, then struggling with alcoholism, in the role of Wally. Hecht and his co-writers have filled the film with sharp dialogue, occasionally mixed with elements of physical comedy, including the fight scene between two protagonists. William A. Wellman provides superb direction, maintaing the quick pace and keeping the film within easily digestible 73 minutes. Carole Lombard, one of the greatest comediennes of Classic Hollywood, shines in the role that shows both her beauty, charm and wit. For Lombard, whose life would tragically end five years later, Nothing Sacred is the only film made in Technicolor and for it she had to paint her hair red, because her natural blonde hair didn’t look as glamorous on screen. Her grand performance isn’t that well-matched by Fredric March, great actor who does solid job but still lacks proper chemistry. He is easily overshadowed not only by Lombard, but also by number of character actors in supporting roles – like Walter Connolly as hysterical newspaper editor and Charles Winninger as loveable drunk. Hardcore cinephiles might also see couple of notable names in cameo roles – like the first African American Oscar winner Hattie McDaniel or future Hollywood gossip queen Hedda Hopper.

While the film takes satirical aim at modern media, its manipulation and public’s desire to be manipulated, Wellman on few occasions even points finger at the Hollywood’s own censorship embodied in Hays Code, most notably In night club scenes featuring scantilly clad “Women of History”. On the other hand, some of the jokes, at least those of the ethnic variety, would mean very little to today’s audience. Nothing Sacred, unlike A Star Is Born, actually flopped at the box office, despite being greeted very well by critics, which continued to this day. In 1953 the script served as basis for 1953 Broadway musical Hazel Flagg, which was in 1954 adapted into Living It Up, film starring Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis and Janet Leigh.

RATING: 8/10 (+++)

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