The Murder Man

Plot

Steve Grey (Spencer Tracy) is a hotshot New York newspaper reporter, specializing in murder. When a crooked businessman named Halford is murdered, Steve pins the blame on the dead man's associate, Henry Mander (Harvey Stephens), theorizing that Halford was killed by a rifle from a shooting gallery across the street.

Mander is arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced to death. Steve goes to visit his father, Pop Grey, who is depressed over his business being ruined. The hard-working, hard-drinking Steve is urged by a woman who loves him, Mary (Virginia Bruce), a gossip columnist, to take some time off.

Another newspaper colleague, Shorty (James Stewart), comes to find him, saying their editor wants Steve to do an exclusive interview with condemned man Mander in prison. He goes to Sing Sing to do so.

Out of guilt, however, Steve shocks everyone by confessing to having committed the murder himself, as revenge for Halford and Mander having ruined his father. Steve's last act is to tell his editor that he's got his biggest story ever.

Reception

Writing for The Spectator, Graham Greene praised Tracy's acting, describing his portrayal of Steve Grey as "as certain as a mathematical formula" and noting that the scene of confrontation between Grey and Henry Mander (portrayed by Harvey Stephens) gave Tracy the chance "of showing the reserve of power behind the ease".

Box office

According to MGM records the film earned $344,000 in the US and Canada and $202,000 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $184,000.