As a long-time and former journalist, I was hooked early when a character bought a copy of the magazine "Editor & Publisher," the bible of the newspaper industry -- or it was then. And was into the many years of my being in the industry. (I even wrote an article for it.) But it might not even exist now, since newspapers themselves are dying like the proverbial flies, or cutting days of publication from seven to as few as three.
What the magazine-buying character found was an ad selling a small-town weekly, the owning of which, at one time, was many a journalist's dream.
And, for some, maybe for many, the dream still exists, although it is probably more difficult now to make a living with such a publication.
Many of the difficulties shown in this movie are drawn from real life. People will not subscribe. People will not advertise.
But they by gosh expect to have their stories covered, their clubs, their sewing circles, their engagements and weddings, their schools, their churches. "And be sure to spell my name right this time: It's 'D-O-W.' With a 'D' and not a 'C.' "
(I once misspelled "Raul" as "Raoul," French vs. the correct Spanish. First rule: ASK the spelling, especially names.)
When a farmer complained about no coverage for the drought, he expressed a valid complaint. With an almost non-existent staff, a paper might not be able to cover much outside the nearest neighborhoods around the paper's office.
The editor's response here is rather extreme, even for California, and takes the story out of the mundane.
The cast in this Universal Picture is top of the line, and they are handed some excellent well-written dialogue.
I highly recommend "It Happens Every Thursday," a very good copy of which is available at YouTube.
