Headline Shooter (1933)

Interesting facts

Headline Shooter is a 1933 American pre-Code drama about the life of a newsreel photographer. Director Otto Brower intertwined the screenplay written by Agnes Christine Johnston, Allen Rivkin, and Arthur Kober, with actual newsreel footage of natural and man-made disasters. The film starred William Gargan, Frances Dee, Ralph Bellamy, and Jack LaRue.

Production

In early March 1933, RKO announced that they were producing a film about two newsreel cameramen, originally titled News Reel, Harold Shumate was supposed to be the screenwriter. Later that month, on March 23, RKO further announced that Sarah Y. Mason and William Ulman Jr. had been chosen to collaborate on the screenplay. The two had earlier worked on another film, Hock Shop.

In April, it was announced that two cameramen from the Pathe' newsreel group were being brought in to consult on the film, still tentatively titled, News Reel. Further Pathe participation was developed when Jack Connolly, Pathe News general manager was flown to Hollywood to consult on the picture.

RKO announced on May 1, 1933, that Eric Linden had been chosen to be cast in the film. Also at the beginning of May it was announced that RKO was changing the title of the film from News Reel to Headline Shooters. In mid-May, it was announced that Helen Mack was cast to star in the film, although by the beginning of June she had already been replaced by Frances Dee.

Variety listed the title of the film as Headline Shooters on June 6, and as being in its 4th week of filming. The cast was as listed in the cast list in this article, however Arthur Kober had not been given credit at that point. As late as July 8, the film was still being referred to as Headline Shooters, and was even referred to in this way after release, as per a listing in the Motion Picture Herald on August 5.

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