A Dispatch from Reuter's (1940)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

William Dieterle

Writers:

Valentine Williams (story) and
Wolfgang Wilhelm (story) ...

Release Date:

19 October 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot:

Starting with a small flock of carrier pigeons, nineteenth-century entrepreneur Julius Reuter turns...

Plot Keywords:

Julius Reuter | Pigeon | Pigeon Post | Telegraph | Marriage Proposal

Cast

Edward G. Robinson	...	Paul Julius Reuter
Edna Best	...	Ida Magnus Reuter
Eddie Albert	...	Max Wagner
Albert Bassermann	...	Franz Geller
Gene Lockhart	...	Otto Bauer
Otto Kruger	...	Dr. Magnus
Nigel Bruce	...	Sir Randolph Persham
Montagu Love	...	Mr. John Delane
James Stephenson	...	Carew
Walter Kingsford	...	Louis Napoleon III
David Bruce	...	Mr. Bruce
Dickie Moore	...	Julius Reuter as a Boy
Billy Dawson	...	Max Wagner as a Boy
Richard Nichols	...	Herbert Reuter, Aged 5
Lumsden Hare	...	Chairman

Also Known As:

This Man Reuter (UK)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #6277) | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Pat Flaherty, listed in studio records playing a sailor, was not seen in the movie.

Soundtrack:

The Battle Cry of Freedom

Fair Bio

Dispatch from Reuter's, A (1940)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Minor bio-pic from Warner features Edward G. Robinson as Paul Julius Reuter, the man who started off with pigeons and then building Europe's fastest news wire service. The late 30's and early 40's were full of biography movies and this one here is somewhat entertaining but there's just not enough here to make it really worth seeing. I know a few things about Reuter's life that wasn't included in this film and I can only guess that the subject wouldn't have interested folks in 1940. With that said, I'm really not sure what Jack Warner himself would have found so interesting about the story actually filmed. The main story has Reuter trying to stay ahead of other people and a big finale about his report on the Lincoln assassination and whether or not it's true. There really never is any drama that builds from any of the situations, although I will admit the stuff with the pigeons was pretty good. The film covers a wide range of years but the time itself never seems to move in the film. Not for a second did I believe I was watching something taking place in the 1820's and this really takes away from the atmosphere that should have been created. Robinson turns in a fairly good performance but I did expect more from him. He fits the role quite well but not once did I feel too much passion coming from him. Edna Best serves as the wife but doesn't really add too much. Eddie Albert does the best work of the cast with Gene Lockhart, Otto Kruger, James Stephenson and Nigel Bruce rounding out the supporting players. Child star Dickie Moore has a brief part in the film. I'm sure a good movie might be made with this story but sadly it's not this one.