The Famous Ferguson Case

Pre-code crime drama focusing on a small-town reporter covering the murder of a prominent banker and the chaos of competing journalists who devour the scandalous story. 　　Bruce Foster (Tom Brown) is a small-town reporter who dreams of landing the big scoop that will gain him entry into the ranks of big-city journos. His dream comes true in nightmare fashion when local resident/world-famous banker George Ferguson (Purnell Pratt) is found murdered, his wife, Marcia (Vivienne Osborne), bound and gagged next to his body. Swiftly selling the story to both respected metropolitan newspapers and tawdry downtown tabloids, Bruce triggers a tidal wave of fast-talking, faster-typing correspondents that crashes upon the sleepy town of Cornwall. While Bruce's gal pal Toni (Adrienne Dore) is quickly and shockingly seduced by scandal jockey Bob Parks (Kenneth Thomson), Bruce receives sage and responsible advice from seasoned newsman Martin Collins (Grant Mitchell). At the center of this conflict between truth seekers and news makers is Maizie Dickson (Joan Blondell), a hard-bitten news hen who still has a heart.