1932 - BLESSED EVENT, a very funny pre-code film

Where has this hilarious comedy been hiding and why isn't it better known?  A gossip columnist in New York City has carved out a  successful career running stories that don't exactly endear him to the people he is reporting on.  He has an informant in a maternity ward  giving him the scoop on women giving  birth some of who are unwed mothers.  He has a hit man finking out the criminal activities of his boss. Finally he's in a media war with a crooner (played by Dick Powell) of a radio program which he has taken a major dislike too.  

The columnist is played by the actor Lee Tracy.  Tracy was in the original Broadway production of The Front Page.  He played Hildy Johnson the fast talking and barely ethical reporter for a sleazy newspaper called "The Examiner."  The play was a big hit and Tracy was a big part of it's success.  When The Front Page made it's way to Hollywood Tracy wasn't considered for the part because he was too much of an unknown.  The role of Hildy Johnson instead went to Pat O'Brien.  

However Tracy essentially got to repeat his Hildy Johnson character in several other newspaper comedies.  He's something to see in action, rattling off dialog at breakneck speed.  He talks his way in and out of one crazy situation after another.  He's completely mesmerizing in every scene he's in and that's the whole film. 

Lee Tracy was a hard living actor with a big fondness for the bottle.  His film career was moving along until he was hired to play what else a reporter in MGM's big production Viva Villa.  Whatever happened on location is still somewhat of a mystery.  Supposedly Tracy was drunk and urinated on a passing Mexican military parade or he gave them the finger.  In any case he was fired off of the film which did serious harm to his career

 Blessed Event is a very funny film pre-code film and it's well worth a look.  Lee Tracy never won an Academy Award but he had an equally great honor, a star on Hollywood Boulvard.

Blessed Event was written by Howard J. Green, the running time is 80 minutes.