Mark Flint is an overzealous newspaper editor, determined to print the news no matter whose life it may destroy. His policy has brought the Daily Bulletin more success than ever before, thus, owner Franklin does not prevent Mark from printing news that will ruin the career of one of Franklin’s oldest friends. Mark’s only other love in life is his wife Edith. Edith is grateful to her husband for his generous treatment of her, but is bored by him and does not love him. She has been having an affair with their financial advisor, Noel Adams. Noel demands that either Edith leave Mark, or discontinue the affair. He has arranged for passage on a steamer and gives her twenty-four hours to make her decision. In the meantime, Noel finds out that the bank of which he is a trustee is going under because of some stock they underwrote. The bank will have to get a loan to buy back the stock from their patrons so that it does not fail. Mark manages to get wind of the story and confronts Noel. At first he gives Noel forty-eight hours to make good with the shareholders before printing the story, but when he sees that Noel’s suitcases are packed, he misconstrues Noel’s actual intentions and concludes that he plans to run out. Mark leaves, still unaware that Noel had been hoping to leave with Edith, and prints the story in an extra issue. Edith goes to Noel’s apartment to decline his offer, but when she finds out about her husband’s ruthlessness, she feels freed to join Noel. One of Mark’s reporters takes a telling photograph of Noel and Edith together. Franklin asks Mark if he would publish a photo that might ruin the life of one of his associates, and when Mark responds affirmatively, Franklin gives him the photograph. Mark then confronts Edith, who confirms that Noel is her lover. He returns to the paper and reports in an article that he has killed Noel and will surrender himself to the police. Time passes, and Mark becomes the editor of the Sing Sing prison newspaper, and remains as dedicated as he always has been to printing the news. More on Wikipedia or Mubi
Watch Scandal Sheet (1931)
