A male and female journalist join forces to hunt down a murderer.
Plot
American Paul Banner used to be a reporter working in London. Recently leaving his paper, he has gone freelance, so that he can focus more on chasing down facts and selling his stories once he gets them. He has no regrets in leaving his job as there will be no more deadlines or misguided editors to divert his attention. He starts up a news service, Banners News Agency, whose motto is "ferret out the facts and sell them to the highest bidder."
When showgirl Nina Duke is murdered, the press are all harrying the police for statements and facts but Banner hangs back and does a little work of his own to uncover the story. Nina, it transpires, was previously in jail for blackmail, so it is possible that this was why she was killed. Banner initially falls for the affections of rival reporter Pam Barnes, but his true affections lie with his secretary, Maxine.
A race to find the killer has Banner trying to get the story that the police cannot.
Director Charles Saunders previously made One Jump Ahead (1955), which had many similarities to Behind the Headlines.[5] The story of a news reporter investigating a murder, again played by Paul Carpenter, and from a story by Robert Chapman. Saunders specialised in the B movie at the Kenilworth Films Production house which turned out 11 mainly crime thrillers between 1948 and 1956.[6]
Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Although this comedy thriller makes no attempt at originality, it is quite competently presented and played, and works amiably enough through its series of standarised situations/"[7]
TV Guide concluded: "Weak script and stiff direction offer little suspense in this routine yarn."[8]
The Radio Times wrote: "... this is elevated above the morass of British crime B-movies by a sure sense of newsroom atmosphere that owes more to Hollywood than Pinewood... there's a convincing seediness about the backstage milieu thanks to Geoffrey Faithfull's unfussy photography. It may lack suspense and newsman Paul Carpenter is short on charisma, but there's admirable support from the likes of Adrienne Corri, Hazel Court and Alfie Bass."[9]
.jpg)
