They Won't Forget (1937)
This movie is centered around Robert Hale, and the murder of one of his students. It takes place in the South, in a post-civil war era, a place where the loosing confederate soldiers hold a parade every April 26th in honor of their memorial day. Mary Clay, the student, was killed in a classroom, during the parade when she went to grab her things she had left behind. The first person to find her dead is the elevator operator, who called for the police.
This is where we are introduced to the very unprofessional relationship between the police department and the town's reporters. The reporters mostly cover local news, and often share information with the police in exchange for the chance to break a story first. With all of this information circulating, the culprit came out to be Robert Hale, the professor.
When the story breaks that Hale is the suspected murderer, the press have a field day, disregarding any form of protocol and seeking out Mrs. Hale for details. They manipulate her, lie to her, and steal personal property in order to piece together their narrative without stopping to collect more sufficient information on the situation.
The quote "the press is a powerful tool for justice" is what most stuck with me, because yes, it can help aid in serving justice, but it can also get in the way of it. If the media was just a little less story pressed and more patient, then the trial for Robert Hale would've been more fact based rather than narrative based. The Hale's hired their own lawyer/detective to figure out how to clear his name, and they found only circumstantial evidence and mixed up stories to back up the claims of the police and the press. But, because of the nationwide narrative the media portrayed, the jury members came in with a preconception of the situation and initial bias towards convicting Hale, when in reality it might've not been him. Meaning the real murderer would still be walking around and able to kill another young girl.
As I watched the film, I did believe that Robert Hale was the murderer, but maybe that was because of the story they were trying to portray and because key elements were left out? Overall, I really enjoyed this movie as it made me think about the repercussions of an unchecked media practice. There is of course a high importance to Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Press, but there is also a Right to Privacy and I think this film highlighted the importance of respecting both.
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