Hot Off the Press

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Bill Jeffrey, circulation manager of the Evening Call, quits and joins the cross-town rival paper, the Star Bulletin. Bill's boss, publisher J. C., and his assistant, Mack MacCallum, want to use strong-arm tactics to regain readership lost to the Star. At the Star, Bill hires prizefighters to stop Mack's hoodlums from attacking the paper's newsboys. But Bill receives word from Brenda Johnson, J. C.'s secretary, who is falling in love with Bill, that J. C. is planning a new scheme with Mack. Newsboy Mickey Karnes is attacked by Mack's men, but when Bill helps him, a photographer takes a picture that makes Bill appear to be the boy's assailant. Despite the district attorney's belief in his innocence, Bill is prosecuted. Bill launches his own investigation and locates a truck driver who tells him about a crooked deal J. C. made with the man's former employer, a construction firm. Bill confronts J. C., and as J. C. admits his complicity, Brenda holds her phone to the office speaker and Star reporter Jimmy transcribes the conversation. Mack arrives and after knocking Bill unconscious, he and his men leave to destroy the Star 's presses. Bill regains consciousness and waylays Mack until the police arrive. J. C. and Mack are taken to prison, and Bill wins Brenda's hand in marriage.