AllMovie

Even with the marvelous Edward G. Robinsonj in the lead, there's no getting around the fact that A Dispatch from Reuters is a fairly dull affair. This is by no means Robinson's fault. Though often cast as a gangster and remembered as a heavy because of the vivid manner in which he brought these characters to life, Robinson had great range and played many heroes, as in this film. He had a fine instinct for drama, knowing the value of both underplaying and exaggerating, and he uses both to very good effect here. Indeed, at times, Robinson's performance creates a sense of there being a great deal more drama in the story than there actually is. Milton Krims' screenplay drags terribly, belaboring points and offering little in the way of memorable dialogue or fresh characterizations. Indeed, despite a very able cast of actors, many of the supporting characters frequently seem so insubstantially written that one is afraid they'll just fade away. William Dieterle's direction makes stabs at keeping things interesting, but the usually fine (and often excellent) Dieterle is off his form here. The film does look good, however, thanks to James Wong Howe's attentive cinematography and the expert physical production.