A Successful Failure
Year: 1934
Plot: Ellery Cushing is an aging, veteran newspaper reporter and aspiring humor columnist whose old-fashioned wisdom is unappreciated by his hard-nosed editor and constantly criticized by his wife and two older children, who only care about his low salary. After being fired from his newspaper job, his loyal younger colleague, Phil, convinces Ellery to keep his dismissal a secret from his family while they work together to sell his column, "Headline Humor." The column is eventually sold to a radio station and rebranded as the popular "Uncle Dudley" show, featuring Ellery's folksy wit and amusing insights into family life. Ellery becomes an anonymous local celebrity, which ironically causes his family to embrace the "Uncle Dudley" persona while still disrespecting Ellery. The truth eventually comes out after Ellery is injured while quelling a "Red" labor rally his son is involved in, leading his family to finally realize and appreciate his true worth.
