Was this in the original cinema release?
It clearly doesn't belong in the film and must have been filmed at a later date since the voice-over narration that starts when the film proper begins tells you all you need to know.
Was this added for TV screenings to fit the flick into a 2 hour network slot?
Intrigued, I have now checked out contemporary reviews of this film from Variety (US) and the Monthly Film Bulletin (UK)and jugding from the running time quoted and the reviews themselves, the 7m prologue was not attached to the film when released in US and UK cinemas.
I can only conclude that it was filmed later to pad out the film for USTV network screenings.
It appeared that all the papers he kept leafing through were the same edition. He would pull out a paper and then never show it.
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