MovieChat Forums > The Paper (1994) Discussion > Robin the Photographer

Robin the Photographer


Does anyone know why Alicia (Glenn Close) was pissed about Henry (Michael Keaton) sending Robin to take the photo at the perp walk?

I have never understood that.

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Robin is inexperienced & "green", less likely than a more savvy photographer to get the shot during the perp walk, which goes by quickly & where many other photographers will be jockeying for position. And, in fact, it's a lucky accident that she does get a shot that can be used. (She's shocked when she finds a good one on the sheet of blurry shots that would not do.) In talking about Robin, Alicia says - sarcastically - "Robin's 14 years old." Of course, she's NOT 14, but Alicia describes her in that manner to highlight her lack of experience & Henry's lack of judgment in sending her on this assignment.

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Actually the reason Henry sent Robin is because he didn't want Robin to get the shot because he knew the story was wrong.

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Exactly; Henry was hoping that Robin would miss the shot. That way there would be no "art" if they went with the "Gotcha" headline.

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Yes, Henry basically wanted to sabotage the 'Gotcha' story if they couldn't get the real story in the paper.

Robin of course is not really 14 but she is very young, also small and tiny, so in a typical perp-walk situation with a bunch of big burly photogs jostling for position she was virtually sure to get shoved out of position, which she did.

The fact she ended up with a decent picture was sheer dumb luck. As it turned out it was lucky for Henry too because if she hadn't come back with usable art, Henry's story clearing the kids couldn't go on Page 1, but would probably have to be kicked inside.

And if he held the paper 2 hours after deadline for a story on an inside page, the trouble he got in would have been 10 times as bad. The executive editor / publisher will hit the ceiling if you hold 2 hours for a front-page blockbuster story (but ultimately will grit their teeth and take it), but if it's a story for an inside page, they'd hang you up by your heels.

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Of course, with a story this big, they probably could have gotten art off the AP wire. I forget the timeline but didn't the perp walk occur in the late afternoon? Something would have run in time for them to use it.

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Maybe, maybe not. AP rarely staffs perp walks unless it is a case of truly national significance.

While the case in "The Paper" is portrayed as being a pretty big deal within NYC, and the national networks would probably pick it up, it wouldn't really go nationwide unless civil unrest really did break loose on the streets, as everyone seemed to be afraid was going to happen.

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she was a novice barely 15 yrs old no experience to deal with other
photo people. and got pushed around as u saw in movie.thats why.

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Robin was sort of an inside joke for old-time newspaper folks.
It was before my time, but I heard that in the heyday of 1930s-40s ("My Girl Friday") era before 35 mm, many papers required their photographers to be built like football linemen because they had to haul around about 40 pounds of Speed Graphics and 4x5 plates and other equipment, plus they could barge through crowds to get the shot.

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For a more experienced photographer though, being small could often work to your advantage (e.g. being able to duck under things).

Anyone else think Robin's photo was a beautiful photojournalistic shot? Damn, that accidental photo was Pulitzer prize worthy!

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The cameras were big in the 30s and 40s.

My grandmother was a journalist as a young woman with a huge camera in the 30s.

She was such an unusual sight that other journalists took photos of her when she showed up for an assignment.

My grandfather kept one of those photos and commissioned a painting for it. Lovely!


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Thanks for your story. Brava to your Grandmother!

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