"The real presence behind Scandal Sheet is Samuel Fuller. Based on his award-winning novel The Dark Page, the screenplay explores the dark world of yellow journalism. It is drawn from Fuller's experience in the newspaper world and begins with the transformation of a respectable, conservative newspaper into a sensationalist tabloid-all accomplished by the heavy hand of Mark Chapman. As played by Broderick Crawford, Chapman is a bullish, overbearing, yet ultimately sympathetic editor.... The carefully established surrogate father-son relationship between Chapman and (reporter) McCleary (John Derek) is the central irony of this film.... Because the 'father' (has) murdered in a moment of rashness, the 'son' becomes the avenger-reporter and the story takes a classical turn."-James Ursini (Film Noir, Silver and Ward, ed.)