Scandalous: The Untold Story of the National Enquirer (2019)

Directed by: Mark Landsman | 97 minutes | documentary

Someone called Generoso Pope Jr. is bound to make a memorable career. That also applies to the Generoso Pope Jr. who was born somewhere on the north coast of the US in 1927. This Generoso decided in 1952 to buy the obscure newspaper The National Enquirer. He allegedly borrowed the money for this purchase from family friend, mob boss and (really) his Godfather Frank Costello. With this money, Pope changed the American media landscape.

The documentary ‘Scandalous: The Untold Story of the National Enquirer’ takes the viewer into the history of this revolutionary writing. We see the first steps, when Pope’s fascination with horrific accidents leads to unforgettably gory photos on the front page. Then he changes tack when he discovers that readers are mainly interested in the happiness and misery of celebrities. Because that’s what Pope will be doing for the first time in America, digging up and investigating the secrets and scandals of celebrities.

In ‘Scandalous’ former employees talk about their adventures at the periodical. How the blue American employees had to make way for tough Britons from the English tabloid culture. How hard it was to take a picture of the dead Elvis. How the employees used the worst and most damaging secrets to blackmail celebrities. How those blackmailed celebrities were supposed to agree to appear in The National Enquirer week after week with a happy face. Celebrities like Bill Cosby and Bob Hope.

The film consists of talking faces and images from the time in which all this takes place. These statues are often of the decorative kind. If an employee tells you that he was allowed to fly to Hawaii for a scoop, you first see an airplane and then a hotel in Hawaii. Sometimes you see the celebrities themselves, but we never hear their own story.

‘Scandalous’ is largely a funny, educational and fairly objective documentary. Until the last 15 minutes. Then suddenly a political agenda emerges, with Donald Trump in the lead. The tone changes and the film becomes deadly serious. There is of course nothing wrong with denigrating Trump, especially when this takes place during campaign time. Still, it’s a shame for a film that wants to tell something about an important chapter in American media history.