The setting is America sometime in the 1950s. A reporter, frustrated by his editor's refusal to let him cover big stories, goes storming into the editor's office and demands the chance to break big news. Specifically, he demands to be allowed to cover the Rocky Marciano fight. However, the editor blows him off, and the young reporter gets an unpleasant surprise.
The gag is, all three characters are drawn to look just like Kirk Douglas, famous movie star, at different stages in Douglas's life. Frank Gorshin voiced all three Douglases.
Provides examples of:
- Da Editor: The young reporter's editor won't let him cover big stories, seemingly out of spite.
- Deliberately Monochrome: The short is filmed in black and white, as of course were most of Kirk Douglas's earliest movies, and which also fits the satirical take on the Intrepid Reporter.
- Got the Whole World in My Hand: The editor who refuses to let the young reporter cover the big stories is introduced idly spinning a globe with his hand, as he blows the young reporter off.
- Intrepid Reporter: The young reporter wants to be one but his editor won't let him.
- Lantern Jaw of Justice: Kirk Douglas's lantern jaw, with the prominent dimple, was his most distinguishing feature. Naturally all the Douglases have lantern jaws, and the young reporter and the editor bump jaws when glaring at each other.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: The last line has the young reporter, leaving the office, complaining that "You guys are all the same!" They are, because they're all Kirk Douglas.
- Nameless Narrative: Probably hard to waste time giving characters names when the short is less than two minutes long.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Three takes on Kirk Douglas at three different ages, complete with the distinctive voice (imitated by Frank Gorshin) and lantern jaws.
- Shout-Out: The whole cartoon is basically an animated shout-out to Kirk Douglas. And the idea of Douglas as a reporter is probably inspired by the movie Ace in the Hole (1951).
- Smash to Black: A smash cut to black ends the film after the "You guys are all the same" joke.
- Stop Motion: A stop-motion animated short, which adds to the humor when the young reporter and the editor butt their lantern jaws together.
- Title Drop: Given by the third Kirk Douglas, the veteran reporter who enters the office at the end and says "I see the young blood's pressing you for a big story again, boss."
