Mystery & Crime Non-Series 30's-50's (1 Viewer)

[Mysto]

Despicable? How can you say that.
There’s just not enough kindness in the world!

But we LOVE despicable characters - the heroes are only as good as the villains are bad.

 

[Matt Hough]

I love both Mask and Verdict. Both offer prime Lorre and Greenstreet.

 

[Mysto]

I love both Mask and Verdict. Both offer prime Lorre and Greenstreet.

You sir are a troublemaker
Now I gotta dig out my copy of Verdict - I know it's here somewhere!

 

[Rustifer]

Greenstreet actually made over 20 films - not bad as he did not start until age 61.

Fine actor, Sydney. The British native was always a scene stealer with his gruff manner and hoarse belly laugh. Unfortunately, Greenstreet's death was not unexpected.

At 240 lbs. (a highly conservative estimate), his doctor proclaimed the man had been living on borrowed time for nearly a decade.

 

[BobO'Link]

My "Tough Guys" box set arrived and the first title I watched was:

Absolutely superb! I laughed frequently at the clever word play and malapropisms coming every minute or so. Robinson is excellent playing the clueless brewery owner. Him finally tasting his product is priceless! It's a very witty script, well acted, well staged, and ended too soon. I could have stood another half hour of this one.

The worst part... the disc is defective and hung about a half hour from the end, skipping an entire chapter. I was able to rewind and think I only missed a minute or two. Annoying, but if the other discs play OK I'll likely not do a return (I paid ~$9 for 6 movies). I'm considering contacting WB about a replacement (I've read they're quite good and reliable for replacements of defective discs).

 

[Robert Crawford]

My "Tough Guys" box set arrived and the first title I watched was:

Absolutely superb! I laughed frequently at the clever word play and malapropisms coming every minute or so. Robinson is excellent playing the clueless brewery owner. Him finally tasting his product is priceless! It's a very witty script, well acted, well staged, and ended too soon. I could have stood another half hour of this one.

The worst part... the disc is defective and hung about a half hour from the end, skipping an entire chapter. I was able to rewind and think I only missed a minute or two. Annoying, but if the other discs play OK I'll likely not do a return (I paid ~$9 for 6 movies). I'm considering contacting WB about a replacement (I've read they're quite good and reliable for replacements of defective discs).

I have that DVD, but haven't watched it since getting it so I need to check that disc out. However, I did watch the movie again the other day through the TCM app on iTunes. I always thought it was a pretty funny gangster spoof.

 

[BobO'Link]

It gets deeper. I spot checked the other 5 movies. Only 1 will play to the end. The others won't go beyond what appears to be the layer change. Looks like I'll be getting a refund.

 

[criblecoblis]

Film Commentary
"A Slight Case of Murder" (Warner Bros.1938)

Speaking of this film as we have been, it occurs to me that this isn't the first gangster spoof Robinson did. There was The Little Giant (WB, 1933), co-starring Mary Astor. While it is beyond the scope of this thread (it's really more of a caper film), I just wanted to bring it up here as a film that you will probably like if you like A Slight Case of Murder. And the films do both involve a gangster going straight and having a rough time of it.

 

[Mysto]

Miracles for Sale

Robert Young is Mike Morgan a retired magician that now creates and sells illusions to performing magicians (for half the take). He is approached for help by lovely Judy Barkley (Florence Rice) and is off to do one of his favorite things – exposing phoney spirit mediums. Throw in a couple of magicians – a spirit medium that talks to ghosts – an occultist that can summon demons – and a joking father that hates New York and you have the cast. The mystery starts when they go to Dr. Sabbatt’s (Frederic Worlock) apartment to find the room locked and chained and he is dead in a magic circle on the floor surrounded by black candles.

This film is hard for me to comment on. First off, it’s not a bad film. Good cast and enough budget to give it some gloss. My problem is that it was taken from a favorite novel, Death from a Top Hat by Clayton Rawson and I know it could have been so much more. Tod Browning was the director and was familiar with directing magic and supernatural. Freaks, Devil Doll and, of course, Dracula all were under his hand. In this outing he has all the right ingredients but the 30’s comedy and romance usurps the mystery which, in many cases, is set up and then just thrown away.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy comedy and romance in a mystery – The Thin Man comes to mind – but it has to balance with the “howdoneit” and in this case it doesn’t. This turns out to be Browning’s swan song but with a little more care could have become one of my beloved mystery series with several more to follow. It’s a fun watch but it could have easily been a great watch.


Available from Warner as a "twofer" and recently seen on youtube.

 

[Mysto]

It gets deeper. I spot checked the other 5 movies. Only 1 will play to the end. The others won't go beyond what appears to be the layer change. Looks like I'll be getting a refund.

That sucks. I hope all goes well with the refund or better still a working replacement.

 

[Rustifer]

Miracles for Sale

Robert Young is Mike Morgan a retired magician that now creates and sells illusions to performing magicians (for half the take). He is approached for help by lovely Judy Barkley (Florence Rice) and is off to do one of his favorite things – exposing phoney spirit mediums. Throw in a couple of magicians – a spirit medium that talks to ghosts – an occultist that can summon demons – and a joking father that hates new york and you have the cast. The mystery starts when they go to Dr. Sabbatt’s (Frederic Worlock) apartment to find the room locked and chained and he is dead in a magic circle on the floor surrounded by black candles.

This film is hard for me to comment on. First off, it’s not a bad film. Good cast and enough budget to give it some gloss. My problem is that it was taken from a favorite novel, Death from a Top Hat by Clayton Rawson and I know it could have been so much more. Tod Browning was the director and was familiar with directing magic and supernatural. Freaks, Devil Doll and, of course, Dracula all were under his hand. In this outing he has all the right ingredients but the 30’s comedy and romance usurps the mystery which, in many cases, is set up and then just thrown away.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy comedy and romance in a mystery – the Thin Man comes to mind – but it has to balance with the “howdoneit” and in this case it doesn’t. This turns out to be Browning’s swan song but with a little more care could have become one of my beloved mystery series with several more to follow. It’s a fun watch but it could have easily been a great watch.


Available from Warner as a "twofer" and recently seen on youtube.

Sounds like a movie right up your alley, Marv. Too bad it didn't meet expectations. Still, it makes me curious to catch it. I'm always up for seeing Robert Young shed of his "Father Knows Best" skin.

 

[Mysto]

Sounds like a movie right up your alley, Marv. Too bad it didn't meet expectations. Still, it makes me curious to catch it. I'm always up for seeing Robert Young shed of his "Father Knows Best" skin.

This was a re-watch for me Russ. It's worth a watch but it's a common programmer with all the stuff to be a super mystery and just doesn't get there. So both fun and a disappointment - Two...Two... Two treats in one.

ADDED: Don't know if you still are a reader but the book is worth the time.

 

[Rustifer]

ADDED: Don't know if you still are a reader but the book is worth the time.

Heck, Marv...I'm retired. I spend half my time in the library and the other half watching old movies and TV.
On occasion I wedge in a martini and a trip to the fabric store with my wifey. Not in that order, unfortunately.

I shall check out Clayton Rawson when next in the stacks.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Miracles for Sale uses the plot from Death from a Top Hat, but Robert Young for some reason doesn't play Clayton Rawson's magician / detective character, the Great Merlini. Instead, he's "the Great Morgan." Another one of those odd and seemingly unnecessary character name changes that crop up in movies (like Paul Newman playing Lew Harper instead of Lew Archer, etc.)

I watched this one a couple of years ago and enjoyed it, but agree with Marv that, while having all the ingredients it needs to be top quality B-movie mystery goods, it doesn't quite get there. Still well worth a watch, though. Florence Rice is a real cutie; she also starred as Garda Sloane in Fast Company (1938).

I haven't read Death from a Top Hat or Rawson's other three Merlini novels yet...only a handful of Merlini short stories. I've liked what I've read so far, though. The Michael Shayne film The Man Who Wouldn't Die (1942) was based off of another Merlini novel, No Coffin for a Corpse (Merlini does make a brief, uncredited appearance in the film). I'm sure I've seen this film before, too, though I don't remember it clearly. All those Michael Shaynes kind of blend together....

 

[BobO'Link]

That sucks. I hope all goes well with the refund or better still a working replacement.

It's a Warner Brothers set. I've not examined the inner ring for the manufacturing plant code but would suspect Cinram as there are reports of lots of WB discs manufacured at that plant failing at the layer change. That makes me think replacements would be the same... but they could be newer/different batch and work. The vendor has more copies so I've asked for a replacement.

 

[Mysto]

Miracles for Sale uses the plot from Death from a Top Hat, but Robert Young for some reason doesn't play Clayton Rawson's magician / detective character, the Great Merlini. Instead, he's "the Great Morgan." Another one of those odd and seemingly unnecessary character name changes that crop up in movies (like Paul Newman playing Lew Harper instead of Lew Archer, etc.)

I watched this one a couple of years ago and enjoyed it, but agree with Marv that, while having all the ingredients it needs to be top quality B-movie mystery goods, it doesn't quite get there. Still well worth a watch, though. Florence Rice is a real cutie; she also starred as Garda Sloane in Fast Company (1938).

I haven't read Death from a Top Hat or Rawson's other three Merlini novels yet...only a handful of Merlini short stories. I've liked what I've read so far, though. The Michael Shayne film The Man Who Wouldn't Die (1942) was based off of another Merlini novel, No Coffin for a Corpse (Merlini does make a brief, uncredited appearance in the film). I'm sure I've seen this film before, too, though I don't remember it clearly. All those Michael Shaynes kind of blend together....

The Michael Shayne is very loosely based on the book. There is also the claim that Charlie Chan on Treasure Island is based on a Clayton Rawson story but no credit is given so even though it is magic based, we'll never know.

On the Mystery File blog they review a Merlini TV pilot called the Transparent Man 1951 - I've never seen it.

Here's a clip of the author performing a magic trick


ADDED: Here's the Great Merlini TV Pilot

 

[BobO'Link]

Speaking of this film as we have been, it occurs to me that this isn't the first gangster spoof Robinson did. There was The Little Giant (WB, 1933), co-starring Mary Astor. While it is beyond the scope of this thread (it's really more of a caper film), I just wanted to bring it up here as a film that you will probably like if you like A Slight Case of Murder. And the films do both involve a gangster going straight and having a rough time of it.

I have a copy of The Little Giant in a 4 movie Edward G. Robinson set - still unopened (snagged a copy from BL for a song - it's OOP and going for much more than I paid). I think I've seen it before but won't know for sure until I crack open that set and give it a viewing.

 

[Rustifer]

By the way, have you seen the horror / mystery / musical curio, You'll Find Out (1940)? Lorre (who co-stars with Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and...Kay Kyser?!) is ultra-suave in that one.

HA! I just saw that movie. What a strange combo of script and actors. I figure Kay Kiser must have financed this oeuvre himself, as there would be NO OTHER reason for him to actually be the star of a movie.

 

[BobO'Link]

HA! I just saw that movie. What a strange combo of script and actors. I figure Kay Kyser must have financed this oeuvre himself, as there would be NO OTHER reason for him to actually be the star of a movie.

Actually Kyser and his band were pretty big during the Big Band era. They were featured, with Kyser as the star, in several, money making, movies for RKO in the 30s and 40s of which You'll Find Out was the second (it made ~$167,000 profit for RKO with the first having done even better).

 

[Rustifer]

Film Commentary
Scandal Sheet (Columbia 1952)

This little opus endeavors to expose the sketchy underbelly of tabloid news, reputedly as dark as the inside of a cow. I'll watch almost anything with Broderick Crawford if only to marvel how the guy can spew out a full sentence faster than the most seasoned professional auctioneer.

Mark Chapman (Broderick Crawford) is the editor of the New York Express, once a respectable newspaper now turned sleazy tabloid featuring headlines such as "Police Seek Gorilla Man-Slayer". His star reporter, Steve McCleary (John Derek, who was once married to some gal named Bo) is an eager student of Chapman's no-holds-barred brand of reporting stories that would make dirt look clean in comparison. The features editor, Julie Allison (Donna Reed) is not so readily dragged into the cesspool. A Vasser grad and girlfriend to McCleary, she's no goody-goody by any means--dedicated but sarcastic to a tee, and no fan of Mark Chapman's style. Donna's got the meatiest role in the film, and she does justice to it.

Editor-in-Chief Broderick Crawford, reporters John Derek and Donna Reed, unfortunate wife Rosemary DeCamp

Sponsored by the Express, the annual Lonely Hearts Ball is actually the tabloid's gaudy PR scam that features a cash prize to any pathetic loners who agree to marry on the spot. Chapman unexpectedly runs into his long-estranged wife (Rosemary DeCamp) at the event who harps and moans about being dumped by him now that he's successful. Threatening to expose his real name and background when back in a cheap hotel room, Chapman gleefully slaps her around and inadvertently pushes her into an iron steam pipe which effectively evaporates her into Angel Land. Skillfully covering up her identity and posing the murder scene as an accident, he quickly skips out unobserved. The police buy into the accident angle until Steve McCleary finds a clue that could identify her beyond "Jane Doe". It's definitely murder most foul, promising to be the biggest scoop of the year (as if the only murder in New York), ironically being reported by Chapman's staff.

The "Lonely Hearts Murder" story evolves rapidly as Steve and Julie follow clues with the help of an alcoholic ex-reporter (Henry O'Neill), while Chapman tries desperately to discourage their success to save his own rather abundant and sweaty skin. A neat little plot with a pawn ticket, a suitcase and a retired judge from another state adds up to a nifty conclusion that exposes Chapman as the killer.

Based on a 1941 novel "The Dark Pages" by bona fide crime reporter Sam Fuller , the screen rights were bought initially by Howard Hawks but eventually taken over by Columbia Pictures. Somewhat panned by NY Times' critic Bosley Crowther in 1952 ("Broderick Crawford does the old stuff of scowling and howling viciously as the hard-boiled editor who has murdered his wife and then waits grimly while his well-trained scandal-chaser team closes in"), I enjoyed it because of Crawford's scowling and howling. He was never intended to be a fund of happy news, fer cryin' out loud.