Mystery & Crime Series 30's & 40's (1 Viewer)

[Mysto]

Well, with my new valve I'm not at that immediate a risk, but if I ate the pepperoni I would feel horrible for a week. Salt and nitrates--forget about it. BTW, Jarlsberg Light is a very tasty Swiss, and astoundingly low in salt. I eat that all the time.

Or just go for Carlsburg Light

 

[Rustifer]

BTW, Jarlsberg Light is a very tasty Swiss, and astoundingly low in salt. I eat that all the time.

I am a BIG fan of Jarlsberg Light. Especially on a whole wheat sandwich with smoked turkey and deli mustard. In fact, I'm now inspired to make that for lunch today (as if anyone reading this could give a flying f@#%).
A thought to ponder: Cheese is nothing more than a loaf of milk.

My sincere apologies for pulling the thread nonsensically onto a deli counter.
Focus, Russ. Focus.

 

[criblecoblis]

Or just go for Carlsburg Light

Light cheese, maybe.

Light beer, HELL no.

 

[Mysto]

Arsene Lupin

John Barrymore

Arsene Lupin

Melvyn Douglas

Arsene Lupin Returns

Charles Korvin

Enter Arsene Lupin

Maurice Leblanc introduced the world to Arsene Lupin in 1905 and the character became so popular that the magazine novellas were published as a collection in Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Burglar in 1907. This sophisticated French jewel thief is on the wrong side of the law yet somehow works for the good and we can’t help but root for him. This was well before The Saint, or the Lone Wolf.

Because the character became popular so early, many of the films were silent and are now mostly MIA or lost. Even of the three talkies we have listed, only two are readily available, with the last of the set Enter Arsene Lupin being a bit harder to find and impossible in quality. The series never really got off the ground in the US but continued offering films in Japan and in France a feature film was released as late as 2004.

There is a TV series in pre-production for release in the USA starring Omar Sy.

The first film in our series is notable for the star, John Barrymore, still in his prime. Rustifier (Russ) has already written a great review here https://www.hometheaterforum.com/co...me-series-30s-40s.356939/page-16#post-4634589

In the second film, Arsene Lupin Returns 1938, just like our lady bandit Sophie Lang in her second, Arsene has renounced his evil ways and reformed (or has he?) This film has a bunch of connections for mystery series buffs. The star Melvin Douglas was amateur detective Joel Sloane in Fast Company that same year and played the Lone Wolf, another jewel thief good guy only a couple of years earlier. The Lone Wolf connection continues with another star in the film, Warren William, who would go on to play the Lone Wolf the following year and several years to come. Sandwiched between the two (almost literally) is the beautiful love interest played by Virginia Bruce. This one is as much a Warren William film as a Melvyn Douglas one as only Warren appears in the first half of the film.

In the final film Arsene has reverted back to a criminal. The story is not bad but does have an ambiguous ending suggesting that perhaps a series was considered. Newcomer,Charles Korvin does an OK job in his film debut but he is not in the same class as Barrymore or Douglas. Ella Raines adds to beauty of the picture and Inspector Ganimard, Lupin’s nemesis, is played by J. Carrol Naish a veteran of B mysteries and TV’s Charlie Chan.

All of these are a fun watch for B mystery lovers with the first being the best (but not by much).

The first two films are available in good quality, as Jeff Flugel has pointed out, on a WB Archive Collection Double Feature DVD.

I Googled Enter Arsene Lupin and found it currently available for a watch on a Russian site. I don’t know for how long but it’s a chance to see a pretty rare vintage mystery movie.

 

[Vic Pardo]

The Japanese animated Lupin III (or Lupin the 3rd) franchise was inspired by Arsene Lupin. Lupin III is a half-Japanese descendant of Lupin and is a master thief and ladies' man, but also a comic bungler much of the time. It started as a manga series (comic book) and was first adapted for TV animation in 1971 and they began making Lupin III movies in 1978. The franchise continues to this day. Sometimes the films are comic capers, sometimes they're dead serious crime thrillers. Lots of action and adventure and less emphasis on the mechanics of thieving.

A good place to start would be Hayao Miyazaki's debut feature, THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO (1980), which I believe was only the second Lupin III animated feature.

Also, the current Super Sentai season, Lupinranger vs. Patranger, revolves around the efforts of the "Lupinrangers" (pictured below) to find and retrieve "the treasures of Arsene Lupin." (This is the franchise that provides action and effects footage for the Power Rangers TV show.)

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Arsene Lupin

John Barrymore

Arsene Lupin

Melvyn Douglas

Arsene Lupin Returns

Charles Korvin

Enter Arsene Lupin

Maurice Leblanc introduced the world to Arsene Lupin in 1905 and the character became so popular that the magazine novellas were published as a collection in Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Burglar in 1907. This sophisticated French jewel thief is on the wrong side of the law yet somehow works for the good and we can’t help but root for him. This was well before The Saint, or the Lone Wolf.

Because the character became popular so early, many of the films were silent and are now mostly MIA or lost. Even of the three talkies we have listed, only two are readily available, with the last of the set Enter Arsene Lupin being a bit harder to find and impossible in quality. The series never really got off the ground in the US but continued offering films in Japan and in France a feature film was released as late as 2004.

There is a TV series in pre-production for release in the USA starring Omar Sy.

The first film in our series is notable for the star, John Barrymore, still in his prime. Rustifier (Russ) has already written a great review here https://www.hometheaterforum.com/co...me-series-30s-40s.356939/page-16#post-4634589

In the second film, Arsene Lupin Returns 1938, just like our lady bandit Sophie Lang in her second, Arsene has renounced his evil ways and reformed (or has he?) This film has a bunch of connections for mystery series buffs. The star Melvin Douglas was amateur detective Joel Sloane in Fast Company that same year and played the Lone Wolf, another jewel thief good guy only a couple of years earlier. The Lone Wolf connection continues with another star in the film, Warren William, who would go on to play the Lone Wolf the following year and several years to come. Sandwiched between the two (almost literally) is the beautiful love interest played by Virginia Bruce. This one is as much a Warren William film as a Melvyn Douglas one as only Warren appears in the first half of the film.

In the final film Arsene has reverted back to a criminal. The story is not bad but does have an ambiguous ending suggesting that perhaps a series was considered. Newcomer,Charles Korvin does an OK job in his film debut but he is not in the same class as Barrymore or Douglas. Ella Raines adds to beauty of the picture and Inspector Ganimard, Lupin’s nemesis, is played by J. Carrol Naish a veteran of B mysteries and TV’s Charlie Chan.

All of these are a fun watch for B mystery lovers with the first being the best (but not by much).

The first two films are available in good quality, as Jeff Flugel has pointed out, on a WB Archive Collection Double Feature DVD.

I Googled Enter Arsene Lupin and found it currently available for a watch on a Russian site. I don’t know for how long but it’s a chance to see a pretty rare vintage mystery movie.

Great write-up as usual, Marv! Plus, you upped the cheesecake factor bigtime...much appreciated, especially those shots of the sultry Ella Raines!

 

[criblecoblis]

Episode Commentary
Smart Blonde (Warner Bros.1937)

Russ, this is a delayed reaction, but I would like to add a small codicil to your review. I haven't seen Smart Blonde for several years, but it just came back to me that there is a wonderful Wini Shaw number in it that deserves a mention. It is a definite slice of A-movie within the B-movie.

 

[Rustifer]

Hildegard Withers

Penguin Pool Murder
Murder on the Blackboard
Murder on a Honeymoon
Murder on a Bridle Path
The Plot Thickens
Forty Naughty Girls

There are six films in this series, but the ones most people remember are the first three with Edna May Oliver as Miss Hildegarde Withers. Imagine her as a Miss Marple with a delightful acid demeanor and a bit more pushy. Paired against James Gleason as Police Inspector Oscar Piper the insults fly as they take cheap shots at the other (but you know they really like each other). Miss Withers is a school teacher, very exacting and precise, and loves to follow a murder. But although she has a sharp tongue, underneath is a heart of gold. She tags along with Inspector Piper and spends most of her time correcting him. These cheerful brisk films and the ample comedy never seems to get in the way of getting to the finish of the story. Solving the mystery is fun but so is the journey. It’s really a joy to watch these two veteran character actors having a great time on the screen working the Stuart Palmer novels.

After the first three films, Edna May left RKO to sign with MGM and appeared in David Copperfield and A Tale of Two Cities among others.

They tried to keep the series going first with Helen Broderick and finally the last two with ZaSu Pitts. James Gleason stayed as the anchor but even with his presence the films, though quite watchable, had lost their sizzle.

I really enjoy these, even the second group and my wife is a fan as well.

There was an attempt to take Hildegard to TV in 1972 with a pilot, A Very Missing Person, starring Eve Arden - but it never took off.

The Hildegarde Withers Mystery Collection is available on Warner Archive.
The pilot A Very Missing Person is on You Tube.

I was so intrigued by the title "Penguin Pool Murder" (1932) when I saw it scheduled on TCM recently. I had to DVR it with the idea of writing up a review and posting it on this thread. With martini and notebook in hand, I watched this kooky little movie and loved every second of it. Upon doing some research and discovering it was part of the Hildegard Withers' series (1930's), I thought, gee, I wonder if Old Mystery Maven Marv was even aware of this gem? Maybe I can be the first to add a whole new series here.
I scrolled back through the thread just to check and--of course-- ran into the above write-up he had already done. DRAT! Foiled again.

Not to waste a couple of pages of notes and a smattering of my time, I guess the best I can add to at this point (beyond Marv's fine series background and episode write-up) is just to recommend that you watch this film if you get an opportunity. James Gleason and Edna May Oliver are two perfect characters to dovetail with one another---both so thin as to completely disappear if either turned sideways--and so quick with snide wisecracks to one another.
Upon discovering a dead guy in the penguin pool tank at the aquarium, Detective Piper (Gleason) tells Miss Withers (Oliver):
"It's murder!"
"I thought it was murder, that's why I called the police", she retorts
"I'm surprised you thought the police as necessary", Piper glumly replies.
The entire movie is filled with these little back-and-forths. Oliver displays the indomitable spirit of one's stern elder aunt who forever scolds, while Gleason portrays the iconic fast-talking, no-nonsense cop suspecting everyone of something.

One swell scene has Miss Withers serving an unexpected breakfast to the detective. I froze the frame so as to get an accurate description of the massive meal:
4 fried eggs, 15 link sausages, 5 slices of thick toast, 3 waffles--each the size of tractor wheels and enough butter to pave the entirety of Connecticut. I'm pretty sure the wafer-thin Piper went from 140 lbs to an expansion of about 5 belt notches by the time he finished.
Rounding out the veteran cast is Warner Brothers stalwart Robert Armstrong (adventurer Carl Denham in King Kong) as a rapid-speaking shyster lawyer with a cheesy moustache.
Ya gotta see this one. Really.

 

[Mysto]

I was so intrigued by the title "Penguin Pool Murder" (1932) when I saw it scheduled on TCM recently. I had to DVR it with the idea of writing up a review and posting it on this thread. With martini and notebook in hand, I watched this kooky little movie and loved every second of it. Upon doing some research and discovering it was part of the Hildegard Withers' series (1930's), I thought, gee, I wonder if Old Mystery Maven Marv was even aware of this gem? Maybe I can be the first to add a whole new series here.
I scrolled back through the thread just to check and--of course-- ran into the above write-up he had already done. DRAT! Foiled again.

Not to waste a couple of pages of notes and a smattering of my time, I guess the best I can add to at this point (beyond Marv's fine series background and episode write-up) is just to recommend that you watch this film if you get an opportunity. James Gleason and Edna May Oliver are two perfect characters to dovetail with one another---both so thin as to completely disappear if either turned sideways--and so quick with snide wisecracks to one another.
Upon discovering a dead guy in the penguin pool tank at the aquarium, Detective Piper (Gleason) tells Miss Withers (Oliver):
"It's murder!"
"I thought it was murder, that's why I called the police", she retorts
"I'm surprised you thought the police as necessary", Piper glumly replies.
The entire movie is filled with these little back-and-forths. Oliver displays the indomitable spirit of one's stern elder aunt who forever scolds, while Gleason portrays the iconic fast-talking, no-nonsense cop suspecting everyone of something.

One swell scene has Miss Withers serving an unexpected breakfast to the detective. I froze the frame so as to get an accurate description of the massive meal:
4 fried eggs, 15 link sausages, 5 slices of thick toast, 3 waffles--each the size of tractor wheels and enough butter to pave the entirety of Connecticut. I'm pretty sure the wafer-thin Piper went from 140 lbs to an expansion of about 5 belt notches by the time he finished.
Rounding out the veteran cast is Warner Brothers stalwart Robert Armstrong (adventurer Carl Denham in King Kong) as a rapid-speaking shyster lawyer with a cheesy moustache.
Ya gotta see this one. Really.

The Edna May Oliver Miss Withers are indeed among my favorites as well a my wife's. She also really enjoys the Rutherford Miss Marples. It seems she has a penchant for acidic tongued women who get the best of the men. Could it be that......??? Nah!

Fun add on to the info. Glad you enjoyed it. You gotta check out the rest of them.

 

[Rustifer]

The Edna May Oliver Miss Withers are indeed among my favorites as well a my wife's. She also really enjoys the Rutherford Miss Marples. It seems she has a penchant for acidic tongued women who get the best of the men. Could it be that......??? Nah!

Fun add on to the info. Glad you enjoyed it. You gotta check out the rest of them.

For sure. My wife, who fervently believes TV is actually Beelzebub in disguise, gets drawn to any Margaret Rutherford/ Miss Marple episode like a luna moth to a porch light. A rare departure in her normal disposition.
I will look forward to her enjoyment of the Hildegard Withers films.

 

[Mysto]

Well – here it is almost Christmas. There aren’t many vintage mystery series that have a Christmas in the story. Right now I can only think of two. The Thin Man with its wonderful Christmas Party and this one Alias Boston Blackie (1942).

Boston Blackie is a reformed jewel thief with a soft spot for those in trouble, especially ex-cons and those in prison. He has arranged to put on a show for the prisoners for Christmas Eve. The sister of one of the cons (Adele Mara) has to get back to the prison to see her brother (Larry Parks) but she has already used her visiting allotment of two times for the month. What is a girl to do?

So it starts. Soft touch Blackie has her pose as a member of the cast of the show. There is a clown in the show (already wearing make up) that used to work with her brother. Her brother after serving two of a fifteen year sentence for a crime he didn’t commit, wants vengeance on the rats that got him sent up so… wait for it…

Her brother ties up the clown and takes his place to escape. Blackie is in a fix. He needs to clear himself (well of course Farraday blames him for the escape) and stop the brother from killing – oh and prove who really did it so the brother can go free.

Blackie has to escape from the police multiple times, loses his clothes, gets beat up and knocked out. A corpse gets moved around the room, and another escapes from the ambulance. A mad chase with Blackie, the Runt and the sister in a motor cycle with side car careening through the streets. Rambling sentence fragments. All standard fare for a Boston Blackie movie.

In addition to Chester Morris as Boston Blackie and George E. Stone as his sidekick the Runt, Richard Lane plays the ever doubting Inspector Farraday with Walter Sande as Detective Mathews his dimwitted assistant. Check for an uncredited Lloyd Bridges as the bus driver.

This is one of several times where Boston Blackie does magic. (In this case it’s a gag about producing a rabbit from a hat). Chester Morris was a talented magic enthusiast and performed magic shows for the troops during the war.

The Boston Blackie movies never pretend to be anything other than what they are. These are intended to be entertaining B movie programmers. The plots are thin and the formula is strong but the cast always performs well, moving quickly with lots of laughs and action.

 

[Rustifer]

Well – here it is almost Christmas. There aren’t many vintage mystery series that have a Christmas in the story. Right now I can only think of two. The Thin Man with its wonderful Christmas Party and this one Alias Boston Blackie (1942).

Boston Blackie is a reformed jewel thief with a soft spot for those in trouble, especially ex-cons and those in prison. He has arranged to put on a show for the prisoners for Christmas Eve. The sister of one of the cons (Adele Mara) has to get back to the prison to see her brother (Larry Parks) but she has already used her visiting allotment of two times for the month. What is a girl to do?

So it starts. Soft touch Blackie has her pose as a member of the cast of the show. There is a clown in the show (already wearing make up) that used to work with her brother. Her brother after serving two years of a fifteen sentence for a crime he didn’t commit, wants vengeance on the rats that got him sent up so… wait for it…

Her brother ties up the clown and takes his place to escape. Blackie is in a fix. He needs to clear himself (well of course Farraday blames him for the escape) and stop the brother from killing – oh and prove who really did it so the brother can go free.

Blackie has to escape from the police multiple times, loses his clothes, gets beat up and knocked out. A corpse gets moved around the room, and another escapes from the ambulance. A mad chase with Blackie, the Runt and the sister in a motor cycle with side car careening through the streets. Rambling sentence fragments. All standard fare for a Boston Blackie movie.

In addition to Chester Morris as Boston Blackie and George E. Stone as his sidekick the Runt, Richard Lane plays the ever doubting Inspector Farraday with Walter Sande as Detective Mathews his dimwitted assistant. Check for an uncredited Lloyd Bridges as the bus driver.

This is one of several times where Boston Blackie does magic. (In this case it’s a gag about producing a rabbit from a hat). Chester Morris was a talented magic enthusiast and performed magic shows for the troops during the war.

The Boston Blackie movies never pretend to be anything other than what they are. These are intended to be entertaining B movie programmers. The plots are thin and the formula is strong but the cast always performs well, moving quickly with lots of laughs and action.

 

[Rustifer]

Another great write-up, Marv. It also gives me an opportunity to tie it in to my beloved 77 Sunset Strip thread—Adele Mara was married to Roy Huggins, the creator of that famed detective series, along with shows such as Maverick and The Fugitive.
I love it when we can cross-breed our threads. It’s practically incestuous.

(Too bad this reply didn’t properly attach to your last post for continuity, but that’s the price I pay for trying to do this on a cell phone...)

 

[Matt Hough]

The three Edna Mae Oliver/Withers films are all gems. I am looking forward to seeing the other ones (TCM seems to be showing these on successive Saturdays) though I know they won't hold a candle to the Oliver ones.

I have seen the four Margaret Rutherford/Marple movies dozens of times each.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

I've yet to see any of those Hildegarde Withers mysteries...need to pick up that Warner Archive set at some point.

Nice write-up on Boston Blackie, Marv! I'd love to see some of these in better shape than the few available on YouTube. Sad that none of the Chester Morris entries ever made it on to pressed DVD (there are a few fairly expensive MOD titles from Sony). I have listened to many Boston Blackie radio shows back in the day, and enjoyed those quite a bit.

It's not part of a series, per se, but the 1946 Philip Marlowe flick Lady in the Lake (directed by and starring Robert Montgomery) is set at Christmas and has some fun Christmas cheer interspersed with all the violence, double-crosses and sleaze. It's got that odd gimmick of being filmed from Marlowe's point-of-view, but it's a pretty good noir and features a really good role for the sultry Audrey Totter.

 

[Mysto]

I've yet to see any of those Hildegarde Withers mysteries...need to pick up that Warner Archive set at some point.

Nice write-up on Boston Blackie, Marv! I'd love to see some of these in better shape than the few available on YouTube. Sad that none of the Chester Morris entries ever made it on to pressed DVD (there are a few fairly expensive MOD titles from Sony). I have listened to many Boston Blackie radio shows back in the day, and enjoyed those quite a bit.

It's not part of a series, per se, but the 1946 Philip Marlowe flick Lady in the Lake (directed by and starring Robert Montgomery) is set at Christmas and has some fun Christmas cheer interspersed with all the violence, double-crosses and sleaze. It's got that odd gimmick of being filmed from Marlowe's point-of-view, but it's a pretty good noir and features a really good role for the sultry Audrey Totter.

The most common place to see the Boston Blackies is TCM but I don't think that's avail on your side of the world.

We are heading out Monday morning so I don't think I'll get any more reviews or summaries out before then. Only have 4 or 5 summaries to go.

I'll take this chance to wish you and all my buddies here a happy holiday season. All the best. May you dream black and white.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

And an early Merry Christmas to you too, Marv! And happy holidays to the rest of the regulars here.

 

[Rustifer]

The most common place to see the Boston Blackies is TCM but I don't think that's avail on your side of the world.

We are heading out Monday morning so I don't think I'll get any more reviews or summaries out before then. Only have 4 or 5 summaries to go.

I'll take this chance to wish you and all my buddies here a happy holiday season. All the best. May you dream black and white.

Ditto, Marv.

 

[RBailey]

A nice-looking print of ALIAS BOSTON BLACKIE is available on Amazon Prime right now.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

A nice-looking print of ALIAS BOSTON BLACKIE is available on Amazon Prime right now.

Thanks for the heads-up, John! Will see if I can find it on Amazon Prime Japan later tonight...