Because she's the one who gets herself into the most trouble here, by impersonating one of the two long-lost daughters of a rich man with a shady past; after seeing her father's ad in the paper, the REAL daughter travels all the way from Tahiti to America to meet him, but she runs into Nikki first, and when Nikki sees a strange letter that warns the real daughter NOT to return, she decides to take her place and find out what's going on. Ellery Queen is unaware of most of this, but a double murder soon brings him (and his father, of course) to the same household. This film marks a turning point in the series, as William Gargan replaces Ralph Bellamy as Ellery Queen; to be honest, the change is barely noticeable, as both actors are agreeable without really bringing much personality to the role. As usual for this series, it's Nikki Porter who steals the show; Margaret Lindsay, this time getting to pose as a French-speaking girl, is the best thing about this dense but rushed mystery. ** out of 4.
Review of A Close Call for Ellery Queen
