Copyright 20 November 1933 by Warner Bros Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Strand: 16 November 1933. U.S. release: 2 December 1933. U.K. release: 12 May 1934. Australian release: 14 March 1934. 7 reels. 63 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Playboy gun collector is found murdered in his New York apartment — shot through the eye with a dueling pistol.
NOTES: This film bears no relationship at all to Warner Bros 1929 movie of the same title.
VIEWER'S GUIDE: Adults.
COMMENT: A engrossing police procedural mystery thriller, well produced in all departments, and featuring as nice a range of suspects as any aficionado of the genre could wish. Led by the wonderful Dorothy Burgess (who, alas, has only the one scene — but with what brilliance she plays it), and Robert Barrat (in his sinister element — and what a perfect accent), our potential heavies include such skilled operators as the lovely Margaret Lindsay (who looks absolutely smashing in her Orry-Kelly evening gown), the oddly-named Theodore Newton (a Donald Woods look-a-like, but twice as personable), the ever-reliable Murray Kinnell (a gentleman's gentleman except for the fact that the killer didn't qualify), and Hobart Cavanaugh (in one of his best of many such little-guy performances) as a hard-pressed, too helpful safe- cracker.
The police line-up are no slouches in unforgettable characterizations either. Brent is okay, a little flat, your typical 'tec; Palette makes with the heavy accusations, but he's no dumb- bell; O'Neill seems competent, if unimaginative; best of all, is Edward Ellis, rubbing his hands with glee at every turn of the laboratory screws.
On the sidelines we discover fast-talking Ken Murray as a lazy reporter, Frank Darien as a fussed executor and Hugh Herbert as a too pushy bail bondsman. (Whilst it seems at first that Hugh is enacting his usual comic relief idiot, this proves far from the case as the story progresses. In fact, Hugh has a startling dramatic scene which he plays most effectively).
I found all the introductory procedural touches absolutely fascinating, though I must admit some people at our Film Index video-showing, thought them all superfluous and kept wondering out loud when the story itself was going to start. I thought the writers and Dieterle handled these sequences most creditably by giving them a lot of humanity and humor rather than opting for a dry, documentary approach. I also much admired Dieterle's inspired use — no doubt he followed the writers' instructions — of a first-person camera during the various flashbacks.
SYNOPSIS: Playboy gun collector is found murdered in his New York apartment — shot through the eye with a dueling pistol.
NOTES: This film bears no relationship at all to Warner Bros 1929 movie of the same title.
VIEWER'S GUIDE: Adults.
COMMENT: A engrossing police procedural mystery thriller, well produced in all departments, and featuring as nice a range of suspects as any aficionado of the genre could wish. Led by the wonderful Dorothy Burgess (who, alas, has only the one scene — but with what brilliance she plays it), and Robert Barrat (in his sinister element — and what a perfect accent), our potential heavies include such skilled operators as the lovely Margaret Lindsay (who looks absolutely smashing in her Orry-Kelly evening gown), the oddly-named Theodore Newton (a Donald Woods look-a-like, but twice as personable), the ever-reliable Murray Kinnell (a gentleman's gentleman except for the fact that the killer didn't qualify), and Hobart Cavanaugh (in one of his best of many such little-guy performances) as a hard-pressed, too helpful safe- cracker.
The police line-up are no slouches in unforgettable characterizations either. Brent is okay, a little flat, your typical 'tec; Palette makes with the heavy accusations, but he's no dumb- bell; O'Neill seems competent, if unimaginative; best of all, is Edward Ellis, rubbing his hands with glee at every turn of the laboratory screws.
On the sidelines we discover fast-talking Ken Murray as a lazy reporter, Frank Darien as a fussed executor and Hugh Herbert as a too pushy bail bondsman. (Whilst it seems at first that Hugh is enacting his usual comic relief idiot, this proves far from the case as the story progresses. In fact, Hugh has a startling dramatic scene which he plays most effectively).
I found all the introductory procedural touches absolutely fascinating, though I must admit some people at our Film Index video-showing, thought them all superfluous and kept wondering out loud when the story itself was going to start. I thought the writers and Dieterle handled these sequences most creditably by giving them a lot of humanity and humor rather than opting for a dry, documentary approach. I also much admired Dieterle's inspired use — no doubt he followed the writers' instructions — of a first-person camera during the various flashbacks.