A mystery writer and his sweetheart are held hostage by a fugitive gangster who hopes to get the writer's help in devising the "perfect crime."A mystery writer and his sweetheart are held hostage by a fugitive gangster who hopes to get the writer's help in devising the "perfect crime."A mystery writer and his sweetheart are held hostage by a fugitive gangster who hopes to get the writer's help in devising the "perfect crime."
Frederick Burton
- Mr. Van Buren
- (uncredited)
Jack Kennedy
- Detective
- (uncredited)
Sam McDaniel
- Porter
- (uncredited)
Tom McGuire
- Train Conductor
- (uncredited)
Greta Meyer
- Mrs. Barfuss
- (uncredited)
Walter Percival
- Sam
- (uncredited)
Jack Perry
- Bennie
- (uncredited)
Constantine Romanoff
- Cossack
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Elliott Nugent
- Charles Reisner(uncredited)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe play opened on Broadway in New York City, New York, USA on 19 January 1932 and closed in February 1933 after 265 performances. Ernest Truex and Edward Arnold originated their movie roles in the play. The opening night cast also included Claire Trevor in the role of Toby Van Buren.
- GoofsAfter Wally tells Slim about the $10,000 and Slim is walking into the adjoining room whistling, the mic shadow is clearly visible on the upper left hand side of the frame.
- Quotes
[Lombardo puts his foot up on a piece of furniture and bends over to tie his shoe. Slim enters from behind, and looks him up and down]
Slim Scanlon: Hello, Mr. Lombardo.
Ricco Lombardo: [Not turning around] Hello.
Slim Scanlon: [Examining his rump] We ain't met, but I recognized you from your description.
- ConnectionsRemade as Whistling in the Dark (1941)
Featured review
Another case where the remake was far superior...
A dull, uninspired script that mixes comedy with suspense is the main reason why WHISTLING IN THE DARK gets stuck in a very dated '30s groove and stays there. Elliot Nugent's slow moving direction isn't light enough to keep the comedy aspects in focus.
MGM's later remake starring Red Skelton and Ann Rutherford was a much better variation on this tale told at a much faster pace.
Ernest Truex and Una Merkel are the hapless couple who happen to fall into the clutches of crooked mobsters headed by C. Henry Gordon, Edward Arnold and Nat Pendleton. Truex is a mystery writer forced to invent a perfect murder for Edward Arnold so they can rid themselves of a fellow gangster they want out of the way.
The plot involving a tube of poisoned toothpaste and turning a radio into a two-way connection is not only foolish but improbable, making the story incredible long before the finish.
For some, this will be a trifle easily forgiven and forgotten. Others may find it an uninspired B-film with little to offer in the way of real entertainment even though it began as a play that had a substantial Broadway run.
In any case, the remake with Skelton and Rutherford was far easier to take and was so successful that it became a "Whistling in the Dark" series for several years, to the delight of Red Skelton fans.
MGM's later remake starring Red Skelton and Ann Rutherford was a much better variation on this tale told at a much faster pace.
Ernest Truex and Una Merkel are the hapless couple who happen to fall into the clutches of crooked mobsters headed by C. Henry Gordon, Edward Arnold and Nat Pendleton. Truex is a mystery writer forced to invent a perfect murder for Edward Arnold so they can rid themselves of a fellow gangster they want out of the way.
The plot involving a tube of poisoned toothpaste and turning a radio into a two-way connection is not only foolish but improbable, making the story incredible long before the finish.
For some, this will be a trifle easily forgiven and forgotten. Others may find it an uninspired B-film with little to offer in the way of real entertainment even though it began as a play that had a substantial Broadway run.
In any case, the remake with Skelton and Rutherford was far easier to take and was so successful that it became a "Whistling in the Dark" series for several years, to the delight of Red Skelton fans.
helpful•25
- Doylenf
- Dec 10, 2012
Details
- Runtime1 hour 19 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was Whistling in the Dark (1933) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer