Colorized Detective/Mystery Movies

Private Detective is a 1939 American drama film directed by Noel M. Smith and written by Earle Snell and Raymond L. Schrock. The film stars Jane Wyman and Dick Foran and is based on the short story "Invitation to Murder" by Kay Krausse in the Pocket Detective Magazine.[1][2][3] It was released by Warner Bros. on December 9, 1939. Plot Millard Lannon sues his ex-wife Mona Lannon for the custody of their son. The owner of the Nation-Wide Detective Agency, where Myrna Winslow works asks her to testify against Mona. Myrna refuses because Millard only wants the custody of his son to have access to the child's trust fund. When her boss insist that she testify, Myrna decides to quit her job and marry her boyfriend police lieutenant Jim Rickey. Jim is thrilled when Myrna arrived at the police station and wish to be married that night. However, Myrna is distracted when she overhears an incoming call from Millard, demanding police protection because Mona has threatened his life. This was a scheme concocted by his lawyer, Nat Flavin who kills Millard in his home later that night. Mona was seen leaving his house just as the gunshot is heard by a neighbor. Myrna tags along as Jim and his assistant Brody investigate the crime. She finds Mona hiding in a hotel and tells her that the police suspect her fiancé Donald Norton. Mona lies and says she is the killer. Myrna believes Mona is innocent and helps her escape. Meanwhile, Nat is trying to persuade Donald to turn Mona in and also hire him as her defense lawyer. Jim and Brody arrive at Donald's home. They have a confrontation with Donald and he escapes. Myrna decides to help both Mona and Donald. She questions Nat the next morning and learned that he has appointed himself the legal guardian of Mona's son. Jim is not happy with Myrna's interference in the case. Myrna later finds evidence confirming Nat's guilt in his office. She writes a report saying that Nat killed Millard, and framed Mona in order to get her son's trust fund. As she is telling Jim on the telephone to meet her at the office, Nat arrives and knocks Myrna unconscious and takes her to his beach house. He is met by his partner Millard's chauffeur, Chick Jerome. While the unconscious Myrna is placed in a car in the garage, Mona and Donald arrived to give Nat a retainer to defend them. Jim and Brady burst in, just when Chick is about to give Mona and Donald poisoned drinks. They had found Myrna's report about Nat in his office, and rescued Myrna before she asphyxiated in the car. After a struggle, they successfully captured Nat and Chick. Cast Jane Wyman as Myrna Winslow Dick Foran as Jim Rickey Gloria Dickson as Mona Lannon Maxie Rosenbloom as Brody John Ridgely as Donald Norton Morgan Conway as Nat Flavin John Eldredge as Millard Lannon Leo Gorcey as newsboy (uncredited)

International Crime is a 1938 American film featuring a loose version of The Shadow directed by Charles Lamont starring Rod La Rocque and Astrid Allwyn. Plot Lamont Cranston is an amateur criminologist and detective, who hosts a daily radio program sponsored by the Daily Classic newspaper. He has developed a friendly but occasionally terse feud with Police Commissioner Weston. Cranston complains to his managing editor, Edward Heath, about his incompetent new assistant, Phoebe Lane. Heath advises him that because she is the publisher's niece, she cannot be fired. During his radio broadcast, Phoebe gives Cranston a note that the Metropolitan Theatre is to be robbed at eight o'clock. Afterwards, he learns she got the information from a man she met in a café. Cranston goes to the theatre; Weston and his men have already arrived, but there is no crime. Across town, international banker Gerald Morton is killed and his safe is robbed. Cranston arrives there ahead of the police and gathers evidence. The irate Weston has him jailed as a material witness, but Phoebe gets him released with a writ of habeas corpus in time for his next broadcast. Honest John, a safe cracker whose release from prison was championed by Cranston, bursts into the studio and demands at gun point that Cranston exonerate him; the police suspect that he committed the Morton robbery. Weston rushes to the studio but Honest John escapes. Cranston takes Phoebe on a tour of night clubs and she identifies the man who gave her the robbery warning. Cranston poses as a European visitor and introduces himself to the man, whose name is Flotow. Flotow recognizes Phoebe and invites them to join him and his companion, Starkov, at his apartment after the bar closes. They leave together, but Cranston suspects a trap. He makes excuses to allow Phoebe and himself to depart, but they make a lunch date for the next day. While Flotow and Starkov are waiting for Cranston to join them for lunch, Cranston breaks into Flotow's apartment and discovers Phoebe has already done the same. Cranston answers Flotow's phone; Morton's butler, believing him to be Flotow, tells him there is a meeting at the Morton home that afternoon. Flotow and Starkov return and attempt to detain Cranston and Pheobe. Moe, Cranston's driver, rescues them by flashing his "gun", which is really a cigarette case. After they leave, Morton's butler calls back and Flotow knows he is suspected. Cranston finishes a newspaper column designed to bait Flotow. As he leaves to act on the intercepted butler's call, Cranston is forced into Moe's cab at gun point by Honest John. Cranston gets the upper hand by using Moe's "gun". After John confesses that he only came back to town to get a fresh start, Cranston reveals the fake gun and forgives the "kidnapping". Commissioner Weston is angered by Cranston's column and sends a man to arrest Cranston for withholding information from the police. The policeman gets a tip that Cranston is going to Morton's house. Flotow and Starkov arrive at the Morton house and are admitted by the duplicitous butler. They surprise Morton's brother and force him to open the safe. As they explain their motive for killing his brother, they force him to write a "suicide" note and give him a gun with one bullet. Cranston and Honest John intervene. John holds the malefactors at gun point, while Cranston lets in the police. As Weston's assistant tries to arrest Cranston, the butler tries to sneak out the front door. Cranston throws a potted plant to hit the butler but hits Commissioner Weston as he enters the door. Cranston's broadcast reveals the details of the case and compliments the police for their conduct of the investigation; both Weston and Heath are pleased. Cranston closes the broadcast with the line, "Crime does not pay!" Cast Rod La Rocque as Lamont Cranston/The Shadow Astrid Allwyn as Phoebe Lane Thomas E. Jackson as Commissioner Weston Oscar O'Shea as Editor Heath Wilhelm von Brincken as Flotow William Pawley as Honest John Walter Bonn as Stefan, Flotow's driver Lew Hearn as Moe, Cranston's driver Tenen Holtz as Starkhov John St. Polis as Roger Morton Jack Baxley as Mathews Lloyd Whitlock as Attorney Paul Panzer as Morton's Butler

The President's Mystery is a 1936 American mystery film directed by Phil Rosen and starring Henry Wilcoxon, Betty Furness, Sidney Blackmer and Evelyn Brent. It was based on a novel inspired by an outline by the sitting President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, with all proceeds of both the book and films going to the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation[1] It was produced and distributed by Republic Pictures. The film was released under the alternative title One for All in the United Kingdom by British Lion Films. Plot summary The film deals with a "problem Mr. Roosevelt submitted . . . whether it was possible for a man, weary of faithless friends and a wasted life, to convert a $5,000,000 estate into cash, disappear and start anew in some worth-while activity." (cited from The New York Times – Monday, April 16, 2012) Disillusioned attorney James Blake is engaged by his friend George Sartos to lobby on behalf of the National Cannery against a bill that would've empowered smaller businesses. After James is successful, he encounters Charlotte Brown, who runs a cannery that is the main livelihood of the small town of Springvale; the cannery has been forced to close because of the bill. James listens to the townsfolk and is inspired to help them. James liquidates his assets, closes his bank accounts, and stages a failed business venture to make it seem that he's gone bankrupt. Once ready, he leaves his estranged wife, Ilka, to fake his death in a car accident. Ilka tries to inform George, who is also her lover, about James's strange behavior but is accidentally killed by George's manservant, Andrew. James learns about Ilka's death through the radio, and how James is blamed for it but the case is considered closed since his "body" was found by the police. Some months later James, using his new name James Carter, is in a relationship with Charlotte and has turned her cannery into a success. They are visited by George, who wants to buy out their business. George recognizes James and tries to blackmail him into compliance. When James refuses, George informs the police and James is arrested for Ilka's murder. While James is held in the town jail, George plants agents provocateurs to cause a riot to destroy the cannery. James learns of this and, due to his good relationship with the people of Springvale, is allowed out of the town jail to talk the rioters down and bring proof of his intentions to keep the cannery going. Meanwhile, James's former manservant Roger, acting on his own initiative, finds out from Andrew that Ilka's death was an accident. George is arrested for causing the riot, and James is released, freeing him to marry Charlotte. Cast Henry Wilcoxon as James Blake Betty Furness as Charlotte Brown Sidney Blackmer as George Sartos Evelyn Brent as Ilka Blake Barnett Parker as Roger Mel Ruick as Andrew Wade Boteler as Sheriff John Wray as Shane Guy Usher as Police Lieutenant Robert Homans as Sergeant Si Jenks as Earl Arthur Aylesworth as Joe Reed Plot Reporter Bill Bartlett is researching a piece on students, but soon finds himself investigating a murder. He hears a gunshot coming from a college bell tower, and finds himself a murder suspect when police captain Ed Kyne discovers him at the scene of the crime. Bartlett also finds himself in love with one of the chief suspects, Lillian Voyne, and is designated to cover the story as a reporter. After two more men are killed, Bartlett enlists the help of C. Edson Hawley, respected college professor and amateur detective. Cast Charles Starrett as Bill Bartlett Shirley Grey as Lillian Voyne J. Farrell MacDonald as Police Capt. Ed Kyne Ruth Hall as Ann Michaels Dewey Robinson as Detective Sgt. Charlie Lorrimer Maurice Black as Blackie Atwater Edward Van Sloan as Prof. C. Edson Hawley Jane Keckley as Hilda Lund

The Bat was distributed in 1959 on a double bill with the British Hammer film The Mummy.[1] Now in the public domain, The Bat is available for online download.[5] Plot Vincent Price and Gavin Gordon in The Bat Mystery author Cornelia Van Gorder rents The Oaks, a summer home in a small town, from local bank president John Fleming. While on a hunting trip with his physician, Dr. Malcolm Wells, Fleming confesses to stealing over $1 million in negotiable securities from the bank. He offers to split the money with Wells in return for help faking his own death and threatens to kill him if he does not comply. Wells shoots Fleming and covers up the murder. Meanwhile, the town is being terrorized by a mysterious murderer known as "the Bat", said to be a man with no face who murders women at night by ripping out their throats with steel claws. Van Gorder's assistant Lizzie tells her all the servants, except the chauffeur, have quit in fear. As they lock up The Oaks that night, Lizzie sees the Bat's clawed hand reaching through an unlocked window. Van Gorder calls the police, who promise to send officers to investigate. The Bat breaks into the house and releases a bat, which bites Lizzie. Lizzie fears she may have contracted rabies. Van Gorder calls for Wells to treat the bite. Wells is in his laboratory, doing experiments on bats. The local chief of detectives, Lieutenant Andy Anderson, is watching through a window. When Wells leaves to answer Van Gorder's call, Anderson breaks into the laboratory and searches it. Wells checks Lizzie's wound and catches the bat that bit her. Anderson arrives shortly after and says an officer will watch the house for the rest of the night. Van Gorder is visited by Wells, Dale Bailey, and Judy Hollander. Dale's husband, Victor Bailey, is a clerk at the bank and the prime suspect in the theft of the securities, having been framed by Fleming; Judy works at the bank and is a witness in his defense. While Anderson is visiting Mark Fleming, the nephew and heir of John Fleming, Van Gorder has Dale call him about blueprints that may show a hiding place in The Oaks. Dale promises to help her look for them that evening. Meanwhile, Van Gorder has hired new servants and promoted Warner the chauffeur to butler. While Van Gorder, Judy, and Dale are having dinner, Mark sneaks into the house to look for the blueprints on his own. The Bat kills him and takes the blueprints. Anderson and Wells (who is also the local coroner) arrive to investigate the murder. Anderson questions the women and Van Gorder's new butler, Warner. Anderson tells the women to lock themselves into their rooms for the rest of the night; he will stay to watch for the Bat. After the women go to bed, Anderson goes into the woods behind the house with a flashlight; Warner follows him. Soon after, the Bat enters the house again. He cuts the phone line and goes to the third floor, where he begins chiseling a hole into one of the walls. Hearing the noise from his chiseling, Dale and Judy go to investigate. The Bat kills Judy and flees the house. Anderson returns, saying he saw a man in the woods. He accuses Warner, whom he recognizes as a suspect for a robbery in Chicago; Warner replies he was acquitted. Wells comes to the house, saying he had an accident in his car nearby; Anderson casts suspicion on the doctor as well. Van Gorder investigates the room the Bat was in and realizes there is a secret room behind the wall where he was chiseling. She accidentally traps herself in the room, but is freed by Detective Davenport, the officer assigned to watch the house that evening. Meanwhile, the Bat comes to kill Wells in his laboratory. Wells pulls a gun and taunts the Bat, whose identity Wells seems to know. Wells tells the Bat that he knows where the money is and that, after the Bat is dead, he (Wells) will collect it. Wells then attempts to shoot the Bat but the other attacks. The two men struggle and Wells is killed. The Bat leaves a fake suicide note to frame Wells as the Bat. The Bat returns to Van Gorder's house, where he sets the garage on fire to draw the occupants outside. Mystery writer Van Gorder sees through this ruse, however. She has Dale, Lizzie, and Davenport hide and wait for the Bat. When confronted, the Bat, wearing the mask which obscures the outlines of his face (hence his description as "a man with no face") shoots Davenport, though it is unclear how badly, and is about to kill the three women when Warner returns and shoots him dead. Warner unmasks the Bat, who is revealed to be Lieutenant Anderson, whose motives were financial, as he was one of the first people notified of the theft of the bank securities later converted into cash. Cast Agnes Moorehead as Cornelia Van Gorder Vincent Price as Dr. Malcolm Wells Agnes Moorehead as Cornelia van Gorder Gavin Gordon as Lt. Andy Anderson John Sutton as Warner Lenita Lane as Lizzie Allen Elaine Edwards as Dale Bailey Darla Hood as Judy Hollander John Bryant as Mark Fleming Harvey Stephens as John Fleming Mike Steele as Victor Bailey Riza Royce as Jane Patterson Robert B. Williams as Detective Davenport

The Ghost Walks is a 1934 American horror film directed by Frank R. Strayer starring John Miljan and June Collyer. Plot On a stormy night, a theatrical producer, his secretary, and playwright Prescott Ames are stranded when their car skids off the road and gets stuck. The three take refuge in the nearby home of Dr. Kent, a friend of Ames's. One of Kent's patients, who is staying at the house, is acting strangely, and the others in the house tell the newcomers that she is behaving this way because it is the anniversary of her husband's murder. At dinner, the group begins exchanging accusations about the murder, when suddenly the lights go out, and soon afterwards comes the first in a series of mysterious and fearful events. The producer thinks all the strange occurrences are part of a ploy to get him to produce a play for Ames: One of the other characters exclaims, "These fools think we are putting on a play for their benefit!" The dinner-party was a scene from Ames's play, but when a madman sneaks into the house and tries to graft different body parts on the theatrical producer and his secretary, they realize it isn't a play. Cast John Miljan as Prescott Ames June Collyer as Gloria Shaw Richard Carle as Herman Wood Henry Kolker as Dr. Kent Johnny Arthur as Homer Erskine Spencer Charters as a Guard Donald Kirke as Terry Shaw aka Terry Gray Eve Southern as Beatrice Douglas Gerrard as Carroway (billed as Douglas Gerard) Wilson Benge as Jarvis Jack Shutta as Head Guard Harry Strang as Guard

After plundering and desecrating a temple in India in 1913, drunken archeologist John Prendergast is cursed by the priest, who re-animates a gorilla Prendergast killed and orders it to wreak its revenge on the thief. Twenty years later, a partially paralyzed Prendergast resurfaces in the United States as the rich philanthropist, John Pren. His backers assemble at his mansion to demand their share of his plunder. Pren warns them that the "spirit of Kali" (the undead gorilla) killed two people he tried to repay. A séance is held to try to contact and appease Kali, but one of the backers is found strangled afterward. Later that night, another backer is found dead, dressed in a gorilla suit. A police investigation goes nowhere, and backer Jack Armstrong is attacked by the gorilla but escapes. Another backer dies, and Pren is found unconscious—the ape's attack on him apparently interrupted. Pren proposes to his nurse, Ella, which enrages Pren's long-time companion, the Hindu girl Chanda. The police discover Pren has been faking paralysis and has been killing off his backers by allowing Kali to attack them. The ape kills Pren, but the police save Ella in the nick of time. Cast Ed Lowry as Dylan "Jack" Armstrong Verna Hillie as Ella Browning John Sheehan as Harry Smith Brandon Hurst as Hindu Priest Joyzelle Joyner as Chanda Fritzi Ridgeway as Stella Walker Clay Clement as John Prendergast aka John Pren George 'Gabby' Hayes as David Fells Dale Fuller as Mrs. Geraldine Carfax Harry C. Bradley as Prof. Horatio Potter Irving Bacon as Police Insp. Ned Pickens Mary Foy as Mrs. Hyacinth Potter

By Whose Hand? is a 1932 American mystery film directed by Benjamin Stoloff and starring Ben Lyon, Barbara Weeks and Kenneth Thomson.[1] By Whose Hand? is a 1932 American mystery film directed by Benjamin Stoloff and starring Ben Lyon, Barbara Weeks and Kenneth Thomson.[1] In London the film premiered on a double bill with Michael Powell's quota quickie His Lordship.[2] The film is a breezy murder mystery (working title was "Murder Express") with Ben Lyon doing a fine job as the lead Jimmy Hawley, a crime reporter, who boards a train more to pursue the beautiful Barbara Weeks than to follow a lead that the escaped Killer Delmar (Nat Pendleton) might be on the train. There are many suspicious characters aboard the train, including Ethel Kenyon as a jewel thief, Kenneth Thomson as a womanizing jeweler, Helene Millard as a "grieving" widow, and the always enjoyable William V. Mong as a vengeful, bitter old man. Detective William Halligan has in his care (in cuffs) one Chick Lewis (Dwight Frye), who had squealed on his old buddy Delmar and is now being transported to prison near San Francisco. Cast Ben Lyon as Jimmy Barbara Weeks as Alice Kenneth Thomson as Chambers Ethel Kenyon as Eileen William V. Mong as Graham Dolores Ray as Bride Nat Pendleton as The Killer Tom Dugan as Drunk Dwight Frye as Chick

The Thirteenth Guest is a 1932 American pre-Code mystery comedy thriller film, released on August 9, 1932. The film is also known as Lady Beware in the United Kingdom. It is based on the 1929 novel The Thirteenth Guest written by crime fiction author Armitage Trail,[1] best known for the novel Scarface[2] on which the 1932 movie of the same name was based. The novel was filmed again in 1943 as Mystery of the 13th Guest.[3] Plot The Thirteenth Guest ad from The Film Daily, 1932 Marie Morgan has been lured to an old abandoned house by a false note from a friend, and is in jeopardy although she doesn't yet realize it. As she sits at the table inside, she thinks back to the banquet held there 13 years earlier, when she was a little girl. Only 12 of 13 guests had attended, and the manor's owner, the Morgan family patriarch, who was then dying, has since passed on. The chance to claim the bulk of the estate fortune has resulted in an ongoing campaign of murder by someone targeting the original 12 guests, whose dead bodies are being left at the table in the same seats they had occupied originally. Cast Ginger Rogers as Lela/Marie Morgan Lyle Talbot as Phil Winston J. Farrell MacDonald as Police Capt. Ryan Paul Hurst as Detective Grump Erville Alderson as Uncle John Adams Ethel Wales as Aunt Jane Thornton James Eagles as Harold 'Bud' Morgan Crauford Kent as Dr. Sherwood Eddie Phillips as Thor Jensen Frances Rich as Marjorie Thornton Phillips Smalley as Uncle Dick Thornton Allan Cavan as Uncle Wayne Seymour (uncredited) William Davidson as Police Capt. Brown (uncredited) John Ince as Uncle John Morgan (uncredited) Tom London as Detective Carter (uncredited) Harry Tenbrook as Cabby (uncredited) Adrienne Dore as Winston's Date (uncredited)

A Shriek in the Night is a 1933 American pre-Code mystery crime film with elements of romance directed by Albert Ray and starring Ginger Rogers, Lyle Talbot, and Harvey Clark. It was produced by the independent studio Allied Pictures, and remains the company's best-known release. Plot Rival newspaper reporters Pat Morgan and Ted Rand find themselves unravelling the mystery behind the death of a millionaire philanthropist who fell from his penthouse balcony. When it is discovered that the plunge was not an accident, the building's residents come under suspicion. Soon, the body count begins to mount as three more murders occur by strangulation. Cast Ginger Rogers as Pat Morgan Lyle Talbot as Ted Rand Harvey Clark as Peterson, the Janitor Purnell Pratt as Police Insp. Russell Lillian Harmer as Augusta, the Housekeeper Arthur Hoyt as Wilfred Louise Beavers as Maid Clarence Wilson as Editor Perkins Maurice Black as Josephus Martini Jim Farley as Jim Brown, Detective Tiny Sandford as Eddie, Detective Philip Sleeman as Detective

A Study in Scarlet is a 1933 American pre-Code mystery thriller film directed by Edwin L. Marin and starring Reginald Owen as Sherlock Holmes and Anna May Wong as Mrs. Pyke. The title is taken from Arthur Conan Doyle's 1887 novel of the same name, the first in the Holmes series, but the screenplay by Robert Florey was original.[1] Plot London, present day. The body of Mr. Murphy is found dead on a train, apparently from natural causes but, in fact, murdered. A secret society holds a meeting in Limehouse, chaired by lawyer Thaddeus Merrydew. He reports Murphy's death, which follows the recent death of fellow member Colonel Forrester, whose daughter Eileen for unexplained reasons inherits her father's membership. Merrydew explains that the financial interest in the society will be divided between the surviving members, with Murphy's widow getting nothing. Mrs. Murphy visits Sherlock Holmes at 221A Baker Street [sic] to ask his help to get payment from Merrydew. Holmes tells Dr. Watson that Merrydew is London's most dangerous crook and has eluded him several times previously, but this time he intends to catch him. Merrydew warns Eileen that she should not marry her fiancé John Stanford for the time being. While they are talking one of the society's members, Captain Pyke, rushes in and Eileen sees him killed by a shot fired through the window. She is then terrified by the murderer's apparent accomplice and faints. Captain Pyke's body is identified by his wife Mrs. Pyke, whose lawyer is Merrydew. Holmes does not believe what she tells him. It appears that the members of the society are being killed off. Inspector Lestrade, Holmes and Watson investigate the death of member Malcolm Dearing. Holmes and Watson visit Merrydew to ask about Murphy's money, without success. They pass Mrs. Pyke, who is arriving. Merrydew pays a call to Eileen to invite her to another meeting of the society, the Scarlet Ring. Eileen tells John that her late father had told her that Merrydew would arrange for her to receive a large inheritance. John visits Holmes, who says Eileen is in great danger. Holmes disguises himself and goes to the Pykes' mansion The Grange in Shoeburyness (spelled Shoebryness), which is now for sale by Mrs. Pyke. His investigations there make him suspicious that Mrs. Pyke is collaborating with Merrydew. Holmes places newspaper advertisements requesting any information about the Scarlet Ring. The Scarlet Ring holds another meeting, where some of its remaining members, especially Jabez Wilson, are fearful for their lives. Merrydew tells them that, after waiting five years, their scheme is about to pay out one million pounds, which is £200,000 for each of the five remaining members. Holmes and John arrive as the meeting breaks up. They smell gas and are just in time to save Eileen, who had been left to die. The terrified Wilson goes to Holmes to get his help after an apparent attempt is made on his life. Wilson and Eileen are lured to The Grange without realizing they are next to be killed. Holmes, Lestrade and police officers surround and enter the mansion and rescue them. The killer is revealed as Captain Pyke, whose death had been fabricated. He is arrested for three murders, and Mrs. Pyke is arrested as an accomplice. Merrydew arrives with the gems, and is arrested as an accomplice. Eileen and John depart happily, and Holmes is content he has rid London of another master criminal. Cast Reginald Owen as Sherlock Holmes Reginald Owen as Sherlock Holmes Anna May Wong as Mrs. Pyke June Clyde as Eileen Forrester Alan Dinehart (credited as Allan Dinehart) as Thaddeus Merrydew John Warburton as John Stanford Alan Mowbray as Inspector Lestrade (credited as Lastrade) Warburton Gamble as Dr. Watson J. M. Kerrigan as Jabez Wilson Wyndham Standing as Captain Pyke Billy Bevan as Will Swallow Leila Bennett as Daffy Dolly Halliwell Hobbes as Malcolm Dearing Doris Lloyd as Mrs. Murphy Hobart Cavanaugh as Thompson (uncredited) Olaf Hytten as Merrydew's Butler (uncredited) Tetsu Komai as Ah Yet (uncredited) Tempe Pigott as Mrs. Hudson (uncredited) Cecil Reynolds as William Baker (uncredited)

Murder on the Campus is a 1933 American pre-Code mystery film directed by Richard Thorpe. The film is also known as On the Stroke of Nine in the United Kingdom.[1] It is based on the novel The Campanile Murders, by Whitman Chambers (Appleton, 1933).[2] Plot Reporter Bill Bartlett is researching a piece on students, but soon finds himself investigating a murder. He hears a gunshot coming from a college bell tower, and finds himself a murder suspect when police captain Ed Kyne discovers him at the scene of the crime. Bartlett also finds himself in love with one of the chief suspects, Lillian Voyne, and is designated to cover the story as a reporter. After two more men are killed, Bartlett enlists the help of C. Edson Hawley, respected college professor and amateur detective. Cast Charles Starrett as Bill Bartlett Shirley Grey as Lillian Voyne J. Farrell MacDonald as Police Capt. Ed Kyne Ruth Hall as Ann Michaels Dewey Robinson as Detective Sgt. Charlie Lorrimer Maurice Black as Blackie Atwater Edward Van Sloan as Prof. C. Edson Hawley Jane Keckley as Hilda Lund

The Sphinx is a 1933 American Pre-Code mystery drama film directed by Phil Rosen. The film was remade by William Beaudine as Phantom Killer in 1942. Plot A man comes out of the office of "Garfield Investment Company". He meets the janitor in the stairs and asks him for a match, and then what time it is. "It's nine" the Italian-American janitor Luigi Bacciagalupi answers and wants to know from which apartment he came out. The man leaves without answering. Shortly after, the janitor finds a dead man in the office of "Garfield Investment Company". Newspaperman Burton from the Chronicle is there to talk with the inspector. Before he can see him he talks with the watching police officer, and after a while, realizes that the Garfield Investment Company just that morning went bankrupt. "Another broker went down the flush". The janitor recognizes on the police records the man who came out of the office, Mr. Breen. During the trial he sticks to what he has seen and what he has heard, though two different doctors testify that Mr. Breen is deaf and mute since birth. Young chronicle newspaperman Jerry Crane, in love with his good-looking girl colleague, has a feeling that Breen is a strange guy and tries to convince her not to go for interview to his house. Meantime a young broker tells him he has a hint, if he gets enough money for it. Breen comes to see the young broker before at half past eight the Burton comes to his house. A second time Mr. Breen asks for the time after seeing his victim. The puzzling case has the parallel love story of the two newspaper-people of the Chronicle. While Burton, who wants to marry Crane, is skeptical about Breen, Crane is fascinated, and dedicates him a series of articles. When Inspector Riley thinks he saw Breen hearing the playing of the piano when they are in his house, the next morning a third dead man is on the list. Cast Lionel Atwill as Jerome Breen Sheila Terry as Jerry Crane Theodore Newton as Jack Burton Paul Hurst as Detective Terrence Aloysius Hogan Luis Alberni as Luigi Baccigalupi Robert Ellis as Inspector James Riley Lucien Prival as Jenks, the Butler Lillian Leighton as Mother Werner Paul Fix as Dave Werner George 'Gabby' Hayes as Det. Casey

Plot During a masked party Stephen Kester (Claude Gillingwater) is found dead in the closet of his room, three stab wounds in his back. Suspicion falls on everyone at the party, especially Kester's granddaughter Jean (Shirley Grey) and her fiancé Cliff Miller (William Bakewell), who fled the house after disabling all of the other cars and cutting the phone lines. As Inspector Crofton (John Wray) and Detective Regan (Ben Hendricks Jr.) investigate they are shadowed and helped along by a mystery writer, Bill Tracy (Charles Starrett). Cast Shirley Grey as Jean Kester Charles Starrett as Bill Tracy Claude Gillingwater as Stephen Kester John Wray as Inspector Crofton William Bakewell as Cliff Miller Dorothy Revier as Mrs. Pritchard Ben Hendricks Jr. as Detective Regan Alden Chase as Mr. Pritchard Arthur Clayton as Roger Hall Aggie Herring as Dora, housekeeper for the Kesters Edward Keane as Raynor Edward Le Saint as Banker Robert Frazer as Broker[1]

The Sleeping Cardinal, also known as Sherlock Holmes' Fatal Hour in the United States, is a 1931 British mystery film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Arthur Wontner and Ian Fleming.[1] The film is an adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Although it is not based on any one particular story, the film draws inspiration from "The Empty House" and "The Final Problem".[2] The film is the first in the 1931–1937 film series starring Wontner as Sherlock Holmes. It is unrelated to the Basil Rathbone series of Sherlock Holmes films that began in the late 1930s. The film was produced at Twickenham Studios in London with sets designed by art director James A. Carter. Plot In London, young diplomatic attaché Ronnie Adair, is playing bridge when he is called to a meeting with Professor Moriarty and blackmailed into transporting counterfeit money to Paris in his diplomatic pouch. Adair's concerned sister calls for the assistance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to investigate the reasons for her brother's gambling excesses and depressed moods. After Adair dies from an apparent suicide, Holmes deduces Moriarty's involvement from a trail of clues. Cast Arthur Wontner as Sherlock Holmes Ian Fleming as Dr. Watson Philip Hewland as Inspector Lestrade Jane Welsh as Kathleen Adair Norman McKinnel as Prof. Moriarty, alias Col. Henslowe Minnie Rayner as Mrs. Hudson Leslie Perrins as Ronald Adair Gordon Begg as Marston, the butler William Fazan as Thomas Fisher Sydney King as Tony Rutherford Louis Goodrich as Colonel Sebastian Moran Harry Terry as No. 16 Charles Paton as J.J. Godfrey

The Sign of Four is a 1932 British crime film directed by Graham Cutts and starring Arthur Wontner, Ian Hunter and Graham Soutten. The film is based on Arthur Conan Doyle's second Sherlock Holmes novel The Sign of the Four (1890). The film is also known as The Sign of Four: Sherlock Holmes' Greatest Case.[1] It is the third film in the 1931–1937 film series starring Wontner as Sherlock Holmes.[1] A young woman needs Sherlock Holmes for protection when she's tormented by an escaped killer. However, when the woman is abducted, Holmes and Watson must infiltrate the city's criminal underworld to track down the young woman. It is in the public domain. Plot Jonathan Small, a prisoner serving a lengthy sentence on the Andaman Islands cuts a deal with two army officers, Major Sholto and Captain Morstan, in command of the prison. He reveals the location of a stash of loot in exchange for their help in helping him to escape from jail. The proceeds are to be split equally between the three of them. Sholto and Morstan go to investigate the treasure which is hidden in an old Indian fortress. When they unearth the valuable trinkets behind a brick wall it sparks a violent quarrel between the two men with each wanting to take all of the treasure. After a struggle Sholto kills his accomplice and returns to England without fulfilling his pledge to help Small escape. The Sign of 4 ad from The Film Daily, 1932 A number of years later Sholto is now living in London in great wealth thanks to his theft of the treasure. However, he is disturbed to read of the escape from jail of Small. He becomes haunted by the sound of Small's wooden leg and is convinced he will shortly be killed in revenge for his past betrayal of the convict. He calls his sons Bartholomew and Thaddeus to him and tells them of his murky past that had gained him the wealth on which the family fortune is built. He reveals that Morstan had a daughter, Mary, and instructs his sons to send her a valuable necklace and split their inheritance with her. Shortly afterwards Sholto is murdered before he can reveal the location of the bulk of his treasure. The killing has been committed by Small who has broken out of jail with two accomplices, a heavily-tattooed convict and a native named Tonga. He reveals himself and menaces Thaddeus into telling him about Miss Morstan. The gang soon begin threatening Miss Morstan in the hope that she will hand over her share of the treasure to them. Frightened, she calls in Sherlock Holmes to help her protect herself. She is approached by Thaddeus, who reveals that the secret hiding place of the treasure has been discovered, and offers her the share as instructed by his father, and takes them to the family house. However, when they arrive there Bartholomew is dead, and the treasure is missing. Holmes has his theory about the murder, but the innocent Thaddeus is arrested for murder by the incompent detective from Scotland Yard. Holmes and Watson set out to prove Theodore's innocence and track down the gang who are threatening Miss Morstan. They soon discover that Small and his accomplices are waiting to take the necklace from Mary Morstan to complete their haul and then flee the country and are hiding out in a circus. Watson unwisely takes Mary to investigate, and she is forcibly taken by them. Small's gang plan to make their escape by boat up the River Thames, but they are pursued by Holmes and Watson. The film climaxes in a shoot-out at a deserted warehouse. Cast Arthur Wontner as Sherlock Holmes Isla Bevan as Mary Morstan Ian Hunter as Dr. John H. Watson Graham Soutten as Jonathan Small Miles Malleson as Thaddeus Sholto Herbert Lomas as Major John Sholto Gilbert Davis as Det. Insp. Atherly Jones Margaret Yarde as Mrs. Smith Roy Emerton as The Tattooed Man Charles Farrell as Funfair Patron Clare Greet as Mrs Hudson

The Speckled Band is a 1931 British mystery film directed by Jack Raymond and starring Lyn Harding, Raymond Massey and Angela Baddeley. It is an adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's original 1892 story "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" and the 1910 play he adapted from it, The Speckled Band.[1] The film features Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson investigating the fears of a young woman and the suspicious death of her sister. Plot summary The film begins on the Rylott estate with gypsies camping on the grounds. Inside the mansion, Violet Stonor screams in her bedroom and then collapses in the hallway. She is discovered by her sister, Helen (Angela Baddeley). Violet's dying words are "the band, speckled." She then dies and their stepfather, Dr. Grimesby Rylott (Lyn Harding), arrives. Soon there is an inquest into the mysterious death, and Rylott plots with the housekeeper and his Indian servant, Ali. Watson attends the inquest as an old friend of the Stonor family in India. He acts protectively to Helen and advises her to consult Holmes if she ever feels in danger. At Baker Street later, Watson summarises the inquest to Holmes, describing the various witnesses and evidence. Holmes files it away in his system—he operates a modern office with female secretaries and a voice recording device. One year later, Helen Stonor is engaged, and her fiancé must leave for a plantation in Rangoon for a year. Helen is afraid and suggests that they marry sooner, so that she may go with him to Rangoon. Dr. Rylott is upset by these plans and decides to murder her to prevent the loss of her inheritance. Rylott forces Helen to move from her room into Violet's old room. The next day, Helen meets with Holmes and Watson in Baker Street they describe her case. Her sister Violet had been engaged to be married before she dies, and Helen remembers hearing mysterious music that night. Now Helen is engaged and is also hearing the mysterious music again. Holmes questions her and sends her out of the room through a separate entrance when her stepfather arrives. Dr. Rylott barges in and threatens Holmes, but he is not deterred. In the afternoon, Dr. Watson arrives alone to visit Helen Stonor while her stepfather is not home. Holmes is in disguise as a workman dealing with the repairs to the building. Together they investigate Dr. Rylott's room and discover several clues, such as a bowl of milk, a dog whip, and a mirror. Next, they investigate Violet's room, which has a bell-rope that doesn't ring and a ventilator near the bed. The ventilator opens into Rylott's room but is hidden by a painting. When Rylott returns, Holmes and Watson temporarily leave Helen at the house but plan to sneak into the room later to investigate. That night, Helen spends the night within Violet's room while Holmes and Watson secretly keep watch with her. After snake-charming music plays, a snake enters the room through the ventilator, and Holmes attacks it, sending it back to Rylott's room. Rylott screams. Holmes, Watson, and Helen enter his room and discover Rylott dead from a snake bite. Holmes forces Ali, the servant, to charm the snake so they can put it in the safe. Violet's last words about a "speckled band" were in fact describing "a swamp adder, the deadliest snake in India". The venomous snake had been sent to Violet's room by Dr. Rylott to murder her for her inheritance. Rylott had intended to do the same to Helen. The movie ends with Holmes conducting an experiment in Baker Street. Watson arrives dressed for a wedding, and Holmes therefore deduces that he is going to a wedding. Watson is pleased to tell Holmes that he is wrong, that he has just come from the wedding of Helen Stonor and her groom. Holmes offers his "condolences" rather than congratulations. Watson says in amusement that "we all come to it", meaning marriage. After Watson leaves, Holmes disagrees quietly, "Not all, my dear Watson... not all". Cast Lyn Harding as Dr. Grimesby Rylott Raymond Massey as Sherlock Holmes Angela Baddeley as Helen Stonor Nancy Price as Mrs. Staunton Athole Stewart as Dr. John Watson Marie Ault as Mrs Hudson Stanley Lathbury as Rodgers Charles Paton as Builder Joyce Moore as Violet Ivan Brandt as Curtis

Alias Boston Blackie (1942) is the third in a series of fourteen Columbia Pictures "B" movies starring Chester Morris as Boston Blackie. It was preceded by Meet Boston Blackie, Confessions of Boston Blackie and followed by Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood. Once again, Blackie is suspected of committing a crime, in this instance of helping a prisoner escape. Plot In the Christmas spirit, Boston Blackie decides to entertain the inmates at his old "alma mater" by bringing a variety show headed by clown Roggi McKay. Roggi drops one of his showgirls, Eve Sanders, as she has already visited her prisoner brother, Joe Trilby, the maximum allowed number of times that month. However, Blackie kindheartedly lets her tag along. Inspector Farraday and Detective Joe Mathews unexpectedly join the group on the bus, just to keep an eye on Blackie. When Joe manages to escape from the prison, by tying Roggi up and putting on his costume and makeup, Farraday suspects Blackie helped him. Blackie heads to Eve's apartment. Sure enough, Joe shows up soon afterward. Joe claims he is innocent and that Duke Banton and someone named Steve got him to drive them to the crime scene without telling him why. When the robbery was foiled, they fled, leaving him behind. Now he wants to kill the pair, regardless of the consequences. Joe takes Blackie's suit and ties him up. Eve eventually arrives and frees him. Blackie and his sidekick "the Runt" head to Duke Banton's place, but arrive too late and find only a dead body. Then Joe enters. He claims he did not kill Banton. When the police surround the building, Blackie has Joe switch places with Banton after Farraday has examined the corpse. The "body" is taken away in an ambulance. Blackie is taken into custody, but manages to victimize Detective Mathews, putting on his uniform to get away. From information provided by Jumbo Madigan, Blackie figures out that the other robber was taxi driver Steve Caveroni. He has Eve pose as a fare to lure Caveroni to Banton's hotel room. Caveroni feels he is in control of the situation as he has a gun, so Blackie has little trouble getting him to confess he killed his partner (Banton was trying to flee, leaving Caveroni to take the blame) and that Joe is innocent. Farraday and his policemen eavesdrop through the door. Once he realizes he is trapped, Caveroni makes a break for it, but is shot dead. Cast Chester Morris as Boston Blackie Adele Mara as Eve Sanders Richard Lane as Inspector Farraday George E. Stone as "The Runt" Lloyd Corrigan as Arthur Manleder Walter Sande as Detective Mathews Larry Parks as Joe Trilby George McKay as Roggi McKay Cy Kendall as Jumbo Madigan Paul Fix as Steve Caveroni Ben Taggart as Warden Lloyd Bridges plays the uncredited bus driver.

Time to Kill is an American mystery film[1] directed by Herbert I. Leeds.[2] It is the first screen adaptation of Raymond Chandler's novel The High Window,[3][4] which was remade five years later as The Brasher Doubloon. The detective was changed from Philip Marlowe to Michael Shayne for this version, with Lloyd Nolan playing the part and Heather Angel in a rare turn as leading lady. It is also the final Michael Shayne film starring Lloyd Nolan made at Fox, who closed down their popular B movie unit which included Mr. Moto, Charlie Chan, and the Cisco Kid. In 1946 the series would be reborn at Producers Releasing Corporation with Hugh Beaumont taking over the role. Cast In order of billing:[5] Lloyd Nolan as Michael Shayne Heather Angel as Myrle Davis Doris Merrick as Linda Conquest Murdock Ralph Byrd as Lou Venter, bodyguard Richard Lane as Lt. Breeze Sheila Bromley as Lois Morny Morris Ankrum as Alexander Morny Ethel Griffies as Mrs. Murdock James Seay as Leslie Murdock Ted Hecht as George Anson Phillips William Pawley as Mr. Hensch Syd Saylor as The Mailman Lester Sharpe as Elisha Washburn Charles Williams as The Dentist LeRoy Mason as Rudolph, the headwaiter George Melford as Minor Role (uncredited)

Passport to Suez (1943; also known as A Night of Adventure and The Clock Strikes Twelve) is the 20th film featuring the Lone Wolf character. It was the eleventh of fifteen in the Columbia Pictures series, and the last to star Warren William as the lead character, a jewel thief turned private detective. The Lone Wolf battles Nazi spies in Egypt in World War II. Plot Michael Lanyard, the Lone Wolf, agrees to go to Alexandria to help the Allied cause during World War II. There, he and his valet, Llewellyn Jamison, are met by his old friend, nightclub owner Johnny Booth. Fritz comes to drive him, supposedly to see Sir Robert Wembley, head of the British secret service in the region. However, he is actually taken to meet Karl, the leader of a Nazi spy ring. Karl threatens to kill Jamison (whom he has kidnapped) unless Lanyard does some as yet unspecified work for him. When Lanyard reluctantly agrees, the two men are released. After they leave, Karl reveals to Fritz that he expects the Lone Wolf to try to trap him, but that is all part of his plan. When Lanyard meets with Wembley, the spymaster makes clear that he does not want an amateur's help, but reluctantly agrees to let the Lone Wolf play along in order to gather more information. Complicating matters further, Lanyard and Jamison encounter the latter's son Donald, a British naval officer, and his fiancée, reporter Valerie King in Booth's nightclub. Lanyard soon suspects that she is not all she appears to be. In Booth's private office, he also meets freelance spies or informers (more or less on friendly terms with Booth), who call themselves "Rembrandt" and "Cezanne". Cézanne shows him that the lace King was knitting contains a secret message. When the two spies leave, Rembrandt shoots Cézanne; he dies in front of the nightclub, at King's feet. When King returns to her hotel room, Karl is waiting for her. She is one of his agents, currently extracting information from Donald for their real goal: the plans for the minefields and defences of the Suez Canal. Meanwhile, the Lone Wolf is approached by "Whistler", yet another unscrupulous man with information to sell. Whistler sells him lace that King had sent to a laundry; the hidden message indicates that whatever the Nazis plan to do is to be finished by midnight. Karl visits Lanyard and gives him his assignment: break into a safe at British Intelligence and steal some documents. However, it eventually becomes clear to all that Lanyard's part is merely a distraction. The plans have already been stolen. Wembley orders the arrest of the Lone Wolf for treason, but Lanyard escapes. He and Jamison head for the laundry. Along the way, they come upon the unconscious Donald. They revive him and take him along. Inside, they find secret rooms and overpower Karl. They also discover the body of Whistler and a clue, shards of a distinctive watch crystal, just like the one King has, microfilming equipment, and ashes of the defence plans. Lanyard deduces that the plans have been transferred to King's watch. When she telephones, Lanyard pretends to be Karl and learns that she is at the hotel. Before they get there, however, Rembrandt kills her and takes the watch to Karl. Fortunately, Booth has an aircraft armed with machine guns. Lanyard pilots it, finds the speeding car taking Karl and Rembrandt to the submarine, and guns them both down. Cast Warren William as Michael Lanyard, the Lone Wolf Ann Savage as Valerie King Eric Blore as Llewellyn Jamison[Note 1] Robert Stanford as Donald Jamison Sheldon Leonard as Johnny Booth Lloyd Bridges as Fritz Gavin Muir as Karl

After Midnight with Boston Blackie is a 1943 crime film directed by Lew Landers. It is the fifth of a series of 14 Columbia Pictures films starring Chester Morris as Boston Blackie. When a recently paroled friend of Boston Blackie is killed, he finds himself once again the prime suspect of Police Inspector Farraday. Plot When "Diamond" Ed Barnaby is paroled, he sets out to give $100,000 worth of diamonds to his daughter, Betty. Aware that several shady characters know he has the jewels, he stashes them in a safe deposit box in the Arcade Building. Betty later receives a call asking her to meet him there, but he never shows up. She contacts her father's only real friend: Horatio Black, better known as Boston Blackie. He agrees to help and drops Betty off at the apartment of his wealthy friend, Arthur Manleder, for safekeeping. His sidekick, "the Runt", has to postpone his wedding to statuesque bubble dancer Dixy Rose Blossom. Blackie discovers which deposit box Barnaby rented. Meanwhile, crooks Joe Herschel, Sammy Walsh and Marty Beck force their prisoner, Ed Barnaby, to reveal where he hid the diamonds. When the trio leave, Barnaby manages to telephones the police, but is killed by Herschel. Inspector Farraday learns enough from the call to rush over to the Arcade Building with Sergeant Mathews. He apprehends Blackie on suspicion of murdering Barnaby just as he is about to open the box. The box turns out to be empty. Blackie manages to escape. When he returns to Manleder's apartment, he finds that Betty has been kidnapped. A note offers to exchange her for the diamonds. Blackie has the Runt "borrow" a brooch from Dixy, and pries off the fake diamonds. He then heads to the Flamingo Club, run by Herschel and his associates. Slipping inside undetected, he spies through the keyhole of the door to Herschel's office and sees the crook put the diamonds in his safe. After Herschel leaves, Blackie enters, cracks the safe and takes the jewels. However, before he can leave, Walsh and Beck enter. Thinking quickly, Blackie drops the diamonds in a pitcher of water. Unaware that Herschel double crossed them and had the real diamonds, Walsh and Beck exchange Betty for the fakes. Herschel returns too soon and exposes the fakes, but Blackie and Betty eventually manage to escape, aided by a citywide wartime practice blackout. Walsh figures out that Herschel is out for himself. When he cannot produce the diamonds, Herschel is shot and killed by Walsh. Blackie returns to retrieve the stones, and witnesses the murder. Afterward, he offers to give the jewels to Walsh for the location of Barnaby's body. When the police close in, the pair sneak out and steal Inspector Farraday's car. Blackie sets the radio to "send" without Walsh noticing, then gets him to confess all with the police listening in. Eventually, Blackie is able to turn the tables and turn Walsh over to the authorities. The Runt's wedding is interrupted once more, this time by Farraday and Mathews when they arrest Dixy for bigamy. Cast Chester Morris as Horatio "Boston Blackie" Black Richard Lane as Inspector Farraday Ann Savage as Betty Barnaby George E. Stone as The Runt Lloyd Corrigan as Arthur Manleder Walter Baldwin as Diamond Ed Barnaby Don Barclay as Cigar Clerk Jan Buckingham as Dixie Rose Blossom Eddy Chandler as Police Captain Heinie Conklin as Workman Dudley Dickerson as Bullfiddle Player Dick Elliott as Justice of Peace Potts Sam McDaniel as Train Porter (uncredited)

Meet Boston Blackie is a 1941 crime film starring Chester Morris as Boston Blackie,[1] a notorious, but honorable jewel thief. Although the character had been the hero of a number of silent films, this was the first talking picture. It proved popular enough for Columbia Pictures to produce a total of 14 B movies, all starring Morris.[2] Blackie's sidekick, a diminutive underworld type nicknamed The Runt, was slated for George E. Stone. Stone could not appear in the film, having contracted a virus, and he was replaced by Charles Wagenheim. Stone joined the series in the second film and stayed until 1948, when the series lapsed. (It was revived for one last film in 1949 with Morris, and sidekick Sid Tomack playing "Shorty.") Plot Returning to New York City from Europe, Boston Blackie tries unsuccessfully to strike up a conversation with attractive fellow ocean liner passenger Marilyn Howard. He later rescues her when she is accosted by a man. However, when he tries to follow her, he runs into his friendly nemesis, police Inspector Faraday, who wants to take him in on suspicion of stealing some pearls. Knowing that Blackie's word is good (and that handcuffs are useless against him), Faraday merely confiscates his landing card. However, when Blackie discovers the body of the man who had bothered Marilyn Howard deposited in his suite, he has to break his word and debark to clear his name. He trails Howard to the Coney Island amusement park. She has been followed by two men and is struck by a poisoned dart. Before dying, she tells him enough to send him to the Mechanical Man, a midway performer whose act is pretending to be a robot or automaton. Soon after, the two killers show up to report to their boss, the Mechanical Man, forcing Blackie to flee once again. He hijacks the car belonging to Cecilia Bradley and manages to lose his pursuers after a high-speed chase. Cecilia decides to help Blackie, despite his attempts to keep her out of his troubles. They learn from a radio news broadcast that Howard was a spy. Blackie eventually discovers that an espionage ring led by the Mechanical Man is trying to take a stolen navy bombsight out of the country. Faraday and his men follow Blackie to the midway to arrest him and prove handy in apprehending the spies. As a reward, Faraday decides to forget about the evidence linking Blackie to the theft of the pearls. Cast Chester Morris as Boston Blackie Rochelle Hudson as Cecelia Bradley Richard Lane as Inspector Faraday Charles Wagenheim as the Runt Constance Worth as Marilyn Howard Jack O'Malley as Monk George Magrill as Georgie Michael Rand as Mechanical Man Eddie Laughton as Carnival Barker Schlitzie as Princess Bibi

Three on a Ticket is a 1947 American crime film directed by Sam Newfield and written by Fred Myton. It is based on the 1942 novel The Corpse Came Calling by Brett Halliday. The film stars Hugh Beaumont, Cheryl Walker, Paul Bryar, Ralph Dunn, Louise Currie, Gavin Gordon, Charles Quigley and Douglas Fowley. The film was released on April 4, 1947, by Producers Releasing Corporation.[1][2][3] Plot A private detective, who has been shot, stumbles into the office of Michael Shayne (Hugh Beaumont), and dies before Shayne can question him. Shayne finds a baggage ticket in his hand. He claims it and finds the checked-bag contains the loot from a robbery. Now, he has about fifty minutes left of the running time to find the crooks, bring them to justice and return the money to the rightful owners. And needs all of it. This article needs a plot summary. Please add one in your own words. (April 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Cast Hugh Beaumont as Michael Shayne Cheryl Walker as Phyllis Hamilton Paul Bryar as Tim Rourke Ralph Dunn as Inspector Pete Rafferty Louise Currie as Helen Brimstead Gavin Gordon as Pearson aka Barton Charles Quigley as Kurt Leroy Douglas Fowley as Mace Morgan Noel Cravat as Trigger Charles King as Drunk Brooks Benedict as Jim Lacy

The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1939 American gothic mystery film[1] based on the 1902 Sherlock Holmes novel of the same name by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Directed by Sidney Lanfield, the film stars Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. John Watson. Released by 20th Century Fox,[2] it is the first of fourteen Sherlock Holmes films produced between 1939 and 1946 starring Rathbone and Bruce. Among the most-known cinematic adaptations of the novel,[3] the film co-stars Richard Greene as Henry Baskerville (who received top billing, as the studio was unsure of the potential of a film about Sherlock Holmes[3]) and Wendy Barrie as Beryl Stapleton. The Hound of the Baskervilles is notable as the earliest known Sherlock Holmes film to be set in the Victorian period of the original stories. All known previous Holmes films, up to and including the 1930s British film series starring Arthur Wontner as Holmes, had been updated to a setting contemporaneous with the films' release.[4] Plot In 1889, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John H. Watson receive a visit from Dr. James Mortimer, who wishes to consult them before the arrival of Sir Henry Baskerville, the last of the Baskervilles, heir to the Baskerville estate in Devonshire. Dr Mortimer is anxious about letting Sir Henry go to Baskerville Hall, and talks about the events of the recent death of his best friend, Sir Charles Baskerville, Sir Henry's uncle. Although he was found dead in his garden from heart failure, Mortimer noticed the footprints of a gigantic hound. He tells the story of a supposed family curse, the legend of the Hound of the Baskervilles, a demonic dog that first killed Sir Hugo Baskerville several hundred years ago and is believed to have caused the death of many Baskervilles in the region of Devonshire. Though Holmes dismisses the curse as a fairy-tale, he agrees to meet Sir Henry, who receives a message warning him to stay away from the moor. Holmes witnesses someone attempt to assassinate Sir Henry. Holmes asks Watson to go to Baskerville Hall along with Sir Henry, claiming that he is too busy to accompany them himself. The first night, Sir Henry and Watson discover Barryman, the butler, signalling from a window with a candle to someone on the moor. After witnessing a man flee across the moor, Watson and Sir Henry are startled by hound like howls. The next day, Watson is suspicious of the neighbour Jack Stapleton, a local naturalist, while Sir Henry quickly develops a romantic interest in Beryl Stapleton, the step-sister of Jack Stapleton. Watson and Sir Henry attend a seance held by Mrs. Mortimer. In a trance, she asks, "What happened that night on the moor, Sir Charles?". The only reply is howls, possibly from a hound. Watson notes a crippled peddler, limping on each of his legs, and receives a message to come with him. The peddler reveals himself to be Holmes, having been hiding in the vicinity all the time making his own investigation. The hound kills a man on the moor whom Holmes and Watson fear is Sir Henry, but turns out to be the man Barryman was signalling to; Holmes explains that it was a convicted murderer, who escaped from Dartmoor Prison, and was Mrs Barryman's brother, who had given him Sir Henry's clothes, during the time he was hiding on the moor. Stapleton kept a huge, half-starved, vicious dog trained to attack individual members of the Baskervilles after prolonged exposure to their scent. However, when the hound is finally sent to kill Sir Henry Baskerville, Holmes and Watson arrive to save him just in time. They kill the hound. Stapleton traps Holmes down in the hound's underground kennel, and sends Watson into the moor to meet Holmes. Holmes cuts his way out of the kennel and returns to the house and destroys the poison that Stapleton had just given to Baskerville as a medication for his injuries. Holmes surmises that Stapleton was a Baskerville, who hopes to claim their vast fortune himself after removing all other members of the bloodline. Stapleton pulls a gun and flees. Holmes says ominously to Watson, "He won't get very far. I've posted constables along the roads and the only other way is across the Grimpen Mire." Holmes is praised for his work on the case, and he turns in. Cast Richard Greene as Sir Henry Baskerville Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes Wendy Barrie as Beryl Stapleton Nigel Bruce as Dr John H. Watson Lionel Atwill as Dr James Mortimer John Carradine as Barryman, butler Morton Lowry as John (Jack) Stapleton Eily Malyon as Mrs Barryman Barlowe Borland as Frankland Beryl Mercer as Mrs Jenifer Mortimer Ralph Forbes as Sir Hugo Baskerville (in flashback sequence) E. E. Clive as Cabby in London Lionel Pape as Coroner Nigel De Brulier as Convict (as Nigel de Brulier) Mary Gordon as Mrs Hudson Ian Maclaren as Sir Charles

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome Promotional Poster Directed by John Rawlins Written by Characters: Chester Gould Story: William Graffis Robert E. Kent Screenplay by Robertson White Eric Taylor Produced by Herman Schlom Starring Boris Karloff Ralph Byrd Anne Gwynne Cinematography Frank Redman Edited by Elmo Williams Music by Paul Sawtell Production company RKO Radio Pictures Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures Release date September 26, 1947 (U.S.) Running time 65 minutes Country United States Language English Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (also known as Dick Tracy Meets Karloff and Dick Tracy's Amazing Adventure (UK) ) is a 1947 American thriller film directed by John Rawlins and starring Boris Karloff, Ralph Byrd and Anne Gwynne. The film is the fourth and final installment of the Dick Tracy film series released by RKO Radio Pictures.[1] Plot Just out of jail, Gruesome (Boris Karloff) goes to the Hangman's Knot saloon, where his old crime crony, Melody (Tony Barrett), is now playing piano. Gruesome takes him to a plastics manufacturer, where X-Ray (Skelton Knaggs) and a mysterious mastermind are in possession of a secret formula and hatching a sinister plot. Ignoring a warning not to touch anything, Gruesome sniffs the gas from a mysterious test tube; he escapes the toxic fumes but collapses upon returning to the Hangman's Knot and is taken to the city morgue, where his body stiffens dramatically. Dick Tracy (Ralph Byrd) is at headquarters speaking with college professor Dr. A. Tomic (Milton Parsons), a scientist who suspects someone has been following him. At the morgue, Tracy's sidekick Pat (Lyle Latell) has his back turned when Gruesome wakes up and knocks him out. Pat describes him to Tracy as looking a lot like the actor Boris Karloff (a gag cribbed from Arsenic and Old Lace). At a bank where Tess Trueheart (Anne Gwynne) happens to be, Gruesome and Melody drop a grenade with the gas into a wastebasket; when it goes off, everyone but Tess freezes in place. They rob the place of more than $100,000 and shoot a cop on the sidewalk before Tracy and his men arrive. Gruesome demands half of the loot from X-Ray .... or else. Tracy tries to learn the secret of the formula from Dr. Tomic's top assistant, Professor Learned (June Clayworth), before going after Gruesome and his gang. Over the course of the film, Learned is shot dead, and Melody dies in a car accident. As an offhand comment, Tess quips "dead men tell no tales", which gives Tracy an idea: since Gruesome will resort even to murder to keep his secret weapon a secret, if he thinks Melody is alive, he will hunt Melody down to prevent any leaks. Tracy decides to run a false flag operation: put out word that Melody has been captured alive, and pose as Melody hoping Gruesome will show up. Gruesome takes the bait and abducts what he thinks is Melody from the hospital. In a climactic shootout at the plastic factory, Tracy shoots Gruesome in the back. Tracy retrieves one last gas grenade with the intent of analyzing the contents. Back at the office, in the closing scene, the grenade inadvertently goes off, freezing everyone in place just as Dick and Tess are about to kiss. Cast Boris Karloff as Gruesome – A corpse-like gangster. Ralph Byrd as Dick Tracy – The tough, square-jawed detective Anne Gwynne as Tess Truehart – Tracy's girlfriend, who witnesses the bank robbery Skelton Knaggs as Rudolph X-Ray – Gruesome's spectacled henchman Edward Ashley as Dr. Lee Thal – an interested party. June Clayworth as Dr. I.M. Learned – Prof. Tomic's assistant Lyle Latell as Pat Patton – Tracy's bumbling sidekick Tony Barrett as 'Melody' Fiske – A greedy, piano-playing thug James Nolan as Dan Sterne – A nosy newspaper reporter Joseph Crehan as Chief Brandon – Tracy's reliable boss Milton Parsons as Dr. A. Tomic – a State U. physicist

Sherlock Holmes Faces Death is the sixth film in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series of Sherlock Holmes films.[1] Made in 1943, it is a loose adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes 1893 story "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual."[2] Its three immediate predecessors in the film series were World War II spy adventures with Holmes and Dr. Watson helping the Allies thwart enemy agents, but this one marked a return to the pure mystery film form. Though several characters are military men and there are frequent mentions of the ongoing war, it is not the focus of the story. This was the second of three Holmes films in which Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce and Hillary Brooke appeared together. The first was Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror in 1942 and the third was The Woman in Green in 1945.[3] Plot Dr. Watson is serving as resident physician at Musgrave Manor in Northumberland, a stately home which is also used as a hospital for a number of servicemen suffering from shell shock.[4] When Sally Musgrave displays her feelings for one of the wounded American fighter pilots, Captain Pat Vickery, who is currently recovering at the family estate, her brothers Geoffrey and Phillip are quick to show their dismay. Then one of the physicians working at the estate, Dr. Sexton, is assaulted by an unknown assailant when out on a walk. Dr. John Watson, who is in charge of the medical facility, goes to fetch his dear friend Sherlock Holmes to bring some clarity to the case of the attack. Upon his arrival at the estate, Sherlock Holmes discovers the dead body of one of the brothers, Geoffrey. Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard is put on the case to solve the murder, and immediately arrests the American captain as a suspect. Holmes is of another opinion about the flyer's guilt and continues to investigate on his own. Phillip is formally made the new head of the estate the next day with the aid of his sister. But after only one day of running the estate, Phillip, too, is found murdered, lying in the trunk of the car. Lestrade suspects the family butler, Alfred Brunton, to be the murderer because Phillip had just fired the butler. Trying to arrest the butler, Lestrade gets lost in the manor's secret passageways. Meanwhile, Holmes and Watson look into the special "Musgrave Ritual" that the family uses to appoint the new head of the family. They find the words used in the ritual hidden in Sally's room and try to copy the ritual, which involves replaying a giant chess game on the checkered floor of the house's main hall. As pieces in the game they use the household staff. The game gives them clues to the family's secret burial crypt underneath the house, and there they find Brunton murdered, clutching a case containing an old document. Holmes examines the body for clues and sets a trap for the murderer. After the others have retired for the day, Holmes sneaks back into the crypt and waits for the murderer to reappear. Before long, Sexton appears, where Holmes confronts him with the evidence that he has found and observed throughout the investigation. Sexton, however, manages to overpower Holmes and takes his revolver. Then Sexton confesses that he indeed is the one responsible for the murders. He shoots at Holmes with what turn out to be blank cartridges. When Sexton emerges from the crypt, Lestrade and Watson are there waiting to arrest him. Explaining the meaning of the document found in the crypt to Sally, Holmes suggests that Sexton had discovered an old land grant that entitled the Musgraves to a fortune of millions of pounds, and had hatched a deadly scheme to gain it for himself. The devious doctor had killed both brothers, making Sally heir to the money, and then sought to claim her as his bride by framing her sweetheart, Vickey, for the slayings. Learning of this, Sally destroys the document that would have made her rich, not wanting to profit at the cost of others' lives.[5] Driving away with Watson, Holmes muses on Sally's selfless act: There’s a new spirit abroad in the land. The old days of grab and greed are on their way out. We’re beginning to think of what we owe the other fellow, not just what we’re compelled to give him. The time’s coming, Watson, when we shan’t be able to fill our bellies in comfort while other folk go hungry, or sleep in warm beds while others shiver in the cold; when we shan’t be able to kneel and thank God for blessings before our shining altars while men anywhere are kneeling in either physical or spiritual subjection.... And God willing, we’ll live to see that day, Watson. Cast Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes Nigel Bruce as Dr. John Watson Dennis Hoey as Inspector Lestrade Arthur Margetson as Dr. Bob Sexton Hillary Brooke as Sally Musgrave Halliwell Hobbes as Alfred Brunton Minna Phillips as Mrs. Howells Milburn Stone as Captain Vickery Frederick Worlock as Geoffrey Musgrave Gavin Muir as Phillip Musgrave Gerald Hamer as Major Langford Vernon Downing as Lt. Clavering Olaf Hytten as Captain MacIntosh Charles Coleman as Constable Kray Dick Rush as Constable Mary Gordon as Mrs. Hudson Peter Lawford as Customer in Public House (uncredited) Norma Varden as Gracie the barmaid (uncredited)