jjnxn-1 One of many films with Philo Vance as the protagonist but the only one with Paul Lukas as the famed detective. He isn't a perfect fit as Vance but does a good job nonetheless. The real reason to catch this is to get a glimpse of Rosalind Russell early in her career. At this point she was starting to get mired in, as she referred to them, "Lady Mary" roles all dignity, stiff upper lip and little humor. This part hints at the skillful comedienne she was to become. This was only her fifth film but the first where her name appeared above the title a clear sign that the studio had bigger plans for her than to be a leading lady in B pictures. As for the mystery it's not terribly hard to figure out but it's stylishly shot with a good supporting cast.

39-0-13 Minor Spoiler contained.In the mid-1960's, as part of my misspent youth, I read all the Philo Vance novels by a guy named Wright under the nom-de-plume of S. S. Van Dine. For some unaccountable reason, some of his books became "best sellers" and made the author a fortune. Even the Book of the Month Club honored some books as "selections." The first book THE BENSON MURDER CASE was never filmed under that title, but then several books in succession found their way into cinema history. The last book THE WINTER MURDER CASE was unfinished at the time of Wright's death. There was a progression in quality as you read the books and as you see the movies adapted from them. The earlier books are the best, so too the movies based on them. The muse seems to have left Wright as time ran on, and the quality of the mysteries devolved into the blood and thunder genre. The absolute joke of the series was THE GRACIE ALLEN MURDER CASE with the real life Gracie Allen as a character leading "Fido" (played by Warren William) around by the nose. Anyway, this film under review with Paul Lukas and Roz Russell is more in the THIN MAN vein, as opposed to the more respectable THE KENNEL MURDER CASE. Many reviewers here have talked about Lukas and his European accent (the Vance of the novels was a pure WASP, but even more intelligent, educated and insufferably arrogant than can be imagined -- a true wish fulfillment figure for the author), and others have commented on the absurdity of the plot where the murderer turns out to be a raving lunatic. But instead of repeating what has already been noted, I want to single out Eric Blore who plays "Currie" -- Vance's man servant. Blore is one of those little noticed supporting players who took up only a few minutes in every film he was in, but still managed to make an impression. I noticed him in a few Astaire/Rogers films, especially the one in which he talks to Alice Brady about crumpets. He saves the day with his revelation at the end of THE GAY DIVORCE. Here, he plays a servant who adumbrates Bruce Kwok in the Peter Sellers' "Clouseau" movies with his skill in fighting his master with swords and then with boxing gloves. Can't recommend the film as a mystery; but as a time server with seeing Russell (not looking all that glamorous, admittedly) before her step up the movie ladder, it may be worth the while.

GManfred Thus spake Paul Lukas during an uncharacteristic serious moment in this very entertaining, almost light-hearted entry in the Philo Vance canon, this one by MGM.The play's the thing, right? That's what makes or breaks a movie for most of us - was it a good show or not? This was an excellent murder mystery, a mysterious mystery if you will, and it keeps you guessing until almost the final scene and defies you to figure out the identity of the murderer. There were lots of red herrings and the screenwriters take a few liberties with our credulity, but I thought that, on balance, this was one of the better murder mysteries to come out of Hollywood in the 30's, or any other period for that matter.William Powell spoiled the Philo Vance character for us. He was so breezy and sophisticated that any other actor would pale in comparison. And Paul Lukas is a pale imitation, to be sure, try as he might. He lacks the suave and cocky air that Powell projected, plus he has an off-putting European accent. But MGM surrounded him with some of the best supporting and character actors available, among them Rosalind Russell, Donald Cook, Isabel Jewell, Eric Blore and the incomparable Allison Skipworth. They also threw in a dance scene at the Casino with "Blue Moon" as background music and with everyone in evening dress. It was, of course, dated but elegant nevertheless.Remove Lukas and substitute anyone else and this is an 8 rating. As is, I give it a 7.

Arthur Hausner As good an actor as Paul Lukas is, his accent destroys the illusion that he's the great American detective, Philo Vance, and I was conscious of that throughout. The murder mystery gets off to a good start, but then falters when Vance speculates that perhaps it was "heavy water" that was used as the poison, since it was not known if that substance was poisonous. That idea was pulled out of thin air in an effort to explain why people drinking water would be poisoned. I disliked this development, sensing it was just a plot device to keep the movie rolling, and I was right. He mentions deuterium, Harold Urey's experiments, and the fact a quart of the substance would be worth $100,000, but I'm sure 99% of the 1935 audience didn't know what he was talking about anyway. It would have been much better if he came across Kinkaid's laboratory isolating heavy water by accident and then thought about the possibility of its use as a poison.But I did enjoy some of the comic relief. William Demarest plays an auctioneer trying to convince people that an ugly statue of cupid was made for Louis XIV, even after his assistant announces it says "made in Japan" on the bottom. In a running gag, Louise Fazenda plays the maid who is caught a dozen times listening at a keyhole and sheepishly says "Did you call, sir," each time. And Charles Sellon is the coroner always complaining about the inconsiderate murder victims getting bumped off just when he's trying to sleep. And there's more comedy too.