Killer Dragon?

 

 (imdb)

THE DRAGON MURDER CASE-1934-When a soon to be married man (George Meeker) goes swimming and disappears, Philo Vance (Warren William) is called in to help DA Markam (Robert McWade) and Sgt. Heath (Eugene Pallette) solve the case. After the body is found, it looks like the murder was committed by a dragon! 

Fun if preposterous murder mystery with the underrated William great in the lead role. This was his first of 4 four Vance crime dramas (he took the role over from William Powell). The Vance character was created by S.S. Van Dyne who wrote 12 novels featuring the detective. Also with Lyle Talbott and Margaret Lindsey. 

Director B. Bruce Humberstone later made a few Charlie Chan mysteries and PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES with Laurel & Hardy.

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Basil Before Sherlock

THE BISHOP MURDER CASE-1930-Basil Rathbone portrays detective Philo Vance in this early talkie. It involves several mysterious murders (one by bow and arrow). Vance uses a lot of analytical theorizing and there’s a comic know it all sergeant who helps out. I wonder if anyway remembered this when Rathbone was picked to first play Sherlock Holmes (in 1939) ?

Co-Star Leila Hyams was later in FREAKS and ISLAND OF LOST SOULS. She was a popular actress in the early ‘30’s but her screen career lasted only around ten years. Other co-star Roland Young later played “Topper” in a series of films and future director Delmer Daves has a small role.

Director Nick Grinde’s career began in the 1920’s. He was a fast competent worker but mostly his output remains undistinguished except for three of Boris Karloff’s “mad doctor” films. He uses several nice techniques in TBMC and keeps it from being more than just a filmed play as many early talkies were.

The Philo Vance character was created in 1926 by S.S. Van Dine (real name: Willard Huntington Vance) and was featured in 11 novels. TBMC was the fourth adaptation of a Dine novel to feature the Vance character. William Powell played him in the first three (and would play him once more in 1933) but this was the only time Rathbone portrayed him.

Warren William Paul Lukas Edmund Lowe and others would play him in the future but the last film
featuring the character would be in 1947.



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