Edward Arnold
Duncan "Mac" Maclain
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Synopsis
A retired actress asks a blind private detective for help with a troubling family relationship. A murder soon reveals that the problem extends beyond jealousy to a wartime espionage plot. Working with his assistant and guide dog, the investigator must read a dangerous household through clues that other people overlook.
Cast
Inspirations
Baynard Kendrick's novel The Odor of Violets introduced the case adapted here. Edward Arnold's blind detective, assisted by his guide dog, gives the mystery a different organising principle from the usual visually observant screen sleuth.
Behind the scenes
Fred Zinnemann replaced Edward Sedgwick during production after the producer sought a more serious approach. Arnold returned to the detective role in The Hidden Eye, released in 1945.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Edward Arnold — New York Sunday News · Public domain
- Ann Harding — Culver Pictures · Public domain
- Donna Reed — Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain
- Stephen McNally — Trailer screenshot · Public domain
