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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 339

Killer Diller

194873 minUnited States
ComedyMusical
Video edition
YouTube
Original language
English
This copy runs
72:53
Subtitles
English

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Synopsis

A magician's disappearing act causes backstage panic when a woman and her valuable necklace seem to vanish for real. The resulting chase provides a loose thread through a variety programme of music, dancing and comedy. Dusty Fletcher's misadventures share the screen with an unusually concentrated gathering of Black entertainers.

Cast

DirectorsJosh Binney

Historical context

The film preserves performances by Nat King Cole, Moms Mabley, Butterfly McQueen, the Clark Brothers and other artists associated with Black popular entertainment. Its variety-show format makes the musical and comic acts central attractions, reflecting a strand of cinema made for audiences underserved by mainstream Hollywood.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceInternet Archive — catalogue recordPublic-domain film catalogue — rights cross-reference

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

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Availability checked on September 10, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

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