William Powell
Philo Vance
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Synopsis
After a dog-show rival is found dead in a locked bedroom, Philo Vance refuses to accept the obvious explanation. A pistol, a wound and the victim's many enemies suggest an arrangement more complicated than suicide. The detective must reconstruct how the crime could have happened before sorting out which resentment supplied its motive.
Cast
DirectorsMichael Curtiz
Inspirations
S. S. Van Dine's novel provided another case for Philo Vance, whom William Powell had already played at Paramount. This production brought the literary detective to Warner Bros.
Behind the scenes
Michael Curtiz used camera movement, dissolves and wipes to keep a dialogue-heavy investigation moving. The approach makes the film a useful example of how a studio director could give visual momentum to a puzzle largely solved through conversation.
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.
- William Powell — George Hurrell for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer · Public domain
- Mary Astor — Studio · Public domain
- Eugene Pallette — Universal Pictures · Public domain
- Ralph Morgan — Picturegoer Magazine · Public domain
