The Dragon Murder Case (film)
| The Dragon Murder Case | |
|---|---|
 Poster of The Dragon Murder Case | |
| Directed by | H. Bruce Humberstone |
| Written by | F. Hugh Herbert Robert N. Lee Rian James (adaptation) |
| Starring | Warren William Margaret Lindsay Lyle Talbot |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | a Warner Bros.-First National Picture |
Release date |
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Running time | 65-68 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Dragon Murder Case is a 1934 mystery film adaptation of the novel of the same name by S. S. Van Dine, starring Warren William as private detective Philo Vance.
Plot
The movie features a large dragon illustration behind the opening and closing credits. Monty Montague disappears after diving into a natural pool of water on an estate. Several people dive in, but there is no trace of him. Philo Vance and the District Attorney come to investigate and decide to drain the pool. They are told that there were craters in the pool, and sure enough Montague's body is found at the bottom of a very deep one. His body has claw marks on it, consistent with the superstition that a dragon inhabits the pool.
Cast
- Warren William as Philo Vance
- Margaret Lindsay as Bernice
- Lyle Talbot as Leland
- Eugene Pallette as Sgt. Heath
- Helen Lowell as Mrs. Stamm
- Robert McWade as Markham
- Robert Barrat as Stamm
- Dorothy Tree as Ruby
- George E. Stone as Tatum
- Etienne Girardot as Dr. Doremus
- George Meeker as Monty Montague
- Robert Warwick as Dr. Halliday
- William B. Davidson as Greeff
- Arthur Aylesworth as Trainor
- Charles C. Wilson as Det. Hennessey
Reception
In his The New York Times review, Mordaunt Hall found that the "denouement is scarcely satisfactory, for it is not quite clear how Mr. Vance reaches his conclusions." Also, in his opinion, "Mr. William, while he does fair work, is not as easy and smooth in the rôle as was Mr. [William] Powell."[1]
References
- ^ Mordaunt Hall (August 23, 1934). "The Dragon Murder Case (1934) / THE SCREEN; Warren William, Margaret Lindsay and Eugene Pallette in a New Van Dine Murder Mystery". The New York Times.
External links
- The Dragon Murder Case at IMDb
- The Dragon Murder Case at the TCM Movie Database
- The Dragon Murder Case at AllMovie
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