The Dragon Murder Case (1934)
Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone
Genres - Mystery, Crime |
Sub-Genres - Crime Thriller, Detective Film |
Release Date - Aug 25, 1934 (USA - Unknown), Aug 25, 1934 (USA) |
Run Time - 68 min. |
Countries - United States |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Warren William delivers a curiously subdued performance as dilettante sleuth Philo Vance in The Dragon Murder Case. The plot centers around a mysterious "dragon pool" on the Stamm estate, which figures prominently in the deaths of several unsympathetic society types. As usual, Inspector Markham (Robert McWade) and Sergeant Heath (Eugene Pallette) are all for snapping the cuffs on the most obvious suspect, but Philo Vance knows full well that appearances are deceiving. The all-suspect cast includes Margaret Lindsay, Lyle Talbot, Helen Lowell, Dorothy Tree, Robert Barrat and George Meeker, many of whom thoughtfully remove themselves from suspicion by getting killed themselves. Not a particularly mysterious mystery, The Dragon Murder Case works better on a melodramatic level, with some genuinely spooky camerawork courtesy of the ever-reliable Tony Gaudio.
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Themes
Keywords
clue, death, detective, dragon, estate, evidence, fumble, inspection, investigation, investigator, murder, pool [billiards], private-detective, secrets, suspect, swimming, swimming-pool, killing
