CrimeMusicMystery

Murder in the Music Hall

- 12 words of love, 6 lives of terror!

An orchestra leader turns sleuth to clear his ice-skating girlfriend for murder.

Release Date : 1946-04-10

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Republic Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Lila Laughton

Original Name : Vera Ralston

Gender : Female

Character Name : Don Jordan

Original Name : William Marshall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Millicent

Original Name : Helen Walker

Gender : Female

Character Name : Rita Morgan

Original Name : Nancy Kelly

Gender : Female

Character Name : Inspector Wilson

Original Name : William Gargan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gracie

Original Name : Ann Rutherford

Gender : Female

Character Name : Diane

Original Name : Julie Bishop

Gender : Female

Character Name : George Morgan

Original Name : Jerome Cowan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carl Lang

Original Name : Edward Norris

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bruce Wilton

Original Name : Jack La Rue

Gender : Male

Character Name : Henderson

Original Name : Frank Orth

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hobarth

Original Name : Paul Hurst

Gender : Male

Character Name : Waitress

Original Name : Mary Field

Gender : Female

Character Name : Singer in Mom's Cafe

Original Name : Fay McKenzie

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mr. Winters

Original Name : James Craven

Gender : Male

Character Name : Joe

Original Name : Brooks Benedict

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cleaning Woman

Original Name : Lillian Bronson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Cashier

Original Name : Virginia Carroll

Gender : Female

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Discreet, dead men never are, they talk, and I'm going to listen. Murder In The Music Hall (AKA Midnight Melody) comes out of that bastion of the B movie special, Republic Pictures. It's directed by John English (many Gene Autry Oaters) and the screenplay is adapted from an original story written by Arnold Phillips & Maria Matray. It's stars Vera Hrubá Ralston (Hoodlum Empire/The Fighting Kentuckian), William Marshall (Belle of the Yukon/Adventures of Captain Fabian), Helen Walker (Nightmare Alley/Brewster's Millions) and Nancy Kelly (Jesse James/Stanley and Livingstone). A smashing little murder mystery musical picture that positively oozes old fashioned values. Tho made in the mid 1940s, this very much feels like a 1930s production, which in all honesty is no bad thing at all. With the dramatic moments involving crime and clues accompanied by loud bursts of music (Walter Scharf), and dialogue such as "what the blue blazes is going on," it has all the necessary ingredients to cater for the classic movie fan. The story is a solid one too. A dastardly stab in the back murder of an ice show producer sees the Rockette type ice dancers of a popular Music Hall show become suspects. As the police start to sniff around, Lila & Don (Ralston & Marshall respectively) do their own amateur sleuthing. With only a glove clue to go on, the need to find a blind man seen in the vicinity of the crime becomes critical. It's here where the film then ups its drama. With one darkened room meeting between our intrepid sleuths and a blind man being memorably noirish. Up till then it had blended snazzy musical ice dance routines with bubbling under the surface intrigue. At first it's an odd mix, one where after the first blast of jauntiness one wonders if it will be possible to accept the upcoming dramatics, but it does work, in a sort of lulling us into a false sense of security type manoeuvre. Besides which, the numbers and choreography are pleasing on the eye, particularly when involving Ralston, a real life figure skater for her home country of Czechoslovakia. And to cap it all off we got some decent red herrings and the final reveal is not at all insulting. The cast are safe and without histrionic ham, with the beautiful Kelly the standout performer. While English knits it all together in a professional manner. An enjoyable multi genre splicer breaking free from its budget restrictions with much success. 7/10