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ComedyMystery

Michael Shayne: Private Detective

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Millionaire sportsman Hiram Brighton hires gumshoe Michael Shayne to keep his spoiled daughter Phyllis away from racetrack betting windows and roulette wheels. After Phyllis slips away and continues her compulsive gambling, Shayne fakes the murder of her gambler boyfriend, who is also romancing the daughter of casino owner Benny Gordon, in order to frighten her. When the tout really ends up murdered, Shayne and Phyllis' Aunt Olivia, an avid reader of murder mysteries, both try to find the identity of the killer.

Release Date : 1940-12-19

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : 20th Century Fox

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Lloyd Nolan

Character Name : Michael Shayne

Original Name : Lloyd Nolan

Gender : Male

Marjorie Weaver

Character Name : Phyllis Brighton

Original Name : Marjorie Weaver

Gender : Female

Joan Valerie

Character Name : Marsha Gordon

Original Name : Joan Valerie

Gender : Female

Walter Abel

Character Name : Elliott Thomas

Original Name : Walter Abel

Gender : Male

Elizabeth Patterson

Character Name : Aunt Olivia

Original Name : Elizabeth Patterson

Gender : Female

Donald MacBride

Character Name : Chief Peter Painter

Original Name : Donald MacBride

Gender : Male

Douglass Dumbrille

Character Name : Benny Gordon (as Douglas Dumbrille)

Original Name : Douglass Dumbrille

Gender : Male

Clarence Kolb

Character Name : Hiram P. Brighton

Original Name : Clarence Kolb

Gender : Male

George Meeker

Character Name : Harry Grange

Original Name : George Meeker

Gender : Male

Charles Coleman

Character Name : Ponsby

Original Name : Charles Coleman

Gender : Male

Adrian Morris

Character Name : Al

Original Name : Adrian Morris

Gender : Male

Robert Emmett Keane

Character Name : Larry Kincaid

Original Name : Robert Emmett Keane

Gender : Male

Frank Orth

Character Name : Steve

Original Name : Frank Orth

Gender : Male

Irving Bacon

Character Name : Fisherman

Original Name : Irving Bacon

Gender : Male

Don Brodie

Character Name : Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Don Brodie

Gender : Male

Bess Flowers

Character Name : Racetrack Spectator in Sunglasses (uncredited)

Original Name : Bess Flowers

Gender : Female

Jimmy Aubrey

Character Name : Mac

Original Name : Jimmy Aubrey

Gender : Male

Paul E. Burns

Character Name : Furniture Company Move

Original Name : Paul E. Burns

Gender : Male

James Conaty

Character Name : Casino Patron

Original Name : James Conaty

Gender : Male

Robert Conway

Character Name : Desk Clerk

Original Name : Robert Conway

Gender : Male

Sayre Dearing

Character Name : Racetrack Spectator

Original Name : Sayre Dearing

Gender : Male

Ralph Dunn

Character Name : First Bartender

Original Name : Ralph Dunn

Gender : Male

Fern Emmett

Character Name : Jenny

Original Name : Fern Emmett

Gender : Female

Dick French

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Dick French

Gender : Male

Harold Goodwin

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Harold Goodwin

Gender : Male

Dick Gordon

Character Name : Casino Patron

Original Name : Dick Gordon

Gender : Male

Sherry Hall

Character Name : 2nd Bartender

Original Name : Sherry Hall

Gender : Male

Paul Kruger

Character Name : Parking Attendent

Original Name : Paul Kruger

Gender : Male

Hamilton MacFadden

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Hamilton MacFadden

Gender : Male

Tony Martelli

Character Name : Casino Patron

Original Name : Tony Martelli

Gender : Male

Major McBride

Character Name : Croupier

Original Name : Major McBride

Gender : Male

Harold Miller

Character Name : Casino Patron

Original Name : Harold Miller

Gender : Male

Frank Mills

Character Name : Counterman

Original Name : Frank Mills

Gender : Male

Edmund Mortimer

Character Name : Casino Patron

Original Name : Edmund Mortimer

Gender : Male

Field Norton

Character Name : Casino Patron

Original Name : Field Norton

Gender : Male

Paddy O'Flynn

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Paddy O'Flynn

Gender : Male

James Pierce

Character Name : Burly Man Downstairs

Original Name : James Pierce

Gender : Male

Dick Rich

Character Name : Mover

Original Name : Dick Rich

Gender : Male

Jack Richardson

Character Name : Casino Patron

Original Name : Jack Richardson

Gender : Male

Cyril Ring

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Cyril Ring

Gender : Male

Bob Rose

Character Name : Freddy

Original Name : Bob Rose

Gender : Male

S.S. Simon

Character Name : Casino Patron

Original Name : S.S. Simon

Gender : Male

Larry Steers

Character Name : Racetrack Spectator

Original Name : Larry Steers

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-04-16

For some reason, this starts with and features a slightly Scottish lilt to the score throughout, as we follow the slightly zany investigations of the eponymous down-at-heel PI (Lloyd Nolan) as he tries to wade his way through the murky worlds of horse racing, gaming addicts and, of course, murder! He's initially retained by the wealthy "Brighton" (Clarence Kolb) to rein in his unruly daughter "Phyllis" (Marjorie Weaver) but as the bodies start to pile up and he finds that he has to stay clear of the suspecting police chief "Painter" (Donald MacBride) we find ourselves in quite an entertainingly internecine mess of who did what and why? No absence of suspects and no shortage of crimes to suspect them of - all good fun! The star is really Elizabeth Patterson as the sleuthing "Aunt Olivia" whom, with her butler "Ponsby" (Charles Coleman) provide quite a lively conduit to bring the themes together at the end of what is quite a quickly paced eighty minutes. The denouement is a bit far-fetched - you probably wouldn't ever guess it - but Nolan is on good form with some quick-witted, dry, dialogue to deliver and there is a good chemistry between him, Weaver and MacBride as the story clears each fence. It's much better than I was expecting!