CrimeMystery

Calling Philo Vance

Philo is in Vienna working for the US Government to see if Archer Coe is selling aircraft designs to foreign powers. He grabs the plans with Archer's signature, but is captured by police before he can escape. Deported he comes back to America and plans to confront Archer, but Archer is found dead in his locked bedroom with a gun in his hand. While it looks like a suicide, Vance knows better and the coroner finds that Archer has been shot, hit with a blunt instrument and stabbed - making suicide unlikely. But Vance is on the case and is looking to see if government secrets have been sold and who has murdered Coe. This is a remake of "The Kennel Murder Case" using aircraft designs and espionage instead of Chinese porcelain and dog shows.

Release Date : 1940-02-03

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Warner Bros. Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Philo Vance

Original Name : James Stephenson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hilda Lake

Original Name : Margot Stevenson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Markham

Original Name : Henry O'Neill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ryan

Original Name : Edward Brophy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Doris Delafield

Original Name : Sheila Bromley

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tom McDonald

Original Name : Ralph Forbes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Philip Wrede

Original Name : Donald Douglas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gamble

Original Name : Martin Kosleck

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Doremus - Coroner

Original Name : Jimmy Conlin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Eduardo Grassi

Original Name : Edward Raquello

Gender : Male

Character Name : Du Bois - Fingerprint Man

Original Name : Creighton Hale

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hennessey - Markham's Assistant

Original Name : Harry Strang

Gender : Male

Character Name : Archer Coe

Original Name : Richard Kipling

Gender : Male

Character Name : Brisbane Coe

Original Name : Wedgwood Nowell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ling Toy

Original Name : Bo Ling

Gender : Male

Character Name : MacTavish (uncredited)

Original Name : Terry

Gender : Male

Character Name : First Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Herbert Anderson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hans Snauble (uncredited)

Original Name : Henry Blair

Gender : Male

Character Name : Austrian Judge (uncredited)

Original Name : Egon Brecher

Gender : Male

Character Name : Capt. Lugo (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Burns

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sorrento Sailor (uncredited)

Original Name : Yakima Canutt

Gender : Male

Character Name : 2nd Photographer (uncredited)

Original Name : Nat Carr

Gender : Male

Character Name : Train Porter Asked to Send Telegram (uncredited)

Original Name : Glen Cavender

Gender : Male

Character Name : Markham's Secretary (uncredited)

Original Name : Loia Cheaney

Gender : Female

Character Name : Austrian Sergeant (uncredited)

Original Name : Frederick Giermann

Gender : Male

Character Name : Coroner's Assistant (uncredited)

Original Name : Eddie Graham

Gender : Male

Character Name : Third Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : John Harron

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hertz (uncredited)

Original Name : Stuart Holmes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clerk at Hotel Nino in Chicago (uncredited)

Original Name : William Hopper

Gender : Male

Character Name : Charles (uncredited)

Original Name : Olaf Hytten

Gender : Male

Character Name : Avery (uncredited)

Original Name : George Irving

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Fritz Snauble (uncredited)

Original Name : Marion Lessing

Gender : Male

Character Name : Aeronautics Department Sentry (uncredited)

Original Name : Rolf Lindau

Gender : Male

Character Name : Doorman (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Mayo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Steamship Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : George Reeves

Gender : Male

Character Name : 4h Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : John J. Richardson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Investigator Snitken (uncredited)

Original Name : Cliff Saum

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nazi Officer at Dock (uncredited)

Original Name : Hans Schumm

Gender : Male

Character Name : 2nd Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Wilcox

Gender : Male

Character Name : 1st Photographer (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Wise

Gender : Male

Character Name : Long-Distance Operator (uncredited)

Original Name : Maris Wrixon

Gender : Female

Character Name : Austrian Lieutenant (uncredited)

Original Name : Henry Zynda

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-04-01

This is an adequate afternoon B-feature that probably served more as a warning against fifth-columnists than it actually entertained anyone. It all centres around attempts by the Axis powers to obtain access to the designs of "Archer Coe" (the briefest of appearances from Richard Kipling). Now he has an exclusive arrangement with the Americans so when he is found murdered, it falls to the wily, suspicions and tenacious "Vance" (James Stephenson) to find out who the killers were and on whose malevolent behalf they were working? Did they manage to steal his secret plans? Now this is just a substantial reworking of "The Kennel Murder Case" (1933) - even down to whopping great chunks of the script being transferred, albeit updated, to allow for it's WWII scenario. Although all pretty lightweight and devoid of any real sense of jeopardy, Stephenson is actually quite engaging and there is a decent supporting effort from Edward Trophy ("Ryan") delivering some fun to this rather dry, procedural, crime drama. It's only an hour, and if you like the genre then there isn't really anything not to like - or memorable - about this.