The Canary Murder Case

1929
Approved
1h 22min

NOTE IMDb

MA NOTE

Ajouter une intrigue dans votre langueNightclub singer 'the Canary' blackmails acquaintances, ends up murdered. Only witness also killed. Detective Philo Vance investigates to uncover her killer among numerous suspects she had e... Tout lireNightclub singer 'the Canary' blackmails acquaintances, ends up murdered. Only witness also killed. Detective Philo Vance investigates to uncover her killer among numerous suspects she had exploited.Nightclub singer 'the Canary' blackmails acquaintances, ends up murdered. Only witness also killed. Detective Philo Vance investigates to uncover her killer among numerous suspects she had exploited.

Voir les informations de production sur IMDbPro

NOTE IMDb

5,9/10

933

MA NOTE

Voir les informations de production sur IMDbPro

Récompenses
- 2 victoires au total

Anecdotes
Louise Brooks refusal to dub the movie angered her parent studio, Paramount, and effectively sabotaged her acting career. According to the documentary Louise Brooks: Looking for Lulu (1998), Paramount spread the word that Brooks' voice was not suitable for sound film, and although later sound productions made by Brooks proved this to be more or less true, her lack of professional vocal training was also an obvious factor.

Gaffes
In "The Greene Murder Case" (about 29 minutes in) someone mentions reading about "The Canary Murder Case". But, in "The Canary Murder Case" (about 21 minutes in) someone mentions that he hasn't seen Vance since "The Greene Murder Case". The studio may not have been sure which order the movies would be released when the dialog was written. Original writer S. S. Van Dine (true name: Willard Huntington Wright) published the first three Philo Vance novels together in a trilogy before separating them into individual books, which might explain the cross-references between the stories.

Citations
Jimmy Spottswoode: No other man should ever have you alive!

Crédits fous
Upon its initial release, a message appeared at the end of the film requesting that the audience not reveal to anyone the surprise ending.

Connexions
Featured in Arena: Louise Brooks (1986)

Avis des utilisateurs30

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8/10

Much to admire in this 1929 effort despite poor copy

Unfortunately, I had to make do with a rather poor copy of THE CANARY MURDER CASE, full of scratches and tiny breaks - not to mention the crackling recording, which I had to take as sportingly as I could, knowing that by 1929 the movie industry was only in its earliest forays into sound.

Those drawbacks aside, I found the joint direction by Tuttle and St Clair very competent and even imaginative, with most of the shooting done in dark interiors. Of course, to achieve that quality level the directors had to rely on a strong script - and that they had, courtesy of SS Van Dine and adaptation by the suggestively named Albert Le Vino (thankfully, there is far less drinking here than poor William Powell would have to endure as Detective Nick Charles 5 years later).

Ultimately, though, what I take away from this picture are the following pluses: Louise Brooks' incredibly timeless beauty (I have been in love with her since watching the silent PANDORA'S BOX); William Powell's nonchalant but classy Philo Vance, helped by peerless diction that must have been the envy of just about all actors in Hollywood in 1929; the clever dialogue that draws into a whodunnit that rates far more complex than I expected from a 1929 vehicle.

Definitely a must for fans of Powell, Brooks, Arthur, and whodunnit. 8/10.