Thunder in the Night

Edmund Lowe is a police captain. And a Baron. When a man is murdered in the inn across from his police station, the clues lead to Karen Morley, wife of Paul Cavanaugh, who is just about to be appointed "President of the Cabinet" in this pretty good murder mystery.

It's beautifully photographed by Bert Glennon in sharp, low-lit black & white. The cast is fine: Russel Hicks, as the police prefect who wants to shut Cavanagh out of office; Gene Lockhart as the police lieutenant, portly and pompous, to serve as the butt of Lowe's humor; Una O'Connor as the hotel drudge, and so forth. Alas, it is Lowe that annoys me. He was a capable, flamboyant actor who could give a sharp performance, but here he's a supercilious know-it-all, and he spends the second half in evening wear, and wears a top hat. When Edmund Lowe puts on a top hat and that smug manner which was his idea of charming, I look around for snowballs to throw at him, even in the middle of the summer. This is very much a matter of taste, and you may enjoy this persona; me, I find it insulting.