The Garden Murder Case

Edmund Lowe plays Philo Vance(making him now the fifth actor after William Powell, Basil Rathbone, Warren William, and Paul Lukas)to assay the role of the urbane detective. His characterization is okay but he doesn't really seem to have the wit of most of his previous precursors. The mystery here too is somewhat thin and when added with Lowe comes out a bit weak. This time around a jockey gets killed after saying he must go out and ride and be killed as does a woman getting on a bus. Vance makes friends with a young woman who hates her rich uncle(the sparring between Lockhart and Bruce might just be the best part of this film). Vance meets a strange nurse and H. B. Warner affecting a British accent trying to make sense out of the third murder - that of Lockhart. The film is loaded with some great character actors like H. B. Warner, Henry Walthall, and Gene Lockhart to help make things go smoothly yet the film meanders here and there, and some scenes just look incredibly cheesy as the bus scene does. The ending with Vance confronting the killer was convincing though. The female lead and future Vance bed-mate is played by Virginia Bruce and she does a nice turn with a somewhat complicated role. This Vance is an acceptable mystery but a definite notch below those that came before it.