Murder by the Clock (1931)

Top cast19

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William 'Stage' Boyd

Lt. Valcour
(as William Boyd)

Lilyan Tashman

Laura Endicott

Irving Pichel

Philip Endicott

Regis Toomey

Officer Cassidy

Sally O'Neil

Jane, a Maid

Blanche Friderici

Julia Endicott

Walter McGrail

Herbert Endicott

Lester Vail

Thomas Hollander

Martha Mattox

Miss Roberts

Frank Sheridan

Chief of Police

Guy Oliver

Watchman

Frederick Sullivan

Medical Examiner

Charles D. Brown

Officer O'Brien
(uncredited)

Harry Burgess

Smith, the Coroner
(uncredited)

Lenita Lane

Nurse
(uncredited)

Willard Robertson

Police Captain
(uncredited)

John Rogers

Hollander's Valet
(uncredited)

Matty Roubert

Newsboy
(uncredited)

Did you know

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Trivia
One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

Quotes
Jane, a Maid: Are you married?
Officer Cassidy: Well, not that I know of!
Jane, a Maid: Have you have any bad habits? Do you drink or smoke?
Officer Cassidy: I thought you said *bad* habits!

"Murder by the Clock," either intentionally or unintentionally, had a wonderful villain. Laura Endicott (Lilyan Tashman) was delightfully wicked. Laura, like many people, was looking out for numero uno, but unlike most people, she was going to do whatever it took to get what she wanted. And what she wanted was money.

She was married to Herbert Endicott (Walter McGrail) and having an affair with Thomas Hollander (Lester Vail). Thomas had money while Herbert was fairly broke, but Herbert stood to inherit a fortune from his aunt Julia Endicott (Blanche Friderici) as soon as she died. Waiting for her to die was going to take too long so Laura, ever so manipulatively, put the idea of killing Julia in Herbert's head.

The entire movie Laura was expertly pulling the strings on various men. The only man she couldn't manipulate was Lt. Valcour (William 'Stage' Boyd). He had a sneaky suspicion that she was behind the various murders and he couldn't be swayed by her feminine wiles.

Like I said at the beginning, I loved Laura. She was playing chess while everyone else was playing checkers. Sometimes a movie has a villain that you like and respect, and Laura Endicott was that villain.