A Strange Adventure

Silas Wayne is about to read the benefactors of his will to his nearest relatives and associates (whom he all hates and thinks nothing of), when he fulfills the eternal movie cliché of dying just before he is about to read the stipulations. Two police officers (who were summoned by Wayne, so that he could reveal a criminal in his midst to) summon Detective Sergeant Mitchell to investigate the murder. Nosy Toodles (a newspaper reporter) also works to solve the crime with Mitchell, much to his regret. The prime suspect is Claude Wayne, nephew and secretary to the murdered man, who stole a valuable diamond which was to be given to Wayne's maid, Ms. Sheen, but a mysterious cloaked figure lurks the house that evening and strangles Claude Wayne and also tries to eliminate all the other murder suspects one by one. This movie was described on the title card as "A Monogram Melodrama" and the filmmakers emphasized that part to the fullest. It has plenty of murder mystery clichés and performances that are respective of the genre, but the film is badly directed by Whitman, with many scenes just taken forever to go on. June Clyde probably gives the only performance with any life in it, and Snowflake's "comedy" antics are somewhat painful to watch. The end does seem to come out of nowhere, since I thought a lot more substance would precede it. All in all, a decent poverty row mystery. Rating, 5.

Wayne Murder Case aka A Strange Adventure (1932)

However, his secretary has anticipated the reading and already switched the soon-to-be inherited diamond with a paste substitute. Silas (William V. Mong) is not that dumb and has sent for the police.

He still goes forward with the reading of his will, surrounded by relatives, associates, and the police. They all give him dirty looks and if looks could kill... Just before he signs the will Silas keels over. Everyone closes in with genuine concern that he is still alive.

Detective-Sergeant Mitchell (Regis Toomey) is assigned the case. And who should stick her nose in but a newspaper gal 'Nosey' Toodles (June Clyde)? She is determined to be the first to discover who dispatched Silas.

If you ask me there seems to be something going on between the two.

One of my favorite scenes is where the servant Jeff (Fred 'Snowflake' Toones) is confronted by a phantom waving its arms.

Another plus is that all the actors are displayed with their real names, instead of just a bunch of disembodies names scrolling on the screen.

They also hurried the story or this could have been an excellent case.

So this film was made on Poverty Row, where actors went to make a quick buck when the big studios weren't underpaying them. The only thing that makes this film memorable compared to the dozens of others with more or less the same plot is the inclusion of Dwight Frye of Renfeild fame as one of the relatives.

An angry old man gathers his relatives for the reading of his will, after dissing many of them, he has a fainting spell and is found with a bad case of a dagger to the heart.

The rest of the movie is a detective and reporter romantic couple trying to unravel the case. It also includes a not-so-fun racist stereotype of the easily frightened black domestic employee... because that stuff was funny to people in the 1930's.

Like many of these early 1930's films, there's no music (they hadn't figured that out yet) and the blocking of the movie was more like a stage play.

I'm fascinated by what cinema does to people, and therefore interested in how it has become what it is.

Some things are quite obvious, like why justice is served as visually violent death; why war and crime seem entangled with romance; why certain gauzy and pastel images imply sentiment.

Much more interesting are the things that have a non-obvious reason to be as they are.

This is a mystery, a detective sort of mystery from the first few years of talkies when the genre was experimental. It has many standard elements: a death seconds before a punitive will is signed. A death in plain view. All the suspects collected in the house. A surprise as to the murderer, motive and method.

But its also got some elements that would break out on there own as sort or independent memes. One is the brash girl reporter, sexy and who has the hots for the chief detective. Her name is "Nosey Toodles." She's most of the entertainment, and its easy to see how this could develop a life of its own.

The other element is the one that interests me. All the suspects and the detectives are locked in the house, and the murderer skulks about in a black-hooded ghost costume. There are knives, young women at risk while sleeping, and an obligatory black servant who runs away bug-eyed and sputtering.

Now, the setup of the murder is contrived for the film audience in most details. But somehow that's of a less radical idea than having murderer conceal his or her face and body. There's only one reason to hide, and that's from the audience. There's only one reason to slither about with spooky gestures down a vacant hallway. Us.

I believe that these two theatrical devices, the murder and the "ghost" became linked in plays that were precisely copied in the early talking cinema, when plays could be appropriated.

What's interesting is that this hooded figure, slashing about has spun into its own genre, maintaining the mystery of identity, The cloak and mannerisms are precisely the same as in "Scream." The only difference now is that instead of the racist bug-eyed servant, we have the sexist bug-eyed and screaming slut.

The production here is poor, and there are better examples of this.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

Old man Wayne is about to read his will, All of the heirs are gathered. When his secretary and nephew makes a run at stealing, replacing and re-stealing a valuable gem Wayne calls the police. After the police arrive Wayne tells them to wait while he goes to tell the heirs just what he thinks of them. However before that can happen the old man keels over and dies. When he's lifted up a knife is sticking in his chest. More police are called and a detective (soon to be aided by a smart mouth reporter) tries to solve the crime. Good mystery is hampered by the lack of music (this was 1932 and many independent producers didn't use it) this movie is a slow go for the first half. Once things get moving its a good ride to the end with almost all of the suspects coming under suspicion and the sudden appearance of a dark robed figure trying to kill off the heirs. As the story progresses and more murders occur there are a couple of nice pre-code touches as we rather graphic hanging as well the the graphic end of the killer. Worth a look if you run across it.