The Murder in the Museum

Another of Henry B. Walthall's 1934 movies (he played in twelve that year), this interesting curio, Murder in the Museum, is one of a handful directed by Melville Shyer, who made some 150 films as an assistant director. Mr Shyer handles this assignment with more than routine competence, even using track shots effectively on occasion. True, he is slightly let down by obviously sparse set dressing, and lackluster silent hero, John Harron, soon demonstrates why he quickly went down the ladder to playing uncredited bits. But super-svelte Phyllis Barrington (in her last of twelve movies) makes an engaging heroine and the support cast is filled out by tip-top people like John Elliott, Symona Boniface, Joe Girard and Donald Kerr, plus two wonderful shimmy dancers and other rakish sideshow denizens. Once the action moves away from the carny setting, alas, the plot becomes less interesting. All told, however, by producer Willis Kent's rock-bottom standards, Murder in the Museum stands as a classy production.

Enterprising "Times Herald" reporter John Harron (as Jerry Ross) investigates "The Murder in the Museum " of a city councilman. This "Museum" isn't what you may be expecting; although there appear to be a few paintings on display, it's really a traveling freak show - "The World's Largest Collection of Natural and Unnatural Wonders". Among the attractions: an armless man, a bodiless woman, and the mysterious Henry B. Walthall (as "Professor Mysto" aka Bernard Latham Wayne). Patrons seem more interested in scantily-clad dancing women; unfortunately, they are told to keep it "tame it down plenty" when "the law" is spotted.

The "Sphere Museum" is also a front for drug-runners (which has attracted police and politicians). Just before the murder, Mr. Harron meets shapely blonde Phyllis Barrington (as Lois Brandon); and, the two fall in love. Mr. Walthall is appropriately mystic; his casting, alongside the brother of frequent co-star Robert Harron, is inspired. Unfortunately, this production is very poor. The cast and crew manage to get through the picture smoothly enough, considering the obvious lack of rehearsals and re-takes.

**** The Murder in the Museum (1934) Melville Shyer ~ John Harron, Henry B. Walthall, Phyllis Barrington

Among the many 'little' B mysteries from the 30s with the hugely popular pattern 'reporter plays detective', "Murder in the Museum" stands out in several ways. First, it stars the famous and distinguished silent actor Henry B. Walthall as a former professor of philosophy - and now turned a magician in a rather shady carnival show. Then, there are quite a lot of various people and ongoings involved in the plot that revolves around this infamous show: the same day that the show's 'manager' receives a drug delivery from his gangster friends, the two candidates running for mayor visit the show in order to check out if there's a reason to close it down, because they both try to show to their voters that they want to 'clear up' the town. And in the middle of the show, one of the two is shot - and a young reporter is, of course, also on the spot, ready, willing and able (much more than the police) to solve the crime...

There would be a LOT to write about this pretty convulsed plot; but I don't want to spoil it for the friends who haven't watched this movie yet - because they absolutely should do so. There's definitely something more to it than to an average B crime movie: the direction is imaginative and well timed, the plot is REALLY unusual, the actors are doing a fine job (not only Walthall, but also John Harron as the clever young news hound and Phyllis Barrington as the fearless girl who assists him despite his warnings); I highly recommend it!

This reminded me of Lon Chaney movie where we are brought into a kind of freak show atmosphere with unconventional characters. The neat thing is that they are like all of us, and that's the tragic element. Because the world they live in has so much of an impact on them, it is hard for them to reach above and beyond to happiness. This is actually a pretty decent movie with fair cinematography and decent performances. Another reviewer mentioned Todd Browning. I'd love to hear more about him and his life. His movies are really quite engaging. So this could typify the genre he worked in, even though it wasn't his.

I was pleased that the conclusion wasn't some offhanded, anything to get a finish to this thing kind of work but dealt with the pain and reality of the characters.

When reform-minded city councilman Newgate is gunned down while investigating dope peddling charges lodged against a seedy metropolitan side show, a key suspect's debutante daughter joins forces with a slick newspaper reporter to find the real killer.

This 1933 Poverty Row whodunit was most likely inspired by Tod Browning's FREAKS (1932), and cleverly co-opts the whodunit format to provide a mediation on urban cynicism in Depression-era America. Instead of the expected lineup of affluent ne'r-do-wells peculiar to mystery thrillers, the unusual suspects here comprise a sobering cross section of disappointed and bankrupt men, from Steve Clemente's Mexican revolutionary turned knife-thrower to Henry B. Walthall's "Professor Mysto," a sad-eyed bibliophile reduced to performing sleight-of-hand in the disreputable Sphere Museum. Several of the characters refer to grudges borne and threats perceived (whether real or imagined), and with the dead "blue-nose city councilman" etched as more of an opportunist than a philanthropist, THE MURDER IN THE MUSEUM inclines intriguingly toward social criticism - but also offers entertaining flashes of pre-Production Code pulchritude and plenty of ripe, dime novel dialogue.

Sadly, both Walthall (formerly a star of silent films) and lead John Harron (WHITE ZOMBIE) would die before the end of the decade - lending additional poignancy to this tale of financial and spiritual ruination. Three Stooges fans will get a kick out of seeing Symona Boniface cast here as "Katura the Seeress."