The Plot Thickens

Its a cliché, I know. But they don't make them like this any more.

And that's for a good, a very good reason: people wouldn't watch them, even those like myself who really value these.

What I'm talking about here are the comedy-mysteries that were pumped out in the 30s like TeeVee shows are now. Many of the same production values are used, in terms of economy and lack of depth. As with TeeVee stuff, the value is partially in the accretion of many similar movies -- in seeing one, you see some harmonization with hundreds of others.

We couldn't make these today because the genre was occluded by noir so far as the tone and by the hardboiled detective so far as story. These have not only changed movies, but the way we think.

So visiting these little films are somewhat like seeing that part of old London that's been turned into a theme park for tourists: something with a nostalgic. uncomplicated charm.

Of these, you cannot do better than James Gleason and the Hildegarde Winters things. These actually have a plot just complex enough to remind you that there is one. It doesn't "play fair" in that the complete solution uses knowledge the audience doesn't have. But in all these, the partial solution is telegraphed early.

I admit, I like the Hildegarde as portrayed by Edna Mae Oliver better in some regards. She's a more memorable character, and the notion of Gleason falling in love with her is as precious a joke as you can find.

But Zasu's got much better comic timing, so this has better jokes verbally.

Watch these, or something like them -- just like you might visit a "restored area" -- because such journeys are necessary to understanding film.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

I very much wanted to like this movie. I've always liked James Gleason and Zazu Pitts. But the script was uninteresting, and the direction lackluster. It wasn't funny, and it didn't move, even though it's a short movie.

There's really no reason to watch this movie.

Back in the 1930s, Edna May Oliver played amateur detective Hildegarde Withers in several very successful films. Unfortunately, when Miss Oliver went to MGM to work, this left a vacancy. RKO/Radio Pictures didn't want to discontinue the series and they tried a couple actresses in the role...though none were as good as Oliver. In "The Plot Thickens", they tried out Zazu Pitts in the lead...and they apparently liked her enough to have her appear once more time as the detective.

Soon after the story begins, a man is shot. Was he the victim of a jealous boyfriend? It appears this way. However, through the course of the picture, it becomes obvious that the victim was a jerk...and had something to do with the theft of a valuable piece of art, the Cellini Cup.

I liked this film for many reasons. Much of it was because the film had lots of false leads that kept you guessing. And, much was because the detective (James Gleason) investigating the case was NOT an idiot and often made smart moves. So, instead of Hildegarde saving the day and constantly out-thinking the cops, she was more an assistant to an already capable guy...which made this much unlike the average B-mystery. Well worth seeing...even without Oliver.

Zasu Pitts holds her own in this entry to the Stuart Palmer mystery series that spawned a movie entry. Hildegarde Winters and Oscar Piper solved murder mysteries in RKO's B movie cannon. Younger than Helen Broadrick and prettier than Edna May Olvier Zasu's Hildegarde seems to have a more social relationship with James Gleason's Oscar Piper. In this movie she has a golf date with Oscar. And in the movie 40 Naughty Girls they are attending a musical when murder rears its ugly head. Regardless of the different actress the movies as whole are very enjoyable. I hope to see them on DVD like Nancy Drew or Mike Shayne. The movies always had interesting locations that are no longer with us. From the New York Aquarium in The Penguin Pool Murders to the public school building in Murder on a Blackboard and out to sea on Catalina Island for Murder on a Honeymoon. A viewer gets a glimpse of history and living, of life and entertainment from a bygone era in Hollywood a viewer is given a look at life and living in a bygone age. p.s. I love to see old time telegram pages splashed on the screen. A Post Script: it is now 2014 and I have The Hildegarde / Oscar Movie set from WARNER ARCHIVES. I now firmly attest Zasu Pitts is the more comfortable 'Miss Withers for me. She sheds the spinster cast transforming the character into a crimebuster (with official police credentials)and masters the'Colombo' guise of detective misdirection by her mannerisms and appearance. She exhibits skills (using a hair pin to unlock handcuffs). Her mannerism of not seeming to pay attention makes suspects underestimate her very keen analytical mind. Miss Pitts also brought more emotion to the role. She shows enthusiasm for the thrill of solving a case.

Plot Thickens, The (1936)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

The fifth film in the Hildegarde Withers series is the first to have Zasu Pitts in the lead. This time out a man involved in a possible love triangle is murdered and there are countless suspects. Withers must assist Detective Oscar Piper (James Gleason) in tracking down the murder but soon more twists and turns begin to happen. THE PLOT THICKENS is the perfect title for this movie because it seems every ten-minutes or so another twist is happening and the film goes off into a new direction. It starts off as a love triangle mixed with murder but then more bodies begin to pile up and soon the witnesses are changing their stories and then we even get a heist subplot thrown in. At just 67-minutes this movie doesn't have a slow bone in its body because it goes so fast that at first you have to almost backtrack to try and figure out what's going on in the opening murder sequence. We get to see so many characters so quickly that I think the film hurts itself because by the time you figure out what's going on you're already onto the next murder and plot twist. The story should be given quite a bit of credit because even though this was just a "B" series, RKO went all out and really delivered a smart screenplay. It also doesn't hurt that Gleason and Pitts work so well together. No one will take the place of Edna May Oliver but Pitts is really good here. She plays the straight parts fine but she also has a very good comic timing that works perfectly well with Gleason. As for Gleason, he was always good in the series and he too turns in a fine performance. None of the supporting players really stand out but they're all decent enough. The final ten-minutes features a couple plot twists that her perfectly done including one pre-Scooby Doo sequence that really works tremendously well. THE PLOT THICKENS will certainly entertain fans of the series but it also makes you scratch your head wondering how the next film in the series (FORTY NAUGHTY GIRLS) could turn out so bad.