Gavilla de asesinos

The English actress wasn't very well known in America despite having appeared in several films, including the worthy 'Charlie Chan in London' entry in that series, where Barrie ably plays a socialite.

In this film her character doesn't become significant until near the end but when she steps forward she offers the only real dramatic merit in this enjoyable but otherwise pedestrian '40s romp.

While in his first appearances as 'Ellery Queen', Ralph Bellamy had been very serious (almost too serious, compared to Donald Cook and Eddie Quillan, who had played the character before him), in his last film for the series he (and all the cast with him) shows his comical side for once. And surprisingly enough, this makes a fine mix with a - literally - deadly serious murder case, providing lots of corpses, greedy relatives, shady doctors, and at the same time dumb cops, even dumber crooks, and of course more funny quarrels with his assistant Nikki than ever before.

The plot, in fact, IS a classic 'whodunit', with many twists and surprises, and a challenge for every mystery fan - at least for those who've got a good sense of humor, too... So, if you don't take murder too seriously, this movie will provide you real good entertainment, varying from quite suspenseful and even creepy sections to moments of pure comedy!

Ralph Bellamy made his fourth and final appearance as literary sleuth Ellery Queen in Columbia's Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring. On this occasion, Ellery and his police-inspector father (Charley Grapewin) are summoned to a private hospital by its owner, philanthropist Mrs. Stack (Blanche Yurka). There've been some very weird goings-on at the hospital as of late, and Mrs. Stack wants to get to the bottom of things.

An ok-ish Ellery Queen where comedy features heavily, overriding the mystery and detecting; Margaret Lindsey and Ralph Bellamy carries things along, but it's just passable. George Zucco also stars, playing a menacing doctor.

This was more of a comedy than an Ellery Queen mystery from 1941.

Mrs. Stack (Blanche Yurka), the owner of a private hospital suspects her chief surgeon (George Zucco) is up to no good. Inspector Queen (Charley Grapewin) sends Ellery (Ralph Bellamy) in as a patient. Meanwhile, her son (Leon Ames), indebted to mobsters, needs his inheritance early so he arranges to have his mother murdered.

The would-be killers Page and Lou (Paul Hurst and Tom Dugan) try to run her over and fail. Mrs. Stack is injured and brought to the hospital along with Page, who broke his leg.

Nikki (Margaret Lindsay) shows up, disguised as a nurse. She mistakes what she sees going on in Mrs. Stack's room and tells Ellery the hospital is on fire. He runs out of his room, wrapped in his bedclothes with his pants on one leg and dragging his hospital bed. His other leg is stuck in a suitcase.

Turns out Mrs. Stack was indeed murdered. Page tries to get out of the hospital with the help of partner Lou, with Page posing as a corpse as he smokes a cigar under the sheet. His body is mixed up with that of Mrs. Stack.

There are more murders. It's mayhem. Nikki gets right in the middle. In fact she ends up in a trunk.

Also one of the orderlies mentions bank night. That refers to prizes given out at the movies to encourage people to attend. You can see how sometimes people might have needed an incentive.

Augusta Stack was almost killed in a deliberate traffic accident. As a result, she's in the hospital...where Ellery Queen (Ralph Bellamy) is working undercover. She was shaken up and her leg broken...but oddly she died in surgery! Soon, other bodies start piling up and when the cops and Queen investigate, they find lots of people who had reason to kill the old woman...and perhaps the rest. Can Ellery solve the crimes before his lady friend, Nikki (Margaret Lindsay) gets herself killed while snooping into the case as well?

During the 1930s and 40s, a zillion B-murder mysteries were made in Hollywood. They all had a lot of similarities and cliches (such as in this one where Nikki essentially confronts the murderer while having no backup nor a weapon with which to defend herself!). But it is an enjoyable film...worth seeing if you like the genre and a bit better made than usual.

By the way, unlike many sleuths (such as Charlie Chan), tons of different actors played Ellery Queen and none came to own the role or appear in more than a few films. It's a shame Bellamy didn't do more of these films...he was pretty good here.