The Garden Murder Case

Edmund Lowe plays Philo Vance(making him now the fifth actor after William Powell, Basil Rathbone, Warren William, and Paul Lukas)to assay the role of the urbane detective. His characterization is okay but he doesn't really seem to have the wit of most of his previous precursors. The mystery here too is somewhat thin and when added with Lowe comes out a bit weak. This time around a jockey gets killed after saying he must go out and ride and be killed as does a woman getting on a bus. Vance makes friends with a young woman who hates her rich uncle(the sparring between Lockhart and Bruce might just be the best part of this film). Vance meets a strange nurse and H. B. Warner affecting a British accent trying to make sense out of the third murder - that of Lockhart. The film is loaded with some great character actors like H. B. Warner, Henry Walthall, and Gene Lockhart to help make things go smoothly yet the film meanders here and there, and some scenes just look incredibly cheesy as the bus scene does. The ending with Vance confronting the killer was convincing though. The female lead and future Vance bed-mate is played by Virginia Bruce and she does a nice turn with a somewhat complicated role. This Vance is an acceptable mystery but a definite notch below those that came before it.

Philo Vance is back with a new face and minus that thick accent he had in the last film (ha!). This time Vance is investigating strange suicides. The best part of the movie is the return of Etienne Girardot as coroner Dr. Doremus. This wonderful actor steals every scene he's in. He was previously in two Philo Vance films in a row, The Kennel Murder Case and The Dragon Murder Case. But then he was noticeably absent in The Casino Murder Case. His part was played by a dull actor with no flair for comedy. This marks his return to the role but sadly is also the last time he'll play it. By coincidence or not, the three Vance films Girardot are in also happen to be the best three of the series.

The rest of the cast is solid. Edmund Lowe is not as well-known as William Powell or even Warren William, but he's charming and good with comedy. If you get a chance to see it, check out the underrated gem Espionage (1937) that he stars in. He's wonderful in that. The supporting cast here is pretty impressive. Great character actors Nat Pendleton, Gene Lockhart, H.B. Warner, Jessie Ralph, Henry B. Walthall, and Grant Mitchell -- nice lineup. Also beauties Virginia Bruce, Frieda Inescort, and Benita Hume, who would go on to be Mrs. Ronald Colman and then Mrs. George Sanders! This also happens to be the film debut of Kent Smith, leading man of the Cat People movies. This is a good B detective flick with a short runtime and quick pace. It's not the best of the series but it's up there. It's a shame Lowe didn't play Vance anymore. The series badly needed a steady actor in the role.

When Philo Vance (Edmund Lowe) is standing precariously on the edge of a balcony high above the city, apparently hypnotized and just about to step to his death,it immediately reminded me of a nearly identical scene in another film made nine years later, "The Woman in Green" in which Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone)is similarly about to hurl himself into space while being hypnotized.

Happily, both Philo Vance and Sherlock Holmes survive these attempts at murder by unscrupulous criminals. Exciting cinematic suspense in both these scenes. When will they learn you can't cloud the minds of great fictional detectives ?

Depressed race jockey Floyd Garden falls off his horse. His dying words are, "I've got to fall... I've got to break my..." Gentleman detective Philo Vance (Edmund Lowe) investigates the apparent suicide. A shot rings out and Edgar Lowe Hammle is found dead. It's another assumed suicide.

It is a lot talking in an old fashion whodunit mystery. Edmund Lowe is a playing classy older gentleman. He has little flourishes, but it is mostly a gentlemanly front. He and Zalia Graem are a fine coupling, but not anything great. I don't think that I'm following every detail, but the general idea is fine. There are so many characters. This is fine.

EDMUND LOWE (who reminds me somewhat of Warren William), heads the nice cast of an interesting little mystery that moves at a brisk pace and runs just a little over an hour.

Douglas Walton plays the unlucky jockey who appears to be intent on his own demise (hypnotism, anyone?), and the suspects include a good number of the supporting cast--everyone from Virginia Bruce, Kent Smith, Frieda Inescourt, Gene Lockhart, Jessie Ralph, Benita Hume, Rosalind Ivan and H.B. Warner. As an added bonus, there's Nat Pendleton as a dimwit detective--and furthermore, get a load of that art deco set decoration for the fancy interiors of a wealthy home. Must have been a set that was used in many a subsequent film.

On the plus side, the mystery is not so complicated that anyone can follow the plot with reasonable assurance of not being too baffled. It's all suddenly clear to detective Philo Vance--and then he has a final confrontation with the murderer that gives the film a nifty five minutes of unmitigated suspense.

Nicely done and passes the time in an entertaining manner.