O Mistério da Ferradura

This was — I believe — the third of the series and the last with this woman. I like these because James Gleason does a ratatat detective, cigar-chomping, who always gets things wrong. The original idea was that a schoolmarm bests him, but her position as a teacher seems to have been forgotten after the first two.

In the first one, they actually fall in love. In the second, she establishes a new pattern as the pushy friend who seems to muddle through before the officials do. It was Gleason that makes these work. He's something of a genius.

In this one, two things are changed. The mystery goes from a pre-noir template to an Agatha Christie one: murder on a small airplane. That means you have only so many suspects and we have seen them all moving about and bumping each other, each doing something suspicious. So its mildly more engaging as a mystery than any of the others.

But something else changes here. There's much, much more physical humor. She tumbles about ungracefully as if that were a hoot. Gleason's inspector gets whacked by every door he gets close to.

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

Edna Mae Oliver and James Gleason are a perfect team. Their exchanges are hilarious.

The supporting cast are also first rate and the murder mystery storyline is done well.

Edna May Oliver is flying out to Catalina when one of her fellow passengers falls ill and dies. The police don't think it's anything but natural. Miss Oliver disagrees. She reaches out to James Gleason in New York City, who soon discovers the dead man is a wanted criminal. He joins Miss Oliver on Catalina to figure out which of the passengers is a murderer.

It's the third and final pairing of the two leads in RKO's series of movies about Stuart Palmer's amateur detective Hildegard Withers and the bumbling Inspector Piper. The exchanges are sharp, Miss Oliver has it all in over Gleason, and this clearly made money; RKO continued the series for two more episodes. So why did Miss Oliver not appear in them? After a lifetime as a stage actress, playing the same role wasn't an issue. I believe that she simply became too expensive for RKO. The year this movie came out, Miss Oliver signed a contract with MGM. RKO simply could not afford to pay MGM's rates to borrow the actress.

So we have to enjoy this and the earlier two entries in the series. RKO certainly did her proud, hiring Robert Benchley to co-write the screenplay, and surrounding her with a capable cast that included Lola Lane, George Meeker, Dorothy Libaire, and Leo G. Carroll.

This time a murder takes place on a seaplane enroute to Catalina Island and all of the passengers become suspects. Needless to say, a few red herrings are thrown into the plot but it's all eventually solved after Hildegarde Withers (Edna May Oliver) calls in detective Piper (James Gleason) to assist her in solving the case.

Another minor entry in the Hildegarde Withers series with Edna May giving her all to a plot-heavy number of names and suspects. Better just sit back and watch Oliver at work, stealing every scene with assurance and almost making us believe in the baffling proceedings. Leo G. Carroll does a nice job as a harried movie director. Lola Lane is a pleasant distraction but it's Edna May's movie all the way.

Edna May Oliver returns as the indomitable schoolteacher/sleuth Hildegarde Withers. Even while on vacation in California she has no trouble in finding murders to solve.

Miss Edna May is again quite wonderful to watch. This was her third & final outing as Withers - she would soon be leaving RKO for MGM and other memorable roles there. James Gleason is back as her New York City detective boyfriend. Comic relief is provided by Willie Best.

The movie is enhanced considerably by location filming at Avalon, on Santa Catalina Island. The huge Casino, which dominates the Avalon waterfront, provides a spooky scene or two.