O Caso Westland

This is the first of the three Universal Bill Crane comic mysteries with Preston Foster playing the detective. He is a hard-drinking playboy investigator who manages to sober up quickly enough to get his job done. The story is set in Chicago with mobsters and their machine guns still operating in that city. Shootings occur in a club and out on the streets to try and stop Crane getting the information he needs.

A man named Robert Westland is in the condemned cell for murdering his wife. He receives a letter six days before he is due to be executed. He feels hopeful that this letter will prove his innocence and so he gives it to his attorney friend Frazee. Frazee and the warden get Crane on the case. Crane has to prove how someone else could have committed the killing while leaving the murder room locked from the inside when Westland has the only other key.

The tension mounts as the time ticks down to the moment of Westland's execution. And it goes down to the wire with a roomful of people anxiously watching the clock in the warden's room. I reckon the action and the mystery and the humor are dealt out in just the right proportions. Preston Foster is good and able to switch between portraying serious detective work and delivering some humorous lines. Barbara Pepper is also good as the tough blonde doing a fair impression of Mae West.

Chicago businessman Bob Westland is facing execution for the murder of his wife when lawyer Charlie Frazee receives an anonymous letter claiming that Westland is not guilty. He hires a private detective, who begins investigating the crime. It's tricky - Mrs. Westland was found dead inside a locked apartment, and only she and Mr. Westland have keys. The detective discovers evidence pointing to Westland's innocence - but can he prove the truth in time?

With the help of a deep-sea diver, a stop watch, and a taxicab driver, he is sprinting after the real culprit...just as Westland is starting his last mile to the electric chair.

Ok mystery with plenty of chatter, wise cracks, suspects and a fast talking detective, however it became a little overwhelming and tedious after a while, and the detective came across obnoxious, but the finale has some tension especially with Westland getting close to the electric chair ... and the real culprit just about to be nabbed.

The Westland Case (1937)

** (out of 4)

Robert Westland is in prison and set to die in a matter of days when private detective Bill Crane (Preston Foster) decides to take his case. Westland's wife was found murdered inside her apartment with all the doors and windows locked. There were only two keys with one on the inside and the other with her husband.

THE WESTLAND CASE was the first of eight Crime Club films that would be produced at Universal in a very quick period. This was the first in the series that I've watched and I must admit that I was really letdown by it, although I've read that it's one of the weakest in the series. I think the biggest problem is the fact that the screenplay really isn't all that memorable and in fact I'd argue that it really isn't any better than some of the detective films from the poverty row companies.

I think the biggest problem is in fact the screenplay, which doesn't give us an interesting case and it certainly doesn't give us any interesting characters. The Crane character really isn't any different than a dozen other detectives out there during this era and he certainly doesn't put himself up there with the best known. Even worse are the supporting members who don't add much of anything. Throw in some rather weak humor and you've got all the elements for a rather bland film.

This film is notable for one reason, and one reason only. It is the performance of Barbara Pepper, a Mae-West look and act alike actress who does a terrific job of imitating Mae West. For five minutes, I was mezmerized by her performance. Her body movements, eye rolling, posture with hand on hip, and other right-on imitations of West were remarkable. The rest of the film is average kaka. See the film and roll to the 25 minute mark just for this sequence; its worth it. Then forget about watching the rest of it.

Universal launched their Crime Club series in 1937 with The Westland Case. Preston Foster stars as detective Bill Crane with Frank Jenks as his assistant, Doc.

Robert Westland (Theodore von Eltz) will be en route to the electric chair in six days if Crane can't find evidence to clear him. He is accused of murdering his almost ex-wife who was found in a locked room. Her key was present; Westland had the other one. And his gun is nowhere to be found.

There are a couple of new leads, but someone kills the people who have them.

Crane's way of working out this case is somewhat complicated. That's putting it mildly. Nevertheless, it's a good mystery and Foster and Jenks are always fun. Plus there is a character who does a good impression of Mae West.

I didn't see a great print of this, but it was worth viewing.