O Crime do Music Hall

Murder In The Music Hall (AKA Midnight Melody) comes out of that bastion of the B movie special, Republic Pictures. It's directed by John English (many Gene Autry Oaters) and the screenplay is adapted from an original story written by Arnold Phillips & Maria Matray. It's stars Vera Hrubá Ralston (Hoodlum Empire/The Fighting Kentuckian), William Marshall (Belle of the Yukon/Adventures of Captain Fabian), Helen Walker (Nightmare Alley/Brewster's Millions) and Nancy Kelly (Jesse James/Stanley and Livingstone).

A smashing little murder mystery musical picture that positively oozes old fashioned values. Tho made in the mid 1940s, this very much feels like a 1930s production, which in all honesty is no bad thing at all. With the dramatic moments involving crime and clues accompanied by loud bursts of music (Walter Scharf), and dialogue such as "what the blue blazes is going on," it has all the necessary ingredients to cater for the classic movie fan. The story is a solid one too. A dastardly stab in the back murder of an ice show producer sees the Rockette type ice dancers of a popular Music Hall show become suspects. As the police start to sniff around, Lila & Don (Ralston & Marshall respectively) do their own amateur sleuthing. With only a glove clue to go on, the need to find a blind man seen in the vicinity of the crime becomes critical.

It's here where the film then ups its drama. With one darkened room meeting between our intrepid sleuths and a blind man being memorably noirish. Up till then it had blended snazzy musical ice dance routines with bubbling under the surface intrigue. At first it's an odd mix, one where after the first blast of jauntiness one wonders if it will be possible to accept the upcoming dramatics, but it does work, in a sort of lulling us into a false sense of security type manoeuvre. Besides which, the numbers and choreography are pleasing on the eye, particularly when involving Ralston, a real life figure skater for her home country of Czechoslovakia. And to cap it all off we got some decent red herrings and the final reveal is not at all insulting. The cast are safe and without histrionic ham, with the beautiful Kelly the standout performer. While English knits it all together in a professional manner.

An enjoyable multi genre splicer breaking free from its budget restrictions with much success. 7/10

Please be aware that this film has nothing to do with the Radio City Music Hall! As an archivist re: the Music Hall..I know what is and what is not associated with the New York venue. The film's Theodore is just the "Music Hall." No Rockettes are in the film. Only wonderful ice skaters plus superb actors and fun. Just thought you would like to know. Truly a wonderful film. You will never guess who the 'murderer' is while watching this film....till the very end. What a superb plot and beautiful ice skating. One never sees that kind of performances any more. The Roxy Theater and the Center Theatres, in New York city, had ice skating performances on stage!

This movie is up there with "Silver City Kid", "The Phantom Speaks" and "The Blazing Sun" as John English's (I) best features. A classic mystery movie with some brilliant performances, especially from Vera Ralston and Ann Rutherford. It's pretty much your standard mystery story all about being in the wrong place at the right time. Vera Ralston plays the unlucky heroine, accused of a murder she didn't commit or did she......

When a blackmailer is found murdered in an apartment next to the music hall, Lila, beautiful star of the ice show, becomes a suspect. She had visited the former ice show producer Carl Lang earlier at his New York City penthouse apartment and refuses his offer to star in his new Music Hall Ice Show. He says he can ruin her by pinning the blame of a man's accidental death on her ...

Back at the Music Hall, Lila discovers she has left her purse at Lang's apartment and returns there, followed by orchestra leader Don Jordan; they discover that Carl has been stabbed to death. Lila's understudy Gracie (Ann Rutherford) has also followed them there and helps them remove traces of Lila's visit. They also find a pair of kid gloves -the laundry mark on them leads Don to wealthy socialite Rita Morgan, wife of George Morgan; Rita turns out to be a former ice-skating star for Carl Lang's Music Hall shows.

Rita admits to being in Lang's apartment but says he was in excellent health when she left, and says she passed no one except a blind man.

Determined to prove her innocence, Don is on the hunt for the blind man ...

Vera Ralston gets the chance to show off her splendid ice skating skills amidst the murder mystery, and there's plenty of other fine skating - the standout being the sword fighting one - interspersed between the lively display of detecting and barging into red herrings. It's a fun mystery, maybe a little confusing at times, but fun nevertheless. There's some witty dialogue and a cute Ann Rutherford adding some comic moments. Vera Ralston does well in her role.

This is one of my favourite classics, i wasnt alive wen this film was made, but as i am into classic pre-war films it has grown on me and i loved every minute of this mystery movie, great suspense.. the acting may not be the best but the plot is great