The Spanish Cape Mystery

This is the only chance to see Donald Cook as Ellery Queen. I reckon he did a good job as the detective who takes a vacation on the Californian coast in this story. He flirts with Stella Godfrey whose parents own a big estate at Spanish Cape. She seems to resist him quite easily like she does her would-be suitors. She is quite a catch for fortune hunters as she is the obvious heir to the estate.

Male characters in their swimming trunks get murdered at Spanish Cape. Then the murders spread to a different type of victim. The favorite weapon of the murderer is cutting wire which is used extensively in the great amount of flower beds on the estate. There is a rivalry between the local Sheriff and Ellery Queen to solve the crimes. The Sheriff claims to have read every detective story written and is dismissive of Ellery Queen's theoretical methods of the literary world.

This is a good whodunit. Some fans of the genre don't always like such a big body count of murder victims which this story certainly has. But I reckon it works well in this case. And I didn't detect the murderer myself so I must give this one my recommendation.

A rich family and a houseful of squabbling guests occupy a ritzy oceanfront mansion down on Spanish Cape. Beautiful Helen Twelvetrees and her eccentric uncle step outside to talk, only to be kidnapped and driven to a strange house down the road. The kidnapper knocks the uncle unconscious, then ties Twelvetrees to a chair, leaving her alone in the dark house while he hauls off the uncle somewhere in a boat.

Meanwhile, renowned mystery writer Ellery Queen is on vacation, accompanied by the retired judge who shares his interest in crime solving. They plan to get away from sleuthing but you know how it is for these amateur detectives....When they arrive at their vacation house, the first thing they discover is Helen Twelvetrees tied up in the bedroom. Like it or not, they're soon on the case.

Donald Cook is a flashy and debonair Ellery Queen. Berton Churchill is part assistant, part comic relief as his friend the judge. Helen Twelvetrees is fine as the young woman whose charming personality and family mystery both capture Ellery's attention. "Mr. Queen," she tells him at one point, "you have the oddest way of mixing romance and murder."

There is a murder and any number of suspects down at the mansion. A bumbling local sheriff sets out to untangle things ("Sit down a minute, Mr. Queen. I'll show you how a real detective solves a case") but soon enough welcomes Ellery's help. It all builds rather nicely to a climactic gather-the-suspects scene in which Ellery presents his deductions.

Overall it's very good, with just enough humor and a rather complex plot that actually makes sense.

Nice little movie ! My question to all who read this is where was the film location ? The home is obviously a million dollar mansion on the California coast . Is the mansion still there ? I noticed another mansion on a hilltop above this mansion , could that be Hearst Castle ? Anyone who knows the location of the Mansion please respond ! Thankyou.

The first Ellery Queen story to hit the big screen was The Spanish Cape Mystery and it starred Donald Cook as the intellectual crime solver and mystery writer. After solving a jewel theft, Cook decides he needs a vacation and he and Judge Berton Churchill take a cottage on the California coast.

But no sooner do they get there than they get involved with a whole series of murders perpetrated against the Godfrey family who have gathered together. All the possible heirs to a fortune are there as the bodies start dropping.

Cook develops a special interest in the family, especially in regard to Helen Twelvetrees. He also as a nasty antagonistic relationship with the local sheriff Harry Stubbs who finally has come begging for Cook's help.

I have to say that Cook was all right in the part, not as bad as Eddie Quillan the following year. This film and Quillan's were made by Republic Pictures, but when the Ellery Queen series was picked up again it was by Columbia where Ralph Bellamy took over the part. Bellamy was far better in what my conception of Ellery Queen was.

Still this one is all right and competently made.

Wow, what fun. You might not like this if you think of detective stories as an excuse to parade a colorful detective. The guy in this case is nearly nothing at all. Flat jokes.

But what a cool mystery! Its a mystery in the old sense, where things happen and you know more than the detective does, just enough to be ahead of him. And you can easily figure it out.

A body is found by the beach at night. In wet swimming trunks not his own, wearing a woman's shawl. Its a remote house and there is inheritance involved. Very typical constraints and model of detecting. Very complex events we have to suss out. Why the trunks? Why the shawl? Another murder and trunks follows.

There isn't a character here that you'll remember. But you'll have fun if you like puzzle-stories.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.