Le meurtre de John Carter

I saw this movie for the first and only time in the late '80's on AMC and have been searching for it to purchase ever since. My son, who was then 6 years old, and I laughed and chuckled throughout the movie at the dry wit, sarcasm and humor. You have to pay attention, because like many other movies of this era, there is a plot (!!) and a true storyline and you have to be listening to catch the sometimes subtle humor, particularly between Gleason's and Pitts' characters. My kids grew up on these old B&W's and can't understand why their friends don't find them entertaining. Since it's not a "splash & gash" movie of today, with no storyline and only loud music and special effects, most young people (and many adults) today would no doubt find it boring. It's not "Arsenic & Old Lace" or "The Maltese Falcon", but it's a very funny old B&W and I have every intention of purchasing it ASAP!

Plot Thickens, The (1936)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

The fifth film in the Hildegarde Withers series is the first to have Zasu Pitts in the lead. This time out a man involved in a possible love triangle is murdered and there are countless suspects. Withers must assist Detective Oscar Piper (James Gleason) in tracking down the murder but soon more twists and turns begin to happen. THE PLOT THICKENS is the perfect title for this movie because it seems every ten-minutes or so another twist is happening and the film goes off into a new direction. It starts off as a love triangle mixed with murder but then more bodies begin to pile up and soon the witnesses are changing their stories and then we even get a heist subplot thrown in. At just 67-minutes this movie doesn't have a slow bone in its body because it goes so fast that at first you have to almost backtrack to try and figure out what's going on in the opening murder sequence. We get to see so many characters so quickly that I think the film hurts itself because by the time you figure out what's going on you're already onto the next murder and plot twist. The story should be given quite a bit of credit because even though this was just a "B" series, RKO went all out and really delivered a smart screenplay. It also doesn't hurt that Gleason and Pitts work so well together. No one will take the place of Edna May Oliver but Pitts is really good here. She plays the straight parts fine but she also has a very good comic timing that works perfectly well with Gleason. As for Gleason, he was always good in the series and he too turns in a fine performance. None of the supporting players really stand out but they're all decent enough. The final ten-minutes features a couple plot twists that her perfectly done including one pre-Scooby Doo sequence that really works tremendously well. THE PLOT THICKENS will certainly entertain fans of the series but it also makes you scratch your head wondering how the next film in the series (FORTY NAUGHTY GIRLS) could turn out so bad.

We did not know that Hildegarde Withers plays golf, but our first view of Zasu Pitts in the role shows her practicing her swing (indoors, no less). It seems she had a golf date with her good friend, Inspector Oscar Piper, which he has unfortunately broken: a case has come up, and Miss Withers—quickly recovering from her irritation at being stood up—hastens to the scene to assist in the investigation.

James Gleason is Inspector Piper once again, and gives his usual entertaining performance as the irascible detective with a soft spot for the school teacher who follows him around offering unsolicited crime-solving advice. Zasu Pitts as Withers delivers the usual dry Withers comments and is true to the character in her impatience with fools. (A policeman mistakenly arrests and handcuffs her, then tells her anything she says may be used against her, to which she replies, "Anything I say may be used against YOU—and that'll be plenty if you don't unshackle me at once!") Pitts looks good in the role, and she and Gleason make a snappy team. Considering that this was Gleason's fifth film in his role but Pitts was brand new to hers, the interaction between the two is impressively smooth.

The plot involves the murder of one John Carter, who is shot dead in a parked roadster a mere moment after attempting to kiss a girl who didn't want to be kissed and then laughing at her. Suspects abound, of course; complicating the plot is a possible case of mistaken identity, as various characters were out and about, tailing and being tailed, at the time of the murder. Why again was the body dragged from the roadster and (eventually) deposited in the murdered man's own library? --The plot does indeed thicken.

A solid supporting cast includes James Donlan as a goofy cop with an interest in astrology; Paul Fix as a nervous chauffeur; and Louise Latimer, who had just played a different role (but a similar character) in the Withers mystery immediately preceding this one.

No classic, but certainly an entertaining hour for those of us who enjoy this kind of thing: great character actors, some good dialog, and a plot that's a bit more complicated than really necessary.

Inspector Oscar Piper (James Gleason) has a baffling new case on his hands when John Carter (Richard Tucker) is found dead in his study by his butler, Kendall (Arthur Aylesworth). There are several suspicious people in Carter's circle. Alice Stevens seems to be the last person to have seen Carter alive; her boyfriend, Robert Wilkins, was seen arguing with Carter by a cop; and there's a mysterious stranger with a French accent whom Kendall overheard speaking with Carter before the crime took place. The further the investigation moves along, the more baffling the mystery, but Oscar has a secret weapon that may help him crack the case: schoolteacher/sleuth Hildegarde (ZaSu Pitts) Withers.

Pitts and Gleason play very well off of one another. ZaSu is really good as Hildergarde, and though she's not as distinctive as Edna May Oliver, she gives her own spin on the character, and comes across a bit dizzy yet intelligent and self-assured, and witty. She appears to be inattentive and "all over the place", but in reality she's analytical and doesn't miss a thing. As one reviewer rightly said, it's Columbo style of misdirection.

As for the mystery, it's quite good, has plenty of twist and turns, interesting suspects, a neat buildup to the murder, and a satisfying denouement, though it can be a little convoluted at times.

A man is shot in his car and a young couple is entangled with the murder. Next, the dead body is found in his library at home. Inspector Oscar Piper (James Gleason) investigates the apparent murder. He calls to cancel a golf outing with Hildegarde Withers (ZaSu Pitts). She's intrigue with the case and invites herself into the investigation.

The start is a bit messy but I like the young couple's dilemma. This is a new Hildegarde. She has a few fun scenes but it's generally a downgrade. I do like the handcuff scene. The mystery would work better if the young couple is forced to go on the run with Hildegarde by their side. They could solve the case together. Oscar would be in pursuit and join them later in the story. I just don't like the second half that much. The movie degenerates. The series is also degenerating into a secondary B-movie franchise. The original series would have one more movie before fading away.