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Private Detective

  • 1939
  • Approved
  • 55m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
305
YOUR RATING
Private Detective (1939)
ActionAdventureComedyMysteryRomance

When they are forced to work together, rival detectives fall in love.When they are forced to work together, rival detectives fall in love.When they are forced to work together, rival detectives fall in love.

  • Director
    • Noel M. Smith
  • Writers
    • Earle Snell
    • Raymond L. Schrock
    • Kay Krausse
  • Stars
    • Jane Wyman
    • Dick Foran
    • Gloria Dickson
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.0/10
    305
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Noel M. Smith
    • Writers
      • Earle Snell
      • Raymond L. Schrock
      • Kay Krausse
    • Stars
      • Jane Wyman
      • Dick Foran
      • Gloria Dickson
    • 14User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos6

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    Top cast32

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    Jane Wyman
    Jane Wyman
    • Myrna Winslow
    Dick Foran
    Dick Foran
    • Jim Rickey
    Gloria Dickson
    Gloria Dickson
    • Mona Lannon
    Maxie Rosenbloom
    Maxie Rosenbloom
    • Brody
    John Ridgely
    John Ridgely
    • Donald Norton
    Morgan Conway
    Morgan Conway
    • Nat Flavin
    John Eldredge
    John Eldredge
    • Millard Lannon
    Joseph Crehan
    Joseph Crehan
    • Capt. Murphy
    William B. Davidson
    William B. Davidson
    • Inspector Evans
    • (as William Davidson)
    Selmer Jackson
    Selmer Jackson
    • Simmy Sanger
    • (as Selmar Jackson)
    Vera Lewis
    Vera Lewis
    • Mrs. Widner
    Julie Stevens
    • Elsie
    Jack Mower
    Jack Mower
    • Detective Dolan
    Henry Blair
    Henry Blair
    • Bobby Lannon
    Earl Dwire
    Earl Dwire
    • Justice of the Peace
    • (scenes deleted)
    Willie Best
    Willie Best
    • Norton's Valet
    Alice Connors
    • Stenographer
    • (uncredited)
    Frank Dae
    Frank Dae
    • Judge Jas. C. Dewitt
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Noel M. Smith
    • Writers
      • Earle Snell
      • Raymond L. Schrock
      • Kay Krausse
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews14

    6.0305
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    Featured reviews

    6SnoopyStyle

    fine

    Millard Lannon and his wife Mona are battling for the custody of their son Bobby who inherited $5 million from his grandfather. Private detective Myrna Winslow (Jane Wyman) refuses to testify for Millard who only wants the money. She quits and proposes marriage to police detective Jim Rickey (Dick Foran). Millard with his lawyer Nat Flavin calls in a fake threat from Mona. Mona comes to see her son Bobby. Millard is shot dead. Mona runs away. With a neighbor as a witness, Mona is immediately the prime suspect. Myrna and Jim investigate from opposite sides.

    It's under an hour and it's fine. Jane Wyman plays a good wildcat investigator. Foran is rather forgettable. As a crime story, it's all fairly straight forward. Mona's innocence is never in doubt. It would be more compelling to have Rickey and Winslow team up. That way, they can develop more combative chemistry and take this movie to the next level. In general, it's pretty basic and fine.
    6boblipton

    Fun With Dick And Jane

    Jane Wyman is a private detective about testify in a custody case. When the wife is suspected of killing her husband, Wyman finds herself working on the case, and tangling with police detective detective Dick Foran, who is also handling the case.

    It's a late-1930s Warners B from Bryan Foy's unit, which means it is more distinguished for its short length (it clocks in at fifty-five minutes) and fast talk, rather than much in the way of cinematic excellence. Cinematographer Ted McCord has some fun with shadows from Venetian blinds, but the principal pleasure is Jane Wyman, in her late-1930s persona of blonde hair and wide eyes. Usually she was a delightful ditz in comedy, but here as a hard-nosed gumshoe, she wrangles nicely with Foran as she keeps trying to help him move away from the wrong track he's on.
    6blanche-2

    Jane in those blond years

    Jane Wyman stars as an aggressive detective driving her fiance police detective Dick Foran nuts in "Private Detective" from 1939. The film also stars Dick Foran and Maxie Rosenbloom.

    The story concerns the murder of a man (John Eldredge) who has won custody of his son after a court fight with his wife (Mona Dickson). She's a suspect, but there are others. The Wyman character is determined to find out whodunit.

    Wyman was no less of a good actress when she became a brunette, but the roles she got were different. I absolutely love her as a blond, always have, and she seemed to get feistier roles that were more fun. Just an opinion. She was quite a talent - she could sing, act, and was a fine artist.

    Fun, fast film, o the short side but that is perfect for a film of this type.
    6jjnxn-1

    Jane on the way up

    1939 is considered the top year for classic films from Hollywood with the release of Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, The Adventures of Robin Hood and countless others, however while all those masterworks were being created it's good to remember that the studios were still cranking out B programmers to fill the bill and this is as good an example of that as any.

    Jane Wyman having worked her way through bits and supporting roles has one of her first leads here as Jinx Winslow, girl detective. She's cute and sprightly and in an interesting contrast she has a few scenes with the ill fated Gloria Dickson, a promising contract player until her sad death a few years later in a house fire at just 28. In their scenes the blush of stardom is all over Jane, not only is she far more animated than Gloria but she registers on screen in a way that Dickson does not and never would. A clear demonstration of star quality, Jane is vibrant whereas Gloria is flat, it doesn't help her though that she's made up in the most overdone and unflattering hair and makeup.

    As for the rest of the movie and the cast, the story is nothing that hasn't been done a million times but it moves at a good clip and that blank wall of an actor Dick Foran takes up space like he always does, how he worked so much is a mystery
    7coltras35

    Private detective

    Ex-husband and wife Millard Lannon (Eldredge) and Mona Lannon (Dickson) are fighting for custody of their son Bobby (Blair), with Millard trying to take the son from his wife. When Millard is killed, Mona is suspected, and private detective Myrna Winslow (Wyman) takes the case to prove she's innocent. This is to the chagrin of her police officer boyfriend, Jim Rickey (Foran), who just wants to get married.

    Jane Wyman makes an energetic and adorable private detective and her chemistry with Dick Foran, who plays a detective and her boyfriend, is good. It's a fun, engaging, has snappy dialogue and a fast-paced time filler. Some of the humour comes from Forman's sidekick who is probably thickest policeman ever. Some of his replies are plain dumb. The fight scene at the end is quite rambunctious and exciting.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Contemporary reviewers noted the similarities between this picture and the studio's "Torchy Blane" series that started with Smart Blonde (1936). Jane Wyman played a hat check girl in that film - and played Torchy in the series' last film, Torchy Blane.. Playing with Dynamite (1939).
    • Goofs
      As Jim and Brady go to leave the room to go question Mona, a moving shadow of the boom microphone is visible on the door to the right as they exit.
    • Quotes

      Myrna "Jinx" Winslow: Jack, when are you going to use your head for something besides a place to put your hat?

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • December 9, 1939 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Lady Dick
    • Filming locations
      • Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Gross US & Canada
      • $40,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      • 55m
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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