Hollywood Sleuths: The Kennel Murder Case/Nancy Drew...Reporter

Starring:William Powell, Mary Astor, Eugene Pallette, Ralph Morgan, Robert McWade, Robert Barrat, Frank Conroy, Etienne Girardot, James Lee, Paul Cavanagh, Arthur Hohl, Helen Vinson, Jack La Rue, Charles C. Wilson, Monte Vandergrift, Milton Kibbee, Renee Whitney, Leo White, Wade Boteler, Spencer Charters
Director: Michael Curtiz, William Clemens
Studio: ROAN
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

William Powell was one of the most stylish gentleman detectives around; Nancy Drew, however, is just perky
Something For Everyone
Classic Detective Story
Very Good quality DVD of early mysteries!
Two short features for the price of one

Hollywood Sleuths: The Kennel Murder Case/Nancy Drew...Reporter
Starring: William Powell , Mary Astor , Eugene Pallette , Ralph Morgan , and Robert McWade
Director: Michael Curtiz , and William Clemens
Manufacturer: ROAN
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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The Original Nancy Drew Movie Mystery Collection (Detective / Reporter / Troubleshooter / Hidden Staircase)
Charlie Chan Collection, Vol. 1 (Charlie Chan in London / Charlie Chan in Paris / Charlie Chan in Egypt / Charlie Chan in Shanghai / Eran Trece)

ASIN: B00001AQZP
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Customer Reviews:

William Powell was one of the most stylish gentleman detectives around; Nancy Drew, however, is just perky.......2006-12-02

"Markham," says urbane gentleman crime-solver Philo Vance (William Powell) to the district attorney, "I'm coming more and more to the belief that Archer Coe was killed in this room. That poker, this dagger sheath, now these fragments...it's all here." "But Vance," Markham says, "do you mean to tell me a dead man walked upstairs?" "I'm not trying to tell you anything but the facts," Vance says. "This is the most remarkable case in my experience."

We're sympathetic. Wealthy, arrogant Archer Coe, disliked it seems by all who knew him, had been found slumped in a chair in his bedroom, pistol in his hand and a gunshot wound to his head. But wait. Further examination shows Coe had been hit hard by a blunt instrument that fractured his skull. Then there's the dagger wound in his back. Complicating matters is that Coe's bedroom door and windows all had been locked from the inside. Coe was no suicide; this was murder. But how could the killer have escaped? What was the specific motivation since there are so many suspects? And why was Coe's brother, Brisbane Coe, found dead in the main-floor closet?

The Kennel Murder Case, now 73 years old, still provides a stylish look at the old locked-room classic whodunit. What makes it work as well as it does is, first, the mystery is complicated and clever, but still is logical. Second, is the amusing, assured performance of William Powell. Consider his work as Philo Vance as something as a rehearsal for his great performances as Nick Charles. Few things escape Vance. He uses his wits to piece things together. He's also good company. Powell was a star in the Twenties and moved steadily upward in status and popularity when the talkies took over. His intelligence, style and effortless sophistication have made him one of the most contemporary-seeming of actors from the past.

Also pleasant is seeing a few other great faces. There's Mary Astor as Hilda Lake, the young, resentful and potentially rich ward of Coe; Paul Cavanaugh as a titled Brit hovering around Hilda; Helen Vinson with her notably sultry and selfish manner (watch her really do her stuff in Vogues of 1938); Etienne Giraudot, a small, elderly man as the fussy Dr. Doremus, whose job as coroner and medical examiner keeps taking him away from his meals; and Ralph Morgan as Archer Coe's private secretary. This movie has a high percentage of middle-aged men without an ounce of fat who can wear snug, English-cut tailored suits with ease. Most of all is Eugene Pallette, with his noble belly and gravel voice, as Detective Sergeant Heath. Sergeant Heath and Vance are long-time acquaintances who actually seem to like each other.

The Roan Group DVD disc I have comes with Nancy Drew...Reporter (1939) on the flip side. To really enjoy Nancy Drew you need a high tolerance for perkiness and a sympathetic understanding that movies like this were designed for an America that has long vanished. Nancy (Bonita Granville) finds herself working as an intern at a newspaper and manages to finagle her way into a murder case. We know what happened, why and who did it within the first five minutes. We just need to sit back and see how Nancy involves just about everyone she knows to catch the killer. The charm of the movie depends on your appreciation of Nancy Drew's indomitable energy, ability to get herself into and out of scrapes, and her high-spirited confidence. Believe me, nothing gets Nancy Drew down for long. For connoisseurs of musical performances, there is a memorable one in a Chinese restaurant. Unable to pay a bill, Nancy, her sort-of-yet-innocent boyfriend, his 13 year-old little sister and her 11-year-old tag-along male chum convince the owners they are entertainers and will prove it if they don't have to wash dishes. The four of them perform an extended jive riff on "Mary Had a Little Lamb." It's not bad, just jaw-dropping odd.

Both pictures look and sound good on the Roan DVD. Considering how old they are, they are easy to watch. There are no extras and no chapter stops. The movie worth having is definitely The Kennel Murder Case.

Something For Everyone.......2006-01-11

The are two fun films in this double feature. One is the fabulous "The Kennel Murder Case" from director Michael Curtiz. "Nancy Drew, Reporter" can just be looked at as an added bonus. While it is a "B" series, it's loads of fun watching a young Bonita Granville trying to solve a murder and earn her chops as a reporter. Nancy Drew fans will take exception to the many missing elements from the books, but it is still fun for young kids, and certainly a good one to watch with them as a family. Once the kids are in bed, adults who love classic films, and mysteries in particular, are in for a real treat.

S.S. Van Dine's Philo Vance is almost forgotten today, but the dapper detective was adapted to film several times. "The Kennel Murder Case" is by far the best of the lot. Director Michael Curtiz used that early 1930's soft focus look and a well written and witty script to bring Vance to life in the form of William Powell, who was perfect for the part.

From the opening moments of Vance at the Long Island Kennel Club with his dog, Captain McDavish, this is a classy and breezily paced little mystery. The murder of Hilda Lake's dog escalates into a human murder with lots of suspects. But how was the murder commited, since the victim is found dead in a room locked from the inside?

In steps Philo Vance, cancelling his boat trip to bail out Detective Heath (Eugene Pallet). A young and very stylish Mary Astor as Hilda Lake, and a supporting cast which includes Helen Vinson, Ralph Morgan, Frank Conroy, Paul Cavanaugh and James Lee Liang as the cook obsessed with Chinese treasures, add flavor to this delicious little concoction.

Shady business dealings, spurned affections and valuable Chinese artifacts all play a part in this tight little mystery. Powell's Vance is uptown, cool as a cucumber and fun to watch as he's always one step ahead of everyone else. Vance's solution to the mystery is unique, but the best part is the fun we have getting there.

This is a great little rainy night mystery for those times you're in a nostalgic mood. Mystery lovers don't want to miss this little gem. There is something here for both the kids ("Nancy Drew, Reporter") and the adults ("The Kennel Murder Case"), making this one a good purchase.

Classic Detective Story.......2004-11-15

THE KENNEL MURDER CASE is one of the best cinema murder mysteries of the 1930s, a delight from start to finish.
William Powell is remembered today as Nick Charles in the Thin Man films, but before that he was suave, debonair Philo Vance in a series of films based on the classic novels by S.S. Van Dine.

As the film opens, you'll find more intrigue at the Long Island Kennel Club than you will at an Agatha Christie British manor. A swanky society crank, Archer Coe (Robert Barrat), seems to go out of his way to insult and bully everybody, including his niece (Mary Astor), his niece's fiancée (Paul Cavanaugh), his personal secretary (Ralph Morgan), his brother (Frank Conroy), his mistress (Helen Vinson), his mistress' boyfriend (Jack LaRue), and his Chinese cook (James Lee). When Coe is found dead in his bedroom, all the doors and windows locked from the inside, everybody thinks he committed suicide - everybody, that is, but our boy Philo, who notices some anomalies in the setting. Not only does Vance have to figure out who killed Coe, though, he also has to figure out how.

Michael Curtiz directed the film, and did a masterful job, keeping the lean film moving swiftly. There isn't a spare second in the film's brief (under 75 min.) running time, and you'll be laughing and guessing along with Vance until the final frame. Did I say laughing? Yes, there's some good comic relief from Etienne Girardot as a grumpy coroner who finds the escalating body count interfering with his meals ("There's too many people in the world anyway!") and gravel-voiced Eugene Pallette as a clueless detective (faced with a victim who was bludgeoned, stabbed in the back, and then shot in the head, the detective whispers to the coroner, "Is there any chance it was suicide?").

I loved this film, and was delighted to find that - although it's been in the public domain for many years and available on VHS and DVD from many sources - the Roan Group print is superb. Not only that, but the DVD includes NANCY DREW, REPORTER as well. Go for it!

Very Good quality DVD of early mysteries!.......2003-04-25

The Roan Group can always be counted on to bring the best quality DVDs on public domain titles.
THE KENNEL MURDER CASE is sharp and clear with great contrast! The mystery is quite intricate and absorbing, I bought this for the next title but ended up thoroughly enjoying this mystery. You will want to see it again and again to find all of the clues.
NANCY DREW REPORTER is also sharp and clear, but there are a few scratches in the print used (not bad). Still it is an excellent presenation. The story is a bit juvinile, but then that is what Nancy Drew was aimed at.
It is a strange pairing of mysteries.

Two short features for the price of one.......2000-07-03

The picture and sound transfer on this DVD is very good (that's always good news whenever old, rarely seen films are released on home video). Roan Group is a DVD maker you can count on. "The Kennel Murder Case" is a bright, tight, and fluidly-directed whodunit. "Nancy Drew, Reporter" is a juvenile but enjoyable teen mystery-comedy. The movies are on separate sides on the disc. No captioning nor supplements are included.

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