The Bishop Murder Case (1930)

Directors:

David Burton
Nick Grinde

Writers:

S.S. Van Dine (from the book by)
Lenore J. Coffee (adaptation)

Release Date:

3 January 1930 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery

Tagline:

The finest of all S. S. Van Dine's murder mystery stories...now an all-talking picture! (original poster)

Plot:

The murders start with the body of Robin. He is found with a arrow through the heart, but Vance deduces...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Clue | Rhyme | Nursery Rhyme | Philo Vance

Cast

Basil Rathbone	...	Philo Vance
Leila Hyams	...	Belle Dillard
Roland Young	...	Sigurd Arnesson
Alec B. Francis	...	Professor Bertrand Dillard
George F. Marion	...	Adolph Drukker
Zelda Sears	...	Mrs. Otto Drukker
Bodil Rosing	...	Grete Menzel
Carroll Nye	...	John E. Sprigg
Charles Quatermaine	...	John Pardee (as Charles Quartermaine)
James Donlan	...	Ernest Heath
Sidney Bracey	...	Pyne (as Sydney Bracey)
Clarence Geldart	...	John F.-X. Markham
Delmer Daves	...	Raymond Sperling
Nellie Bly Baker	...	Beedle
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Cramer	...	Detective in Park (uncredited)
Frank Fanning	...	Officer Manning (uncredited)
Marcia Mae Jones	...	Hungry Child in Park (uncredited)
Broderick O'Farrell	...	Dr. Van Pelt (uncredited)
Douglas Scott	...	Child with Book in Park (uncredited)

Directed by
David Burton		(stage direction)
Nick Grinde		(screen direction) (as Nick Grindé)

Writing credits
S.S. Van Dine		(from the book by)
Lenore J. Coffee		(adaptation, scenario and dialogue)

Original Music by
William Axt		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Roy F. Overbaugh		(photographed by) (as Roy Overbaugh)

Film Editing by
William LeVanway		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Sound Department
Donald MacKenzie	....	recording director (as Dr. Donald Mac Kenzie)
Frank McKenzie	....	sound (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Henrietta Frazer	....	wardrobe

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1930) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1930) (UK) (theatrical)
• Teakwood Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2013) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric System)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Several times Roland Young's character sarcastically calls Basil Rathbone's investigator character "Sherlock Holmes". Nine years later Rathbone would take the role of Holmes and it became his iconic role.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Vance and fellow detectives investigate the body of Robin, who has been shot with an arrow, the angle of the arrow changes. Sometimes it's straight up out of the body, other times it's at almost a 45 degree angle.

Movie Connections:

Followed by The Scarab Murder Case (1936)

Soundtrack:

Waltz of the Flowers

Good for 1930

Good effort given the primitive technology. This very early talkie does not creak like most of them did, and you believe that the same team could have done much better only a few years later.

Check out the innovative scene of Hyams at the three-way mirror. Beautiful scene that directors even today should view for technique. There are several little skilled touches added to this film that make you realize that the only limitation on the talent was the primitive lower-than-low tech.

Rathbone and Hyams seem more modern than the movie and they definitely do not creak.

Must reluctantly give it a "5" because of old set-bound look of the film and the lack of music but it is rewarding if you can overlook such drawbacks.