Author Anthony Abbot (real name Charles Fulton Oursler), no doubt inspired by the success of S. S. Van Dine's Philo Vance, created the fictional detective Thatcher Colt, New York City Police Commissioner, first appearing in 1930's "About the Murder of Geraldine Foster," finishing with a total of 14 stories in all. Novel number 3, 1931's "About the Murder of the Night Club Lady," served as the inspiration for this attempt at a series from Columbia, casting the debonair and dapper Adolphe Menjou as the sophisticated Police Commissioner, adeptly demonstrating his multilingual lip reading abilities, with screen newcomer Ruthelma Stevens as his faithful assistant Miss Kelly. The lady in question is Lola Carewe (Mayo Methot), whose plans to celebrate New Years Eve are upset by harrowing death threats. Determined to go out anyway, it's Thatcher Colt who learns of her plight by reading her lips across the room, gathering a police force around her in her own apartment. Unfortunately, her appointed midnight date with death really happens, right in the middle of her living room, surrounded by Colt's men. It's a genuine puzzler, greatly benefiting from its pre-code frankness, with Skeets Gallagher and Nat Pendleton providing light comedy relief. Mayo Methot is best remembered, not for her ten year Hollywood career that ended by 1940, but by her tempestuous 7 year marriage to Humphrey Bogart, who gave up on her violent drunkenness for happiness with Lauren Bacall (Mayo had already divorced twice before). While this was Mayo Methot's second film, it was the first for virtual unknown Ruthelma Stevens, whose future career was surprisingly undistinguished, only twelve featured roles out of 29 credits, the last in 1951. Her Miss Kelly is quite a sexy, smart, and savvy presence, perhaps closer to Thatcher Colt than Della Street to Perry Mason. Their best scene has him asking her to lie down on the couch, her priceless, quizzical, and slightly shocked look not precluding her following orders, only for him to demonstrate the murder victim's recumbent position, his ear at her bosom ("well, looks like I'm making progress, eh Kelly?"). The excellent supporting cast includes underrated Teru Shimada, who once passed himself off as Mr. Moto in 1938's "Mr. Moto's Last Warning," but may be more familiar to viewers for his ubiquitous presence on television in the 60s, plus his villainous turn as Osato in the James Bond thriller "You Only Live Twice." A direct sequel followed a year later, "The Circus Queen Murder," then a one-shot at PRC in 1942, "The Panther's Claw."
8 Reviews
She'll die by midnight...
planktonrules20 January 2019
This film is a chance to see the 3rd Mrs. Bogart, May Methot....a woman whose fights with her famous husband are the stuff of legends. Back in the early 30s, Mayo was a star but her off-screen behaviors soon relegated her to supporting actress status.
When the story begins, someone has informed party girl Lola (Methot) that she will be dead by midnight. Just who this is an why is unknown and the Police Commissioner himself (Adolph Menjou) is taking the case. Apart from announcing the murder ahead of time, it's a mostly by the numbers murder mystery...the type they made by the hundreds or thousands during that era. Ultimately, however, the film ends on a high note...a shrill and thrilling Pre-Code ending that I'll keep to myself so I won't spoil anything.
Having the smooth Menjou in the lead sure didn't hurt this one and overall it's well worth your time. It is not super-remarkable but reasonably entertaining and, at times, clever.
When the story begins, someone has informed party girl Lola (Methot) that she will be dead by midnight. Just who this is an why is unknown and the Police Commissioner himself (Adolph Menjou) is taking the case. Apart from announcing the murder ahead of time, it's a mostly by the numbers murder mystery...the type they made by the hundreds or thousands during that era. Ultimately, however, the film ends on a high note...a shrill and thrilling Pre-Code ending that I'll keep to myself so I won't spoil anything.
Having the smooth Menjou in the lead sure didn't hurt this one and overall it's well worth your time. It is not super-remarkable but reasonably entertaining and, at times, clever.
About the Murder of the Night Club Lady!!
kidboots14 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Thatcher Colt, created by Anthony Abbott, combined the grand standing tactics of Perry Mason with the sophistication of Philo Vance. Being described as the "best dressed bachelor in town" Adolphe Menjou was the obvious choice to portray him on the screen but it was unfortunate that Thatcher Colt was lost in the sleuth series shuffle and after "The Circus Queen Murder" was not seen on the screen again for another 9 years. Unfortunate also because Ruthelma Stevens played Kelly as a more than competent right hand gal. In an era where secretaries were either "after office hours" girls or wisecrackers, Kelly stood out as a sensible, no-nonsense type who more than matched Colt for brains. There also weren't many movies that featured Mayo Methot in a starring role - when she was starred (in "Afraid to Talk") she was usually as tough as nails. Her night club lady Lola is no exception, she barks out orders and commands, she seems to be able to take care of herself but she is frightened, all on account of some threatening letters she has been receiving.
By using his art of lip reading Colt is soon at her side in the crowded night club and is instrumental in saving her life as a shot is fired amidst the busy new year's eve celebrations. Back at her apartment, she cannot be saved from a cunning killer and Colt could have used Kelly's help in the first part of the film. Skeets Gallagher, usually so flip and funny, takes up too much time here as Colt's dipsy pal. It seems Lola is not the innocent victim that she appears - in one scene Colt has all the usual suspects in his office, her close friends and servants and they all have one thing in common - they are all being black mailed for past brushes with the law and all of them wanted her dead.
Apart from an atrocious print and the fact that Kelly doesn't come into her own until the last third of the film, it is a very entertaining and intricate mystery with a couple of red herrings (the houseboy's eagerness to be thought of as another Charlie Chan etc). Even though the action is constrained to only a couple of sets, the unusual plot contrivances (including a suspect who has been dead for a few years) keeps viewer's interest alive!!
By using his art of lip reading Colt is soon at her side in the crowded night club and is instrumental in saving her life as a shot is fired amidst the busy new year's eve celebrations. Back at her apartment, she cannot be saved from a cunning killer and Colt could have used Kelly's help in the first part of the film. Skeets Gallagher, usually so flip and funny, takes up too much time here as Colt's dipsy pal. It seems Lola is not the innocent victim that she appears - in one scene Colt has all the usual suspects in his office, her close friends and servants and they all have one thing in common - they are all being black mailed for past brushes with the law and all of them wanted her dead.
Apart from an atrocious print and the fact that Kelly doesn't come into her own until the last third of the film, it is a very entertaining and intricate mystery with a couple of red herrings (the houseboy's eagerness to be thought of as another Charlie Chan etc). Even though the action is constrained to only a couple of sets, the unusual plot contrivances (including a suspect who has been dead for a few years) keeps viewer's interest alive!!
Murder At Midnight
boblipton19 January 2021
Night club hostess Mayo Methot is well connected. She's got enough pull that when she's threatened with death at midnight, police commissioner Adolphe Menjou and eight men show up to gather around her; if someone wants to get to her, they'llhavd to go through this mob... which they. At midnight, she screams and dies. Now Menjou must find out not only who killed her, but how and why.
It's a pretty good murder mystery, based on a book by Fulton Oursler writing as Anthony Abbott. Of course, it's a lot of talk with a list of about half a dozen witnesses who saw nothing, and no suspects, until Menjou gathers them all together to go ver what he knows and draws his conclusion, which came as a surprise to me. Director Irving Cummings keeps things moving along all the way through.
It's a pretty good murder mystery, based on a book by Fulton Oursler writing as Anthony Abbott. Of course, it's a lot of talk with a list of about half a dozen witnesses who saw nothing, and no suspects, until Menjou gathers them all together to go ver what he knows and draws his conclusion, which came as a surprise to me. Director Irving Cummings keeps things moving along all the way through.
Intriguing Murder Case
view_and_review14 February 2024
Oh joy. A murder mystery that's actually solved by the detective assigned to the case. I've watched so many murder mysteries solved by non-law enforcement that I was beginning to believe that police were there just to make an arrest once the case was solved (see "The Locked Door" (1929), "The Maltese Falcon" (1931), "M" (1931), "The Death Kiss" (1932), "Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1932) "Penguin Pool Murder" (1932), or any Philo Vance movie).
In "The Night Club Lady" (TNCL) a woman by the name of Lola Carewe (Mayo Methot) was afraid for her life. She'd gotten a message that stated that she would be killed at midnight on New Year's Day (or New Year's Eve, depending upon how you look at it). Though she was surrounded by eight police officers she was still killed. The doctor called to the scene, Dr. Lengle (Wilhelm von Brincken) summarily said she died of a heart attack after a brief check with his stethoscope. The lead detective on the case, Commissioner Thatcher Colt (Adolphe Menjou), knew it had to be murder. Commissioner Colt then set about piecing the crime together so that he could find the killer.
I enjoyed TNCL. The characters were intriguing as was the murder, and Alfred Menjou was the meticulous and professional type of inspector I like.
In "The Night Club Lady" (TNCL) a woman by the name of Lola Carewe (Mayo Methot) was afraid for her life. She'd gotten a message that stated that she would be killed at midnight on New Year's Day (or New Year's Eve, depending upon how you look at it). Though she was surrounded by eight police officers she was still killed. The doctor called to the scene, Dr. Lengle (Wilhelm von Brincken) summarily said she died of a heart attack after a brief check with his stethoscope. The lead detective on the case, Commissioner Thatcher Colt (Adolphe Menjou), knew it had to be murder. Commissioner Colt then set about piecing the crime together so that he could find the killer.
I enjoyed TNCL. The characters were intriguing as was the murder, and Alfred Menjou was the meticulous and professional type of inspector I like.
Only for fans of Adolphe Menjou
1930s_Time_Machine17 November 2023
Whilst it's not in the same league as Poirot, it's a reasonably interesting story in the mould of the popular detective mysteries of the time. This is a clever little 'locked room mystery' - an impossible murder where nobody could possibly have done it....but they did. I just can't warm to Adolphe Menjou though.
It's directed well enough, there's always something happening and it's got a lively feel about it - a sense of mystery - a sense of intrigue. It won't have you on the edge of your seat but you've got to find out how the dastardly deed was done. Columbia's top cameraman Ted Tetzaff has great fun playing with his new zoom lens and the overall effect is a lot more imaginative and interesting to look at than your typical B-movie. The scrip by Robert Riskin (he of the Robert Riskin-Frank Capra partnership) is snappy and witty but nothing too special.
The problem with this or rather my problem with this is that I just don't like Adolphe Menjou. In this his character is as one dimensional as nearly every other role I've seen him in. It's probably not all his fault, the character of Thatcher Colt is really rather dull with no interesting characteristics. Neither is he that great a detective since about half a dozen people get murdered whilst under his watch. His drunken sidekick however played by Skeets Gallagher is actually one of the best characters in the whole thing - he's certainly the only likeable one. Usually the drunken sidekick is just an annoying, unfunny irritant but because the rest of the characters are so uninteresting he adds a bit of life to the whole thing thanks to Robert Riskin seeing that something needed to be added to keep everyone awake.
It's directed well enough, there's always something happening and it's got a lively feel about it - a sense of mystery - a sense of intrigue. It won't have you on the edge of your seat but you've got to find out how the dastardly deed was done. Columbia's top cameraman Ted Tetzaff has great fun playing with his new zoom lens and the overall effect is a lot more imaginative and interesting to look at than your typical B-movie. The scrip by Robert Riskin (he of the Robert Riskin-Frank Capra partnership) is snappy and witty but nothing too special.
The problem with this or rather my problem with this is that I just don't like Adolphe Menjou. In this his character is as one dimensional as nearly every other role I've seen him in. It's probably not all his fault, the character of Thatcher Colt is really rather dull with no interesting characteristics. Neither is he that great a detective since about half a dozen people get murdered whilst under his watch. His drunken sidekick however played by Skeets Gallagher is actually one of the best characters in the whole thing - he's certainly the only likeable one. Usually the drunken sidekick is just an annoying, unfunny irritant but because the rest of the characters are so uninteresting he adds a bit of life to the whole thing thanks to Robert Riskin seeing that something needed to be added to keep everyone awake.
Fantastic Golden Age Mystery
gmonescu25 November 2002
This is a beautifully directed film, a fast moving whodunit remniscent of Michael Curtiz' THE KENNEL MURDER CASE (which this film preceded by a year). Adolphe Menjou is well in his element as Thatcher Colt (a very Philo Vance-ish figure), and the screenplay crackles with pre-code New York sophistication. Though the entire cast it excellent, the real star of the film is director Irving Cummings, who keeps things constantly moving with interesting camera angles, dolly shots, and even a zoom lens!
There was a sequel to this film, THE CIRCUS QUEEN MURDER (1933 - directed by Roy William Neill), which, while still interesting, somewhat lessens its impact by revealing the identity of the murderer less than two/thirds through the film. And CIRCUS QUEEN had no Mura...
Mura knows!!!
There was a sequel to this film, THE CIRCUS QUEEN MURDER (1933 - directed by Roy William Neill), which, while still interesting, somewhat lessens its impact by revealing the identity of the murderer less than two/thirds through the film. And CIRCUS QUEEN had no Mura...
Mura knows!!!
A New York City police commissioner with odd hobbies...
AlsExGal13 March 2021
.... is who Thatcher Colt is. Played by the dapper Adolphe Menjou, he reads lips and obsesses over how to execute the perfect head lock in wrestling. Given his physique this seems especially odd. And he pals around with the rather useless Tony (Skeets Gallagher) whose only hobbies seem to be drinking and snide remarks.
But when the film opens, what we see is nightclub owner Lola Carewe (Mayo Methot) in her luxury apartment nervously preparing for an evening out on New Year's Eve as the wind howls menacingly. She has been receiving death threats that say specifically that she will die at the stroke of midnight. And yet she goes to her nightclub at a prominently placed table with balloons popping around her that could easily cover the sound of a gunshot.
This is where Colt comes in. He is seated at a table while his friend Tony partakes in his favorite pastime - drinking. But Colt reads Lola's lips and sees her talking about the death threat. He is talking to her about this when somebody in the crowd fires a shot. This causes Colt to take Lola back to her apartment and call in about eight cops to guard her. As midnight approaches, the eight cops form a circle around Lola, able to block any bullet or weapon somebody might toss or fire. But when the stroke of midnight comes, Lola stands up and shrieks and falls down dead. Did she die of fright? If so, what a clever plan.
So Colt begins his investigation. As he says, usually he just has to figure out who did it. This time he has to determine if it was even murder and if so, what was the method as well. Lola certainly had lots of enemies. Complications ensue.
I've got to wonder if the folks over at MGM were watching this, because Thatcher is a lot like Nick Charles. Just subtract the weird hobbies and the alcoholic friend and add a missus with moxie - Nora Charles, and you have the same basic formula. Then there is Nat Pendleton, playing a part much like his character Guild in The Thin Man. Add in the mysterious, mute, and well dressed Miss Kelly as another associate of Colt, and this is a very entertaining little film.
But when the film opens, what we see is nightclub owner Lola Carewe (Mayo Methot) in her luxury apartment nervously preparing for an evening out on New Year's Eve as the wind howls menacingly. She has been receiving death threats that say specifically that she will die at the stroke of midnight. And yet she goes to her nightclub at a prominently placed table with balloons popping around her that could easily cover the sound of a gunshot.
This is where Colt comes in. He is seated at a table while his friend Tony partakes in his favorite pastime - drinking. But Colt reads Lola's lips and sees her talking about the death threat. He is talking to her about this when somebody in the crowd fires a shot. This causes Colt to take Lola back to her apartment and call in about eight cops to guard her. As midnight approaches, the eight cops form a circle around Lola, able to block any bullet or weapon somebody might toss or fire. But when the stroke of midnight comes, Lola stands up and shrieks and falls down dead. Did she die of fright? If so, what a clever plan.
So Colt begins his investigation. As he says, usually he just has to figure out who did it. This time he has to determine if it was even murder and if so, what was the method as well. Lola certainly had lots of enemies. Complications ensue.
I've got to wonder if the folks over at MGM were watching this, because Thatcher is a lot like Nick Charles. Just subtract the weird hobbies and the alcoholic friend and add a missus with moxie - Nora Charles, and you have the same basic formula. Then there is Nat Pendleton, playing a part much like his character Guild in The Thin Man. Add in the mysterious, mute, and well dressed Miss Kelly as another associate of Colt, and this is a very entertaining little film.
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