The Murder in the Museum (1934)

Director:

Melville Shyer

Writer:

F.B. Crosswhite (writer)

Genre:

Thriller

Tagline:

Sinister sideshow of death!

Plot:

When a city councilman is murdered while investigating allegations of drug dealing going on a a somewhat disreputable sideshow, the daughter of the chief suspect teams up with a newspaper reporter to find the real killer. |

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Carnival

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Henry B. Walthall	...	Bernard Latham Wayne, alias Prof. Mysto (as Henry B. Walthal)
John Harron	...	Jerry Ross
Phyllis Barrington	...	Lois Brandon
Tom O'Brien	...	Alfred Carr
Joseph W. Girard	...	Police Commissioner Brandon (as Joseph Girard)
Symona Boniface	...	Katura the Seeress
Donald Kerr	...	Museum Tour Guide
Sam Flint	...	Councilman Blair Newgate
John Elliott	...	Detective Chief Snell (as John Elliot)
Steve Clemente	...	Pedro Darro

Also Known As:

The Five Deadly Vices (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

65 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

International Studios - 1339 Gordon Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Progressive Pictures

Movie Connections:

Edited into Confessions of a Vice Baron (1943)

Pre-Code Spice in a Sideshow Setting

Another of Henry B. Walthall's 1934 movies (he played in twelve that year), this interesting curio, Murder in the Museum, is one of a handful directed by Melville Shyer, who made some 150 films as an assistant director. Mr Shyer handles this assignment with more than routine competence, even using track shots effectively on occasion. True, he is slightly let down by obviously sparse set dressing, and lackluster silent hero, John Harron, soon demonstrates why he quickly went down the ladder to playing uncredited bits. But super-svelte Phyllis Barrington (in her last of twelve movies) makes an engaging heroine and the support cast is filled out by tip-top people like John Elliott, Symona Boniface, Joe Girard and Donald Kerr, plus two wonderful shimmy dancers and other rakish sideshow denizens. Once the action moves away from the carny setting, alas, the plot becomes less interesting. All told, however, by producer Willis Kent's rock-bottom standards, Murder in the Museum stands as a classy production.