Mystery Liner (1934)

Police try to solve a murder on board an ocean liner.

Director:

William Nigh

Writers:

Wellyn Totman, Edgar Wallace (novel)

Stars:

Noah Beery, Astrid Allwyn, Edwin Maxwell

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Noah Beery	...	Capt. John Holling
Astrid Allwyn	...	Lila Kane
Edwin Maxwell	...	Major Pope
Gustav von Seyffertitz	...	Inspector Von Kessling
Ralph Lewis	...	Prof. Grimson
Cornelius Keefe	...	First Officer Cliff Rogers
Zeffie Tilbury	...	Granny Plimpton
Boothe Howard	...	Capt. Downey
Howard C. Hickman	...	Dr. Howard (as Howard Hickman)
Jerry Stewart	...	Edgar Morton
George 'Gabby' Hayes	...	Joe, the watchman (as George Hayes)
George Cleveland	...	Simms the Steward
John M. Sullivan	...	Watson (as John Maurice Sullivan)

Storyline

Captain Holling is relieved of command of his ship after he suffers a nervous breakdown. His replacement, Captain Downey, takes over the liner just as it is about to be used for an experiment in remote control. Professor Grimson has devised a system for controlling the ship from a laboratory on land. But as Grimson demonstrates the system and the special component that makes it work, a rival group is listening in, hoping to use the device for its own purposes. Shortly after the demonstration, the professor is attacked and fatally injured. Major Pope comes on board to investigate the attack, and he decides to come along on the planned trip. Soon the ship is full of passengers and crew--and at least two of the ship's occupants are really enemy agents.

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Plot Keywords:

ocean liner | nervous breakdown | remote control | poverty row film | foreign agent | 

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Taglines:

Baffling Crimes In A Sea Of Mystery!

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Genres:

Adventure | Mystery

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 March 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Ghost of John Holling

Company Credits

Production Co:

Monogram Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

62 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Prof. Grimson: The - ah - tube controls the energy, which will operate it by radio.
First Officer Cliff Rogers: It's uncanny, Professor.
Prof. Grimson: It's... science.

User Reviews

Intriguing story idea lacks punch, leaves audience as confused as passengers

On board this ritzy passenger liner, the ship's control room communicates with a roomful of scientists on shore using a cool two-way Etch-a-sketch style device: You scrawl out your message on a picture screen, and at the other end they see your handwritten message appear just as you wrote it. Pretty neat! Unfortunately, that's probably the most interesting thing about the whole movie.

This B suspense picture features a broad array of standard characters—embattled veteran captain with mysterious health issues (Noah Beery), all-business doctor, pretty blond nurse (Astrid Allwyn) who is being pursued by a rival pair of ship's officers, a firecracker of an old lady who wants to party, a tall and thin mystery traveler (Gustav von Seyffertitz), and a military man (Edwin Maxwell) who quickly appoints himself chief investigator when mysterious events kick in.

The mystery centers around a high tech invention called S-505, which is apparently a tube that will enable a ship to be steered and controlled remotely. The invention is ready to be tested—but look out! because a sinister foreign power is very interested in the device and may have spies aboard.

It all adds up to intrigue, deceit, and even murder….but alas, the actors and plot are sadly defeated by slow pacing, obvious dialog, and just a generally muddled presentation of the whole story. Too bad, because there is a nifty story buried in there somewhere.