Dressed to Kill (1941)

Director:

Eugene Forde

Writers:

Stanley Rauh (screen play) and
Manning O'Connor (screen play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

8 August 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery

Plot:

Detective Michael Shayne and his girlfriend Joanne leave a marriage bureau when shots fired in a nearby theatre draw his attention to a string of theatrical murders. |

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Michael Shayne | Theatre | Siren | Newsboy

Cast

Lloyd Nolan	...	Michael Shayne
Mary Beth Hughes	...	Joanne La Marr
Sheila Ryan	...	Connie Earle
William Demarest	...	Inspector Pierson
Ben Carter	...	Sam
Virginia Brissac	...	Lynne Evans, alias Emily the Maid
Erwin Kalser	...	Carlo Ralph, alias Otto Kuhn
Henry Daniell	...	Julian Davis
Dick Rich	...	Al, a detective
Milton Parsons	...	Max Allaron
Charles Arnt	...	Hal Brennon
Charles Trowbridge	...	David Earle
Hamilton MacFadden	...	Reporter
May Beatty	...	Phyllis Lathrop
Charles C. Wilson	...	Editor (as Charles Wilson)
Mantan Moreland	...	Rusty (as Manton Moreland)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Strange	...	Joe's Assistant (scenes deleted)
William 'Billy' Benedict	...	Telegram Boy (uncredited)
Don Brodie	...	Tipster (uncredited)
John Butler	...	Clerk in Clothing Store (uncredited)
Kernan Cripps	...	Police Sergeant (uncredited)
John Dilson	...	Coroner (uncredited)
Otto Han	...	Fujimoto, the houseboy (uncredited)
Tom Monk	...	Louis Lathrop's Corpse (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	The Joker (uncredited)
Lee Murray	...	Paperboy (uncredited)
Spec O'Donnell	...	Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Nestor Paiva	...	Jack, theater manager (uncredited)
Catherine Price	...	Desiree Vance's Corpse (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan	...	Policeman Jasper (uncredited)
Harry Tyler	...	Stage Manager (uncredited)
Minerva Urecal	...	Landlady (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan	...	Smiley Joe Bishop (uncredited)

Directed by
Eugene Forde

Writing credits
Stanley Rauh		(screen play) and
Manning O'Connor		(screen play)
Richard Burke		(novel "The Dead Take No Bows")
Brett Halliday		(character created by)

Produced by
Sol M. Wurtzel	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Cyril J. Mockridge

Cinematography by
Glen MacWilliams		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Fred Allen

Art Direction by
Richard Day
Joseph C. Wright

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Herschel McCoy		(as Herschel)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sam Schneider	....	assistant director (as Samuel Schneider)

Sound Department
Eugene Grossman	....	sound
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound

Music Department
Emil Newman	....	musical director
Gene Rose	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1941) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (Canada) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Nostalgia Collectibles (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Nostalgia Collectibles (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• Teakwood Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

74 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Sweden:15 | USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Mike enters the dining room to look for clues, the dead woman blinks. Her eye can just be seen through the candle holder when she blinks.

Quotes:

[Mike is a customer at a men's clothing store]
Smiley Joe Bishop:It fits you like a glove!
Michael Shayne:It should fit me like a suit.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Time to Kill (1942)

Average Whodunit

Despite some notable features, this programmer fails to rise above standard detective shows of the time. Nonetheless, the opening scene is a hoot, as a double-breasted Shayne (Nolan) gets harassed by an aggressive clothing salesman. In fact, Nolan's the best thing about the film. His fast-talking brash personality holds a center of attention. I'm just sorry we don't see more of Mary Beth Hughes whose brassy personality is a perfect foil for her meandering fiancée, Shayne. Then there're two exotics from the period—creepy Milton Parsons (Max) in a beard no less, plus snooty Henry Daniell (Julian) getting sympathetic treatment for a change.

That initial murder scene remains a grabber. The dog's head plopped onto one of the corpses is like nothing I've seen and shows real imagination. The trouble, for me at least, is that the whodunit part never really gels, despite clever touches with the murder weapon. At the same time, the pacing is uneven, better suited at times to character study than to plot. There's also the standard dumb cop humor, plus Mantan Moreland doing his familiar bug-eyed comedic bit.

All in all, it's an unexceptional entry, mainly for fans of Nolan, myself included.