A Shot in the Dark (1941)

Homicide detective Bill Ryder reluctantly teams up with wise-cracking news-hound Peter Kennedy to solve a pair of murders.

Director:

William C. McGann

Writers:

Frederick Nebel (story), M. Coates Webster (screenplay)

Stars:

William Lundigan, Nan Wynn, Ricardo Cortez

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Lundigan	...	Peter 'Pete' Kennedy (newspaperman)
Nan Wynn	...	Dixie Waye (torch singer)
Ricardo Cortez	...	Philip 'Phil' Richards (nightclub owner)
Regis Toomey	...	Det. Lt. William 'Bill / Willie' Ryder
Maris Wrixon	...	Helen Armstrong
Lucia Carroll	...	Clare Winters
Donald Douglas	...	Roger Armstrong
Noel Madison	...	Al Martin (bodyguard)
John Gallaudet	...	Jake Schaffer
Frank Wilcox	...	Lt. Cmdr. Darling
Theodore von Eltz	...	George Kilpatrick (as Theodore Von Eltz)
Lee Phelps	...	Police Sgt. Blaney
Frank M. Thomas	...	Det. Lt. Klein
Emory Parnell	...	Det. Marsotti
Garrett Craig	...	Officer Connors

Storyline

Phil Richards is selling his nightclub to an out-of-town buyer, and the local mob express this dissatisfaction with the arrangement. When the buyer arrives in town, he is shot and killed. Richards' friends, homicide detective Bill Ryder and nosy newspaperman Peter Kennedy, work on the case.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | nightclub | brother sister relationship | jealousy | socialite | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 April 1941 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

57 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Smart Blonde (1937)

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Soundtracks

"For You"
(1930)
Music by Joseph Burke
Lyrics by Al Dubin
Sung by Nan Wynn at the nightclub

User Reviews

Nimble, enjoyable comedy-mystery. Nan Wynn a delight!

Typical, unpretentious Warner Bros. 'B' programmer. A brash reporter and a dour homicide cop investigate the murder of a nightclub owner. The film zips along at such whiplash speed (running time a mere 57 minutes)that you may well lose track of the complicated plot. No matter. William Lundigan is lively and likeable as the newsman, and, as a special bonus, this is one of the few films featuring the delectable Nan Wynn (best-known for her luscious dubbing of most of Rita Hayworth's musicals). Wynn is a fetching delight in the female lead as a nightclub singer, and sings three songs with style to spare. Why Nan Wynn didn't become a musical movie star in her own right (instead of being Rita Hayworth's 'Marni Nixon') and why Lundigan never joined the 'A' list of leading men are unanswered questions more mystifying than anything in the plot of "A Shot in the Dark."