The Crimson Canary (1945)

Members of a Jazz Band come under suspicion when a beautiful nightclub singer is murdered.

Director:

John Hoffman

Writers:

Peggy Phillips (screenplay), Henry Blankfort (screenplay),

Stars:

Noah Beery Jr., Lois Collier, John Litel

Cast

Cast overview:
Noah Beery Jr.	...	Danny Brooks
Lois Collier	...	Jean Walker
John Litel	...	Roger Quinn
Steven Geray	...	Vic Miller
Claudia Drake	...	Anita Lane
Danny Morton	...	Johnny
Jimmie Dodd	...	Chuck (as James Dodd)
Steve Brodie	...	Hillary
John Kellogg	...	Keys
Arthur Space	...	Detective Carlyle
Josh White	...	Josh White
Esquire All-American Band Winners	...	The Esquire All-American Band
Coleman Hawkins	...	Coleman Hawkins
Oscar Pettiford	...	Oscar Pettiford

Storyline

Members of a Jazz Band come under suspicion when a beautiful nightclub singer is murdered.

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Plot Keywords:

murder

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Taglines:

MELODY MURDER! (original print ad-all caps)

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Genres:

Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 November 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hear That Trumpet Talk

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

64 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Henry Blankfort testified at a 9/18/51 HUAC hearing during the McCarthy "Red Scare" period, he was "belligerent and strident" (according to The Hollywood Reporter) and, when mentioning this film, wryly pointed out that the title had nothing to do with politics.

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Soundtracks

"Hollywood Stampede"
(uncredited)
Music by Coleman Hawkins

User Reviews

Seen on Pittsburgh's CHILLER THEATER in 1977

1945's "The Crimson Canary" was a Universal mystery with a twist, the main suspects are jazz musicians, allowing for about 20 minutes of music to detract from the investigation. Noah Beery Jr. heads the cast as the trumpet playing bandleader, who discovers the body of their flirtatious singer (Claudia Drake), dead from a fractured skull, in the same back room as her unconscious fiancée, the group's drummer. With a young Mel Torme dubbing the drums, the music holds more intrigue than the whodunit angle (the killer's identity is hardly a surprise), but John Litel steals it as the detective with a fine ear. This film aired twice on Pittsburgh's CHILLER THEATER, although it was never included in Universal's popular SHOCK! package of classic horror films first issued to television in the late 50's, which still featured a number of non horror titles. Also shown on CHILLER THEATER was another whodunit with music, 1944's "Murder in the Blue Room" (also with John Litel), but at least that one featured an actual ghost, albeit a comic one. Other non SHOCK! Universals to air on CHILLER THEATER included 1934's "The Crosby Case," "The Man Who Reclaimed His Head," and "Rendezvous at Midnight," 1938's "The Black Doll," "The Crime of Doctor Hallet," and "The Missing Guest," 1939's "The House of Fear," 1940's "The Invisible Woman," 1941's "The Black Cat," 1942's "Invisible Agent," and 1944's "Jungle Woman."