Charles Starrett (Bill Bartlett), Shirley Grey (Lillian Voyne), J. Farrell MacDonald (Captain Ed Kyne), Ruth Hall (Ann Michaels), Dewey Robinson (Sergeant Lorrimer), Maurice Black (Blackie Atwater), Edward Van Sloan (Dr Hawley), Jane Keckley (Hilda Lund), Richard Catlett (Wilson, the fraternity house manager), Harrison Greene (Brock), Henry Hall (Bailey), Al Bridge (Grimes, the news editor), Harry Bowen (Spud), Jack Cheatham (policeman).
Director: RICHARD THORPE. Screenplay: Andrew Moses. Based on the 1933 novel The Campanile Murders by Whitman Chambers. Photography: M.A. Andersen. Film editor: Not credited, though he would have had little to do as Thorpe virtually edited the film in the camera. Art director: Edward C. Jewell. Music director: Abe Meyer. Assistant director: Melville Shyer. Sound recording: L.E. Clark, Pete Clark. RCA Victor Sound System. Producer: George R. Batcheller. Filmed at Universal Studios.
Copyright 6 January 1934 by Chesterfield Motion Pictures Company. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 27 December 1934. U.K. release: 1 September 1934. 7 reels. 73 minutes.
U.K. release title: ON THE STROKE OF NINE.
SYNOPSIS: A reporter solves the mystery of a seemingly impossible murder.
COMMENT: One of Chesterfield's best films, this engaging mystery suspenser has been directed with a sure hand by Richard Thorpe, who even takes advantage of the many sets on offer at Universal by using tracking shots yet!
The screenplay holds the interest right through. Although the solution to the mystery is fairly simple, it certainly stumped me!
The cast is pretty appealing too. Charles Starrett doesn't put a foot wrong, whilst Shirley Grey garners plenty of sympathy as the wrongly accused heroine. Ruth Hall (from Miss Pinkerton) is on call too.
J. Farrell MacDonald can play this sort of part with considerable assurance (and does!), and it's always good to see Edward Van Sloan in a sizable role.
Director: RICHARD THORPE. Screenplay: Andrew Moses. Based on the 1933 novel The Campanile Murders by Whitman Chambers. Photography: M.A. Andersen. Film editor: Not credited, though he would have had little to do as Thorpe virtually edited the film in the camera. Art director: Edward C. Jewell. Music director: Abe Meyer. Assistant director: Melville Shyer. Sound recording: L.E. Clark, Pete Clark. RCA Victor Sound System. Producer: George R. Batcheller. Filmed at Universal Studios.
Copyright 6 January 1934 by Chesterfield Motion Pictures Company. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 27 December 1934. U.K. release: 1 September 1934. 7 reels. 73 minutes.
U.K. release title: ON THE STROKE OF NINE.
SYNOPSIS: A reporter solves the mystery of a seemingly impossible murder.
COMMENT: One of Chesterfield's best films, this engaging mystery suspenser has been directed with a sure hand by Richard Thorpe, who even takes advantage of the many sets on offer at Universal by using tracking shots yet!
The screenplay holds the interest right through. Although the solution to the mystery is fairly simple, it certainly stumped me!
The cast is pretty appealing too. Charles Starrett doesn't put a foot wrong, whilst Shirley Grey garners plenty of sympathy as the wrongly accused heroine. Ruth Hall (from Miss Pinkerton) is on call too.
J. Farrell MacDonald can play this sort of part with considerable assurance (and does!), and it's always good to see Edward Van Sloan in a sizable role.