Edna May Oliver and James Gleason were perpetual supporting players teamed as leads in a series of mysteries. Oliver is wonderful as a vinegary schoolteacher with a nose for murder, and her banter with detective Gleason is terrific.
The problem with this film is that it's two strong leads and some good dialogue in a story that makes less and less sense.
The beginning is solid, as a man is murdered on an airplane, resulting in a small pool of murder suspects. Oliver looks for clues and makes deductions while Gleason pretty much arbitrarily suspects people and then is embarrassed when proof comes he was on the wrong track.
Unfortunately Gleason's random suspect shtick gets wearying, and the solution to the crime is convoluted and unlikely, with some notable loose ends.
It's still worth watching just for Oliver, but it's not really a very good movie overall.
The problem with this film is that it's two strong leads and some good dialogue in a story that makes less and less sense.
The beginning is solid, as a man is murdered on an airplane, resulting in a small pool of murder suspects. Oliver looks for clues and makes deductions while Gleason pretty much arbitrarily suspects people and then is embarrassed when proof comes he was on the wrong track.
Unfortunately Gleason's random suspect shtick gets wearying, and the solution to the crime is convoluted and unlikely, with some notable loose ends.
It's still worth watching just for Oliver, but it's not really a very good movie overall.