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The Canary Murder Case

  • 1929
  • Passed
  • 1h 22m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
771
YOUR RATING
Louise Brooks in The Canary Murder Case (1929)
CrimeMystery

A beautiful showgirl, nicknamed 'the Canary', is a scheming nightclub singer. Blackmailing is her game and soon ends up dead. But who killed 'the Canary'. All the suspects who knew her had b... Read allA beautiful showgirl, nicknamed 'the Canary', is a scheming nightclub singer. Blackmailing is her game and soon ends up dead. But who killed 'the Canary'. All the suspects who knew her had been used by her. The only witness to the crime was also killed. Only one man, debonair det... Read allA beautiful showgirl, nicknamed 'the Canary', is a scheming nightclub singer. Blackmailing is her game and soon ends up dead. But who killed 'the Canary'. All the suspects who knew her had been used by her. The only witness to the crime was also killed. Only one man, debonair detective, Philo Vance, might be able to figure out who silenced 'the Canary'.

  • Directors
    • Malcolm St. Clair
    • Frank Tuttle
  • Writers
    • S.S. Van Dine
    • Florence Ryerson
    • Albert S. Le Vino
  • Stars
    • William Powell
    • Jean Arthur
    • James Hall
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.9/10
    771
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Malcolm St. Clair
      • Frank Tuttle
    • Writers
      • S.S. Van Dine
      • Florence Ryerson
      • Albert S. Le Vino
    • Stars
      • William Powell
      • Jean Arthur
      • James Hall
    • 27User reviews
    • 17Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Photos33

    "The Canary Murder Case" Louise Brooks
    Louise Brooks in The Canary Murder Case (1929)
    The Canary Murder Case (1929)
    Louise Brooks in The Canary Murder Case (1929)
    Louise Brooks in The Canary Murder Case (1929)
    Louise Brooks in The Canary Murder Case (1929)
    Louise Brooks and Gustav von Seyffertitz in The Canary Murder Case (1929)
    Louise Brooks in The Canary Murder Case (1929)
    Louise Brooks in The Canary Murder Case (1929)
    Louise Brooks in The Canary Murder Case (1929)
    Louise Brooks and Jean Arthur in The Canary Murder Case (1929)
    Louise Brooks and William Powell in The Canary Murder Case (1929)

    Top cast

    Edit
    William Powell
    William Powell
    • Philo Vance
    Jean Arthur
    Jean Arthur
    • Alice LaFosse
    James Hall
    James Hall
    • Jimmy Spottswoode
    Louise Brooks
    Louise Brooks
    • 'The Canary' - Margaret O'Dell
    Charles Lane
    • Charles Spottswoode
    Lawrence Grant
    Lawrence Grant
    • John Cleaver
    Gustav von Seyffertitz
    Gustav von Seyffertitz
    • Dr. Ambrose Lindquist
    E.H. Calvert
    E.H. Calvert
    • Dist. Atty. John F.X. Markham
    • (as Captain E. H. Calvert)
    Eugene Pallette
    Eugene Pallette
    • Sgt. Ernest Heath
    Ned Sparks
    Ned Sparks
    • Tony Skeel
    • (as Ned A. Sparks)
    Louis John Bartels
    Louis John Bartels
    • Louis Mannix
    Tim Adair
    • George Y. Harvey
    • (uncredited)
    Margaret Livingston
    Margaret Livingston
    • Double for Margaret O'Dell
    • (uncredited)
    Oscar Smith
    • Stuttering Hallboy
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • Malcolm St. Clair
      • Frank Tuttle(scenes for talkie version) (uncredited)
    • Writers
      • S.S. Van Dine
      • Florence Ryerson
      • Albert S. Le Vino
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Louise Brooks refusal to dub the movie angered her parent studio, Paramount, and effectively sabotaged her acting career. According to the documentary Louise Brooks: Looking for Lulu (1998), Paramount spread the word that Brooks' voice was not suitable for sound film, although later sound productions made by Brooks proved this to be wrong.
    • Goofs
      In "The Greene Murder Case" (about 29 minutes in) someone mentions reading about "The Canary Murder Case". But, in "The Canary Murder Case" (about 21 minutes in) someone mentions that he hasn't seen Vance since "The Greene Murder Case". The studio may not have been sure which order the movies would be released when the dialog was written. Original writer S. S. Van Dine (true name: Willard Huntington Wright) published the first three Philo Vance novels together in a trilogy before separating them into individual books, which might explain the cross-references between the stories.
    • Quotes

      Jimmy Spottswoode: No other man should ever have you alive!

    • Crazy credits
      Upon its initial release, a message appeared at the end of the film requesting that the audience not reveal to anyone the surprise ending.
    • Connections
      Featured in Arena: Louise Brooks (1986)

    User reviews27

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Early sound effort
    This film typifies the problems the studios were having adapting to sound in 1929. The characters talk and talk and talk and nothing much happens. Being a great Philo Vance fan, I had to purchase this film even though it is a pretty rough transfer to tape and is very stilted in style. The obvious post-dubbing of Louise Brooks' voice is comical since it comes out as a nasal Bronx accent. William Powell, just beginning to develop his persona as a sophisticate, really doesn't stand much of a chance here. However, for historical value, it is worth a try. It is the last film that Brooks made before she went to Germany and her greatest triumphs(Pandora's Box, Diary of a Lost Girl); thus the voice dubbing. The film started out as a silent and was converted to sound....by that time she was in Germany and refused to return to dub her own voice. If you are a Philo Vance buff and can't work your way through this film, see "The Kennel Murder Case" instead.
    helpful•12
    4
    • Bucs1960
    • Oct 24, 2001

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 1929 (Japan)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Midnattsmysteriet
    • Filming locations
      • Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Paramount Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 22 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.20 : 1

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