CALLING PHILO VANCE

US, 1940, 62 minutes, Black and white.
James Stephenson, Margot Stevenson, Henry O’ Neill, Edward Brophy, Sheila Bromley, Ralph Forbes, Donald Douglas, Martin Koslek, Jimmy Conlin.
Directed by William Clemens.

Calling Philo Vance is based on a novel by S.S. Van Dine. It was filmed in 1933 as The Kennel Murder Case with William Powell as Philo Vance. A great number of actors have actually portrayed Philo Vance in the eighteen film versions of the novels. They include Powell, Basil Rathbone, Warren William, Paul Lukas, Wilfrid Hyde-White?, Alan Curtis.

The film echoes the atmosphere of Europe in 1939 when it was filmed, anticipations of war, espionage, selling secrets to foreign powers.

The film has a brief opening introducing Philo Vance, his work in Vienna as he steals some aircraft plans but is caught. He is extradited to the United States where he goes back to the government department, led by Henry O’Neill?, assisted by Edward Brophy in a comedy role, getting all things wrong as he rushes to rash judgments.

The rest of the film is an almost in time investigation of murders, especially of the aircraft designer and his brother. Various interviews are held, clues given, mysteries solved, explanations given. To that extent, it is an interesting if conventional murder mystery.

James Stephenson was a British stage actor who had some character roles in films at Warner Bros in the late 1930s, early 40s. Director William Clemens filmed Nancy Drew stories as well as Falcon stories.

1. Entertainment value of this kind of 1940s B-budget supporting feature? Murder mystery?

2. Warner Bros production values, atmosphere of Vienna, shipboard, the United States? Government headquarters? The mansions where the murders took place? The musical score?

3. The character of Philo Vance: meeting with the man from the American embassy in Vienna, his disguise and cover, stealing the aircraft plans, a man without a country if discovered, the little boy giving him away at the wharf? His being extradited? The newspaper articles – in the original languages, German and Italian, the translations? His return, working for Markham, the tangles with Ryan and his presumptive judgments? The issue of the designer and his selling secrets? Going to the mansion, the discovery of the body, the locked room – and the explanation? The death of the brother? The poker, the dog hairs, the broken model airplane, the dogs? The dagger? The interviews, the discussions of the case, the solution?

4. Markham, the American government, employing Vance, ready to disown him if he were arrested? Ryan, the assistant, the comedy lines? The coroner and his missing his meals, being called in to examine the bodies?

5. Hilda Lake, her dislike of her uncle, the clashes, her love for McDonald?, the attentions of Wrede? Her involvement in the events?

6. Doris, next door, the contact with the Italian air ace? The dog? Her truth, lies? The Italian, meeting him in the restaurant, the interrogation, his clashes with the designer? His being innocent? The revelation with the phone call about the ship bookings?

7. Wrede, assistant to the designer, in love with Hilda? His alibis, seeming innocence, the clash with McDonald?, the truth, the murderer?

8. McDonald?, from England, living next door? The attraction to Hilda? His being a suspect, the final fight, the revelation of the truth?

9. Gamble, the butler, the German spy?

10. Popular ingredients for a 1940s murder mystery in the context of the outbreak of war?