THE KING MURDER

US, 1932, 67 minutes, Black-and-white.
Conway Tearle, Natalie Moorhead, Marceline Day, Dorothy Revier, Don Alvarado, Huntley Gordon, Maurice Black.
Directed by Richard Thorpe.

There is no major reason – or, even, minor reason - to see this small-budget, Poverty Row supporting feature from early 1932, rather creaky in its film style, dialogue that is conventional.

The plot concerns a scheming woman who blackmails rich men and who is murdered. There is some complication in the number of people who can be suspects – as well as the confession of the actual murderer and the method that he used.

Actually, the film is based on a true story concerning a Dot King, a blackmailer and victim who was murdered in 1923. Commentators note that the story is also the basis of The Canary Murder Case as well as the 1948 The Naked City.

Richard Thorpe was at the beginning of his career, many small films in the 1930s, bigger budgets in the 1940s and 20 years on some spectaculars like Quentin Durward and The Knights of the Round Table.