A SHOT IN THE DARK

US, 1935, 69 minutes, Black and white.
Charles Starrett, Robert Warwick, Edward Van Sloan, Marion Shilling, Helen Jerome Eddie, Doris Lloyd, James Bush.
Directed by Charles Lamont.

This is a typical enough small-budget supporting feature of the mid 1930s, a murder mystery with plenty of suspects and some twists.

We are introduced to Charles Starrett as the hero, in love with the sister of one of the students whom he visits at the University College, meeting up with his father, a distinguished criminologist. The student is then found dead, hanging outside his window but, injected with poison before his death. So, the title doesn’t refer to shots from guns but to guns which fire needles injecting poison.

The police inspector insists on his rank and is assisted by policeman giving the touch of comedy support.

There are various aspects including a professor of music, the mother of the dead man and the revelation that she had had an affair in Paris and borne another son who was given out for adoption. There is also the rather prim chaperone for the young woman – an early suspect because of her manner and behaviour.

There are also some other students who are involved in pursuing the case.

Part of the action takes place in an old deserted house, no lights, the revelation of the second son and his being shot.

Which means and that everybody assembles in a room, the criminologist takes charge and goes through the situation, and does not have to point the finger because as the mother of the two men enters the room she recognises the professor and he her. He is the villain – and there were issues of a large inheritance involved.

Directed Charles Lamont made a number of films like this in the 1930s but, in the 1940s and 50s he directed many Abbott and Costello comedies as well as some of the Ma and Pa Kettle films.