CURTAIN AT EIGHT

US, 1933, 68 minutes, Black-and-white.
C. Aubrey Smith, Dorothy Mc Hale, Paul Cavanagh, Sam Hardy, Marion Shilling, Russell Hopton, Natalie Morehead.
Directed by E.Mason Hopper.

This is a so-so murder mystery from the early 1930s. Very much a be-budget supporting feature. There is a theatre setting – with some scenes from a play. However, the focus is on the actors, a Kaddish actor played by Paul Kavanagh, promising starring role is to aspiring actresses, allegedly separated from his wife who actually act as his secretary. There is a birthday celebration on stage after a performance, lights go out, the actor is killed. There are certainly plenty of suspects.

There is something different in this one sense – that there is a monkey backstage who gets a lot of camera attention, plays with guns, interacts with various of the characters, especially with his hostile and irritable trainer. Did the monkey do it.

There is an aspiring actress, her sister, her father who does not want her to go off with the actor, there is also a jealous actress.

There are two investigators. Sam Hardy overacts as a self-inflated Detective who shifts with each suggestion as to the culprit but is eager to take every credit for himself. C.cavalry Smith, the British veteran for so many years in Hollywood plays the Detective who is far more sympathetic, understanding, works out what happened, even excuses the young actress who kills the actor with “the monkey did it�.

The main curiosity aspect is seeing C. Aubrey Smith in a leading role and, trying to put aside his British accent with some American intonations and using some American slang (which is not quite credible coming from him).