THE WESTLAND CASE
US, 1937, 61 minutes, Black-and-white.
Preston Foster, Frank Jenks, Carol Hughes, Barbara Pepper, Astrid Alwyn, Clarence Wilson, Theodore Von Eltz, George Meeker, Russell Hicks, Selma Jackson, Ward Bond.
Directed by Christy Cabanne.
This is the first of three murder mysteries featuring Preston Foster and Frank Jenks as a private detective and his wisecracking partner. Preston Foster is fond of a drink, is rather wisecracking, gives no immediate sign that he would be a private detective or skilful at detection, but, he does pick up clues, follows them through and eventually solves the case. Frank Jenks does a lot of the footwork, has an eye for the ladies, is also fond of the wisecrack.
This film was followed by The Lady in the Morgue and The Last Warning.
Some of the performances are up and down in this short feature. Clarence Wilson portrays a lawyer whom one would not think of hiring, small, suspicious -looking, infiltrating and insinuating. He is hired by a prisoner on death row, a rather upright man who worked in finance but has been accused of murdering his wife whom he was about to divorce, and to marry a woman associated with his company. She has been found dead in a locked room, the key on the table, he having the only other key.
The film uses the device of a filmed re-enactment of the crime which serves to inform the audience quickly of who the characters are and what has happened.
There is also a femme fatale character, played by Barbara Pepper, looking like Mae West, sounding like Mae West, mimicking all the manner and style of Mae West. The two detectives are attracted to her – but, so is the small lawyer (and he wins out at the end!).
There are also a number of associates of the imprisoned man, all dealing in finance, also suspicious.
While the private detective doesn’t seem to be doing much in his job, he does work out what happened, flies to Illinois with some photos to find out who actually had bought a gun, framing the imprisoned man. There is a showdown, as usual, but it all happens in the prison with only a few minutes before the time for the prisoner’s execution. The warden has been very supportive for the prisoner, not believing him to be guilty – and, accompanied by the chaplain praying, the prisoner is reprieved and released. (The two detectives expect to meet up with the femme fatale but she turns up and is on the way to Florida with the small lawyer!).
The film was directed by Christy Cabanne one of the most prolific Hollywood directors, working from 1913 to 1948, over 160 entries in the IMDb.
