Ellery Queen, Master Detective *** (1940, Ralph Bellamy, Margaret Lindsay, Charley Grapewin, James Burke, Michael Whalen, Marsha Hunt) – Classic Movie Review 10,501

Director Kurt Neumann’s entertaining 1940 crime thriller Ellery Queen, Master Detective stars Ralph Bellamy as Ellery Queen, Margaret Lindsay as Nikki Porter, and Charley Grapewin as Inspector Queen, and is very loosely based on the story The Door Between by Ellery Queen [Frederic Dannay and Manfred Lee].

Bellamy takes over for the first of the Larry Darmour Productions/ Columbia Pictures series of seven Ellery Queen mysteries, in which the debonair detective and crime novelist becomes a delightful detective as he probes a suspicious death at a rich health resort, after the owner finds out from his doctor that he is terminally ill and immediately changes his will.

The cast is first rate, with Bellamy giving a classy performance, and the mystery, production and handling are commendably strong. It is short and pacey, with Neumann’s direction brisk and nimble.

Also in the cast are series regular James Burke as Sergeant Velie, Michael Whalen as Dr James Rogers, Marsha Hunt as Barbara Braun, Fred Niblo as John Braun, Charles Lane as Dr Prouty, Ann Shoemaker as Lydia Braun, Marion Martin as Cornelia, Douglas Fowley as Rocky Taylor, Morgan Wallace as Zachary, Byron Foulger as Amos, Katherine DeMille as Valerie Norris, Jack Cheatham, Frank O’Connor, Lee Phelps, and Jack Rice.

Alan Ladd is supposed to have an uncredited appearance as an Elevator Passenger but this is unconfirmed.

The film was released on 30 November 1940 by Columbia Pictures.

It follows The Spanish Cape Mystery (1935) with Donald Cook and The Mandarin Mystery (1936) with Eddie Quillan.

It is followed by Ellery Queen’s Penthouse Mystery (1941) with the same stars. Bellamy made four films till William Gargan took over in 1942 with A Close Call for Ellery Queen, the first of the three final series entries from Larry Darmour Productions, releasing through Columbia Pictures.

Ellery Queen, Master Detective is directed by Kurt Neumann, runs 69 minutes, is made by Larry Darmour Productions, is released by Columbia, is written by Eric Taylor, based on the story The Door Between by Ellery Queen [Frederic Dannay and Manfred Lee], is shot in black and white by James S Brown Jr, is produced by Larry Darmour and is scored by Lee Zahler.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,501

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