The Greene Murder Case **** (1929, William Powell, Florence Eldredge, Ullrich Haupt, Jean Arthur, Eugene Pallette, E H Calvert) – Classic Movie Review 11,313

‘PHILO VANCE Solves Another Sensational Mystery!’

Director Frank Tuttle’s 1929 mystery thriller talking picture The Greene Murder Case is produced and released by Paramount Pictures and stars William Powell in his second appearance (of four) as debonair detective Philo Vance, Florence Eldredge, Ullrich Haupt, Jean Arthur, Eugene Pallette and E H Calvert.

A perfectly smooth William Powell scores a major success in this still entertaining, early sound Philo Vance mystery, based on the novel The Greene Murder Case by S S Van Dine, with Powell ideally cast as gentleman smooth sleuth Philo.

The smashing cast includes Arthur as the young female lead Ada Greene, Pallette as the police sergeant Ernest Heath and Calvert as the district attorney John F X Markham.

Powell’s Philo Vance is helping out his less-clever buddies Pallette and Calvert in the baffling case of a killer who is wiping out the rich New York Greene family, presumably to inherit the clan’s wealth.

This well-made movie is eerie and tense throughout and, though held back by its dawn-of-sound film-making, is a treasurable antique, and it doesn’t matter that it is clear who the killer is far too early on.

The hit novel by S S Van Dine (Willard Huntington Wright) was published only the previous year.

The cast are William Powell as Philo Vance, Florence Eldridge as Sibella Greene, Ullrich Haupt as Dr Arthur Von Blon, Jean Arthur as Ada Greene, Eugene Pallette as Sgt Ernest Heath, E. H. Calvert as District Attorney John F X Markham, Gertrude Norman as Mrs. Tobias Greene, Lowell Drew as Chester Greene, Morgan Farley as Rex Greene, Brandon Hurst as Sproot, Augusta Burmeister as Mrs. Gertrude Mannheim, Marcia Harris as Hemming, Mildred Golden, Helena Phillips, Shep Camp, Charles E Evans, Veda Buckland, and Harry Strange.

It was remade in 1937 by E A Dupont as Night of Mystery with a much less successful Grant Richards as Philo Vance.

It follows The Canary Murder Case (1929) with Powell.

It is followed by The Bishop Murder Case (1929) with Basil Rathbone, The Benson Murder Case (1930) with Powell, The Kennel Murder Case (1933) with Powell, and The Dragon Murder Case (1934) with Warren William.

The Greene Murder Case is available for free download at the Internet Archive:

https://archive.org/details/THEHOUSEOFFEARVideoQualityUpgrade

The Greene Murder Case is directed by Frank Tuttle, is made by Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation, is released by Paramount Pictures (1929) (US), runs 69 minutes, is written by Bartlett Cormack (dialogue), Richard H Digges Jr (intertitles, silent version) and Louise Long (screenplay), based on the novel The Greene Murder Case by S S Van Dine, is shot in black and white by Henry W Gerrard and scored by Karl Hajos.

William Powell and Jean Arthur starred together in another murder mystery movie, The Ex-Mrs Bradford (1936), with Powell as a different detective.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,313

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