Review of Philo Vance's Secret Mission

I like both of Alan Curtis's 1947 PRC films as detective Philo Vance. Curtis has the perfect combination of charm and toughness needed by a 1940's b-movie detective, and I wish he had made more films as Vance. This one involves Vance and his comic sidekick, played by PRC regular Frank Jenks, investigating a missing person presumed dead who was involved with a pulp-crime-fiction publishing company. Like any good murder mystery, there are a number of suspects and people who are not what they seem to be, as well as a local police inspector who is also looking into the case. Vance also has a lovely lady, an employee at the company, whom he befriends and flirts with/argues with for the course of the film. The resolution to the case is unexpected--at least to me it was!--and I would think that most viewers will be led down some false trails along the way, right up until the "The End" card comes on the screen. PRC detective films are often not-too-well written, relying more on atmosphere and clever quips than good story construction and thoughtful placement of clues, but this film holds up to multiple viewings, and once again it needs to be said that Curtis is an excellent detective. The other Alan Curtis-Philo Vance film is fine too, and I'll try to review it in the near future.