Philo Vance (William Powell) is on the case of a showgirl named "The Canary" who was murdered in her locked apartment. The suspect list includes a number of men The Canary was blackmailing and all were in the vicinity of her apartment the night she died.
Unfortunately, the backstory behind the making of The Canary Murder Case is much more interesting than the movie. Originally, The Canary Murder Case was to be a silent picture. But at the last minute, the studio decided to turn it into a talkie. Scenes had to be re-shot and lines had to be dubbed. But one of the film's stars, Louise Brooks, refused to participate. The studio hired another woman who resembled Brooks, shot her from the back, and used her voice for some of the worst dubbing I've ever heard. It's really an interesting story. The result of all this effort, however, is a very uneven film that often feels cobbled together.
Getting past the backstory, The Canary Murder Case is dull. It's an early talkie and it shows. They just didn't know how to shot sound. The plot has a reasonably interesting twist near the end, but it is telegraphed so far in advance that it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Watching William Powell in this early Philo Vance effort, it's hard to believe this is the same man who would go on to play the absurdly (and I mean that in a good way) animated Nick Charles. Finally, the final reveal is so poorly shot that it's actually one of the duller moments of the film. What should have been the highlight is anything but.
Overall, a 4/10 from me.
Unfortunately, the backstory behind the making of The Canary Murder Case is much more interesting than the movie. Originally, The Canary Murder Case was to be a silent picture. But at the last minute, the studio decided to turn it into a talkie. Scenes had to be re-shot and lines had to be dubbed. But one of the film's stars, Louise Brooks, refused to participate. The studio hired another woman who resembled Brooks, shot her from the back, and used her voice for some of the worst dubbing I've ever heard. It's really an interesting story. The result of all this effort, however, is a very uneven film that often feels cobbled together.
Getting past the backstory, The Canary Murder Case is dull. It's an early talkie and it shows. They just didn't know how to shot sound. The plot has a reasonably interesting twist near the end, but it is telegraphed so far in advance that it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. Watching William Powell in this early Philo Vance effort, it's hard to believe this is the same man who would go on to play the absurdly (and I mean that in a good way) animated Nick Charles. Finally, the final reveal is so poorly shot that it's actually one of the duller moments of the film. What should have been the highlight is anything but.
Overall, a 4/10 from me.