Detective Michael Shayne and his girlfriend Joanne are on their way to be married when a scream from a nearby hotel room draws his attention to a pair of theatrical murders, the victims dressed up in fancy costumes. Knowing that he can make a pretty good stack of dough off of this case, especially since the hotel wants to keep the crime quiet ("Tell them not to bring the bodies through the lobby!"), Shayne takes on the case. He's willing to put love on hold to get a mystery solved.
Lloyd Nolan is likeable and very much on the ball as Michael Shayne, a private investigator who solves a bizarre case but also makes a bit of money on the side. He's quick on the mark as well as with his wits, but its William Demerest as the not-so smart inspective who steals the scene with his one liners. It's a fun mystery with some screwball humour, good production values, a really cool theatre with plenty of doors in which the killer could enter and an interesting cast of suspects and a very odd murder. Solid mystery.
Lloyd Nolan is likeable and very much on the ball as Michael Shayne, a private investigator who solves a bizarre case but also makes a bit of money on the side. He's quick on the mark as well as with his wits, but its William Demerest as the not-so smart inspective who steals the scene with his one liners. It's a fun mystery with some screwball humour, good production values, a really cool theatre with plenty of doors in which the killer could enter and an interesting cast of suspects and a very odd murder. Solid mystery.