Movie Cosmos - Calling Philo Vance

Description:

Philo is in Vienna working for the US Government to see if Archer Coe is selling aircraft designs to foreign powers. He grabs the plans with Archer's signature, but is captured by police before he can escape. Deported he comes back to America and plans to confront Archer, but Archer is found dead in his locked bedroom with a gun in his hand. While it looks like a suicide, Vance knows better and the coroner finds that Archer has been shot, hit with a blunt instrument and stabbed - making suicide unlikely. But Vance is on the case and is looking to see if government secrets have been sold and who has murdered Coe. This is a remake of "The Kennel Murder Case" using aircraft designs and espionage instead of Chinese porcelain and dog shows.

Top Cast >

James Stephenson

As Philo Vance

Margot Stevenson

As Hilda Lake

Henry O'Neill

As Markham

Edward Brophy

As Ryan

Sheila Bromley

As Doris Delafield

Ralph Forbes

As Tom McDonald

Donald Douglas

As Philip Wrede

Martin Kosleck

As Gamble

Jimmy Conlin

As Dr. Doremus - Coroner

Edward Raquello

As Eduardo Grassi

Creighton Hale

As Du Bois - Fingerprint Man

Harry Strang

As Hennessey - Markham's Assistant

Richard Kipling

As Archer Coe

Wedgwood Nowell

As Brisbane Coe

Bo Ling

As Ling Toy

Terry

As MacTavish (uncredited)

Herbert Anderson

As First Reporter (uncredited)

Henry Blair

As Hans Snauble (uncredited)

Egon Brecher

As Austrian Judge (uncredited)

Harry Burns

As Capt. Lugo (uncredited)

Yakima Canutt

As Sorrento Sailor (uncredited)

Nat Carr

As 2nd Photographer (uncredited)

Glen Cavender

As Train Porter Asked to Send Telegram (uncredited)

Loia Cheaney

As Markham's Secretary (uncredited)

Frederick Giermann

As Austrian Sergeant (uncredited)

Eddie Graham

As Coroner's Assistant (uncredited)

John Harron

As Third Reporter (uncredited)

Stuart Holmes

As Hertz (uncredited)

William Hopper

As Clerk at Hotel Nino in Chicago (uncredited)

Olaf Hytten

As Charles (uncredited)

George Irving

As Avery (uncredited)

Marion Lessing

As Mrs. Fritz Snauble (uncredited)

Rolf Lindau

As Aeronautics Department Sentry (uncredited)

Frank Mayo

As Doorman (uncredited)

George Reeves

As Steamship Clerk (uncredited)

John J. Richardson

As 4h Reporter (uncredited)

Cliff Saum

As Investigator Snitken (uncredited)

Hans Schumm

As Nazi Officer at Dock (uncredited)

Frank Wilcox

As 2nd Reporter (uncredited)

Jack Wise

As 1st Photographer (uncredited)

Maris Wrixon

As Long-Distance Operator (uncredited)

Henry Zynda

As Austrian Lieutenant (uncredited)

Top Crew >

William Clemens

Director

Reviews:

CinemaSerf (6/10)

This is an adequate afternoon B-feature that probably served more as a warning against fifth-columnists than it actually entertained anyone. It all centres around attempts by the Axis powers to obtain access to the designs of "Archer Coe" (the briefest of appearances from Richard Kipling). Now he has an exclusive arrangement with the Americans so when he is found murdered, it falls to the wily, suspicions and tenacious "Vance" (James Stephenson) to find out who the killers were and on whose malevolent behalf they were working? Did they manage to steal his secret plans? Now this is just a substantial reworking of "The Kennel Murder Case" (1933) - even down to whopping great chunks of the script being transferred, albeit updated, to allow for it's WWII scenario. Although all pretty lightweight and devoid of any real sense of jeopardy, Stephenson is actually quite engaging and there is a decent supporting effort from Edward Trophy ("Ryan") delivering some fun to this rather dry, procedural, crime drama. It's only an hour, and if you like the genre then there isn't really anything not to like - or memorable - about this.

2023-04-01