Crime Club

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Crime Club
Topic Started: Sep 24 2007, 02:32 PM (1,031 Views)
mort bakaprevski	Sep 24 2007, 02:32 PM Post #1
Soony Roony! Posts: 1,428 Group: Members Member #73 Joined: January 1, 2006	During the late thirties (37-39) a semi-independent company, releasing thru Universal, produced a number of Crime Club features. I pulled the following off IMDB. There may be some missing and some of these may not truly belong to the group. 1. The Witness Vanishes 2. Inside Information 3. Mystery of the White Room 4. Gambling Ship 5. The Last Warning 6. The Last Express 7. Danger on the Air 8. The Lady in the Morgue 9. The Black Doll 10. The Westland Case Anyhoo, I saw the two Donald Woods films (The Black Doll & Danger on the Air) and two of the three Preston Foster/Frank Jenks flicks (Lady in the Morgue & don’t remember the other) when I was a kid & really enjoyed them immensely. Now my sensibilities have obviously changed as an adult & I may no longer view these as affectionately as I did then (although I’m pretty sure I would still like the Foster/Jenks outings as they established a good rapport together & had some pretty good lines). Trouble is, I can’t find them anywhere. Anyone know a good source. Oh yeah, I’d also like to get my hands on a DVD of SLIGHTLY HONORABLE, another good mystery, with Pat O’Brien!!
	“You’ve got to take the bitter with the sour.”


riddlerider	Sep 24 2007, 09:26 PM Post #2
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 795 Group: Members Member #68 Joined: November 26, 2005	A little more info for you, Mort.... The history of this series has been misreported in various sources, including the AFI Catalog of Thirties films. It was produced by Irving Starr (with an uncredited assist from Matty Fox) under the auspices of Crime Club Productions, Inc., releasing through Universal as you mentioned. Each film was based on a popular mystery novel that had been published in hardcover under Doubleday's Crime Club imprint. You could buy Crime Club books at bookstores or get them in the mail as a subscriber. Beginning in 1928, Crime Club released four books per month. One book each month was designated the "Crime Club Selection," and that book was automatically sent to subscribers. Just like the Book of the Month club. Numerous Crime Club books were made into movies before the Universal series: MURDER BY THE CLOCK (1931 Paramount), THE MYSTERY OF MR. X (1934 M-G-M), and WHILE THE PATIENT SLEPT (Warners 1935) were all adapted from best-selling Crime Club novels. The '30s Saint novels were all published by Crime Club, as were many Bulldog Drummond and Fu Manchu novels. Reportedly, Universal licensed the rights to the novels but farmed out production of the movies to Starr, who brought them in on a cost-plus basis and was given access to Universal's salaried technicians and contract players, to keep production costs down. There were eight films in the series, four released in the 1937-38 season and four in the 1938-39 season. In order of release they were: THE WESTLAND CASE (1937, based on Jonathan Latimer's "Headed for a Hearse") THE BLACK DOLL (1938, based on William Edward Hayes novel of same title) THE LADY IN THE MORGUE (1938, based on Latimer novel of same title) DANGER IN THE AIR (1938, based on "Xantippe" novel, "Death Catches Up with Mr. Kluck") THE LAST EXPRESS (1938, based on Baynard Kendrick novel of same title) THE LAST WARNING (1938, based on Latimer's "The Dead Don't Care") MYSTERY OF THE WHITE ROOM (1939, based on James G. Edwards' "Murder in the Surgery") THE WITNESS VANISHES (1939, based on James Ronald's "They Can't Hang Me") The four 1937-38 pictures were later reissued theatrically by Walter Futter through Astor Pictures. They were also made available to 16mm rental libraries beginning in 1948. On these four there must have been a financial arrangement similar to that of the first six Hopalong Cassidy pictures, which were financed independently and later sold off separate from the later films produced with Paramount money. It's thought (by the few people like me who've ever bothered to research this sort of minutiae) that Matty Fox owned the controlling interest in the first four Crime Clubs, and that he made the deal with Futter. The second group of four remained under Universal control. Most likely they were financed directly by Universal, with Irving Starr producing for a straight salary. When M-G-M bought rights to Baynard Kendrick's novels featuring blind detective Duncan Maclain (two of which the studio made into "B" movies starring Edward Arnold), they got LAST EXPRESS too -- which is why that film has not been seen since its original theatrical release. But LAST WARNING, MYSTERY OF THE WHITE ROOM, and WITNESS VANISHES were all made available to TV in the '50s when Screen Gems syndicated Universal films prior to MCA doing so. The Crime Club pictures were key wants of mine when I was collecting 16mm, and eventually I owned prints of each one -- except LAST EXPRESS, of course. I especially liked the three with Preston Foster and Frank Jenks, and in 1987 I had the pleasure of screening my 16mm print of LAST WARNING for its director, Al Rogell. (Initially he seemed a little uneasy about revisiting it, but after we finished it, he said: "Hey, that wasn't a bad little picture.") GAMBLING SHIP and INSIDE INFORMATION are generally confused for Crime Club pictures because they, too, were produced by Irving Starr for Universal release in the same basic time period. But they were not based on Crime Club novels and don't belong to the series.



mort bakaprevski	Sep 26 2007, 07:27 AM Post #3
Soony Roony! Posts: 1,428 Group: Members Member #73 Joined: January 1, 2006	Thanks for the info. It answers a question which has bugged me for years: why were the 1937 films on L.A. TV in the late forties while the 38’s didn’t surface until Screen Gems released some Universal films to TV much later (56?)? Sadly, the most important question remains unanswered: where can I get my hands on these films? And if riddlerider doesn’t know the answer, I’m afraid my prospects seem pretty dim!!!
	“You’ve got to take the bitter with the sour.”


The B-Man	Sep 26 2007, 02:40 PM Post #4
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 178 Group: Members Member #146 Joined: November 11, 2006	http://www.thomasfilmclassics.com/ Thomas Film Classics on DVD - specializing in rare and classic films on DVD including Blondie & Dagwood, Andy Hardy, Charlie Chan, Andy Hardy, The Saint, The Shadow, Ellery Queen and more. He has some of your movies. Most are in sets but he is easy to work with and would probably make you a set. His name is Dennis and he's a nice guy recently retired. I have dealt with him several times.



mort bakaprevski	Sep 27 2007, 05:08 AM Post #5
Soony Roony! Posts: 1,428 Group: Members Member #73 Joined: January 1, 2006	WOW!! It's got all of 'em except THE LAST EXPRESS (see rr's post above about why it's missing). The funny thing is that he labels the collection "Six Great Tales of Mystery!" Wonder which one is the one he doesn't consider so great???? The bad news (for me) is that they're on DVD-R which my elderly machine has some trouoble with!! :angry:
	“You’ve got to take the bitter with the sour.”


The B-Man	Sep 27 2007, 02:54 PM Post #6
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 178 Group: Members Member #146 Joined: November 11, 2006	Mort Think of it this way. If you are willing over the course of time to spend alot of $$ building up a nice collection why not shell out $ on a decent all region player? The holidays are coming up. You could pick up a NICE player for $150. Basic nice burners can be had for $200 and they play pretty much anything. Well worth it I think.



mort bakaprevski	Sep 29 2007, 08:39 AM Post #7
Soony Roony! Posts: 1,428 Group: Members Member #73 Joined: January 1, 2006	Good idea, Mr. B. Sounds like a great way to insure that I get at least one present I like for my upcoming birthday!!! :rolleyes:
	“You’ve got to take the bitter with the sour.”


Inspector Carr	Sep 29 2007, 06:16 PM Post #8
Charter Member Posts: 2,787 Group: Members Member #48 Joined: September 14, 2005	I have always enjoyed the Black Doll (then again anything with Edgar Kennedy is worth a looksie) as well as "while the Patient slept" I caught it on TCM a while back, beautful print and one of the most interesting things about the film is that the missus and I have the same exact clock on our manelpiece............It was almost like an outer body experience....
	"Reality is for people who can't handle alcohol"


riddlerider	Sep 30 2007, 09:41 AM Post #9
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 795 Group: Members Member #68 Joined: November 26, 2005	Inspector Carr Sep 29 2007, 06:16 PM I have always enjoyed the Black Doll .... I like all the Crime Club pictures, but to me the first group of four (to which BLACK DOLL belongs) is clearly superior to the second group. BLACK DOLL has a lot going for it, including Stanley Cortez's great photography and skillfully interpolated music cues from BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, INVISIBLE RAY, and SUTTER'S GOLD. But what really appeals to me is its offbeat last reel, in which detective Donald Woods reconstructs the crime and interacts with the various suspects while cooking scrambled eggs and fried potatoes for them the morning after the murders. I've always thought that a particularly clever variation on the Charlie Chan-type climax.



Sgt King	Oct 1 2007, 09:09 AM Post #10
Charter Member Posts: 371 Group: Members Member #29 Joined: September 5, 2005	Mort -- After acquiring and viewing these films, why don't you give us some reviews?



mort bakaprevski	Oct 1 2007, 09:35 AM Post #11
Soony Roony! Posts: 1,428 Group: Members Member #73 Joined: January 1, 2006	Quote: ... skillfully interpolated music cues from BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, INVISIBLE RAY, and SUTTER'S GOLD. I remember when I first saw this film... minny years ago. I was channel surfing the old fashioned way: sitting directly in front of the tube & manually twisting the selector. The film was already in progress, but I immediately recognized the cues from the King Features serials on another channel. That hooked me & I had to stay for the remainder. I loved LADY IN THE MORGUE, but was sorely disappointed by the paucity of music utilized . As I recall, the film starts with a furious agitato as stock shots of police cars careen around corners (the cars careen, not the stock shots). A closet is opened & the police lieutenant says, "Cut her down." This command is immediately followed by a harp gliss... and that's it, music-wise, until The End card. Sarge, I still haven't purchased that all-region player, but maybe I'll buy the DVD package today. That ought to motivate me to get going on the player!!!
	“You’ve got to take the bitter with the sour.”


Black Tiger	Oct 8 2007, 12:44 AM Post #12
Charter Member Posts: 1,812 Group: Members Member #50 Joined: September 15, 2005	Recently picked up the Black Doll and am looking forward to it. It's hard to find copies of good B Mysteries these days.



mort bakaprevski	Oct 18 2007, 09:36 PM Post #13
Soony Roony! Posts: 1,428 Group: Members Member #73 Joined: January 1, 2006	Got my Crime Club package late last week & watched them ALL, over the weekend. Picture quality varies. I'd say BLACK DOLL is (predictably) the worst. There are some scenes which were so washed out I had trouble differentiating Nan Grey from Edgar Kennedy (not really, but you get the idea). Overall, I found the quality satisfactory & the films enjoyable. On the other hand, I've been wanting a set like this for decades, so I suppose I'm a little easier to please, in this instance, than others!! However, as another poster on another Board put it, “For gray market titles they're quite acceptable.”
	“You’ve got to take the bitter with the sour.”


mort bakaprevski	Oct 19 2007, 12:42 PM Post #14
Soony Roony! Posts: 1,428 Group: Members Member #73 Joined: January 1, 2006	I always hate recommending films that I liked as a child as I frequently find that I also like them as an adult… but for all the wrong reasons. For instance, I really loved BATMAN & ROBIN as a kid (mostly because of The Wizard). Well, I saw it again as an adult, many decades later, & I found that I still enjoyed the damned thing (again, mostly because of The Wizard). Oh sure, I was now aware of its many faults (some of which I was aware of even when I was a kid), but it didn’t matter. I still got a kick out of it. All of this is a preface to my recommendation of THE BLACK DOLL. I first viewed this back in the days when a Monogram Picture was considered to have been produced by a major film studio as far as TV was concerned. This film was obviously a significant step above that. Well, maybe not significant, but a step above, nonetheless. So, for what it’s worth, here’s my review of the film. It gets off to a rousing start with three different themes from BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN behind the credits. The first actor we see is William Lundigan attempting to rifle his uncle’s desk. The uncle is C. Henry Gordon, and the minute he enters, you just know he’s gonna be offed before the first ½ hour has elapsed. He is!! This is unfortunate, because Gordon was always an evil delight in every scene he was in. On rare occasions, he was cast as a good-guy… but that was just a waste of talent. In this film he plays a man whose wealth is based upon the previous murder of a mine partner. He lives a somewhat isolated life with his “daughter” (Nan Grey), sister (Dora Lloyd), worthless nephew (the aforementioned Lundigan) and his Latino servants (the mine, mentioned above, was in some Latin American country). The first 25 minutes of the film move at very sprightly pace due to two murders, some great rain effects, the oft-seen Universal lightning bolts and almost wall-to-wall music. In addition to the BOF cues mentioned above, I also recognized music from WEREWOLF OF LONDON, REMEMBER LAST NIGHT, DRACULA’S DAUGHTER & THE INVISIBLE RAY. There were at least a couple of others I was familiar with, but have no clue where they came from. And the cues were not used indiscriminately. Charlie Previn (or, more likely, a flunky on his staff) matched the music up very well with the action on the screen. Our hero is Donald Woods & I always liked him. He was from the spunky school, but not (to me) irritating about it. Heroine is Nan Grey and I thought she was the most beautiful (in a Grace Kelly glacier-like way) of all the females Universal had under contract then. And, that includes La Dietrich. Lucky Frankie Laine. (Hmmm, should have practiced my vocalizing more as a youth.) At about minute 26, Edgar Kennedy enters, as the inept sheriff, and things slow down considerably. However, to give the devil his due, he has some funny Spanish translation scenes with the servants: KENNEDY: Are you Steban? SERVANT: I am Esteban. KENNEDY: Never mind the initials. And KENNEDY: So, you got out your toadsticker & carved you initials on his gizzard. SERVANT: Senor, yo no entiendo. KENNEDY: Oh, you didn’t intend to. Well, this is a fine time to think of that, sonny-boy! Ok, so maybe you have to live in SoCal to appreciate the humor. The rest of the film is taken up with Edgar Kennedy’s inept handling of the case, more good rain effects & the ultimate denouement delivered by Mr. Woods in the kitchen as he is preparing breakfast for everyone. The suspects are Gordon’s still living mine partner, the two servants, his sister & the profligate nephew!! And the murderer is… Nahhh, you’ll have to see it. You may be surprised… but I seriously doubt it.
	“You’ve got to take the bitter with the sour.”


riddlerider	Oct 19 2007, 11:34 PM Post #15
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 795 Group: Members Member #68 Joined: November 26, 2005	mort bakaprevski Oct 19 2007, 12:42 PM In addition to the BOF cues mentioned above, I also recognized music from WEREWOLF OF LONDON, REMEMBER LAST NIGHT, DRACULA’S DAUGHTER & THE INVISIBLE RAY. There were at least a couple of others I was familiar with, but have no clue where they came from. For what it's worth, Mort, the cue that underscores the killer's attack on Nan Grey in the rain is from SUTTER'S GOLD, which had yet another Franz Waxman score that Universal pillaged for years.


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