.gif)
The Canary Murder Case (film)
Encyclopedia
The Canary Murder Case is a crime
/mystery film
made by Paramount Pictures
, directed by Malcolm St. Clair
and Frank Tuttle
.
The screenplay was written by S.S. Van Dine (as Willard Huntington Wright), Albert S. Le Vino and Florence Ryerson, based on novel The Canary Murder Case
by S.S. Van Dine.
It was the first film in the series of Philo Vance
films adapted from the novels, starring William Powell
as Philo Vance, Louise Brooks
as the Canary and Jean Arthur
.
This film became notorious as the film where Brooks—having left for Germany to make two films for director G. W. Pabst -- refused to return to the U.S. to dub her dialogue for the sound version. Paramount Pictures
had already tried to strong-arm Brooks after the film was made, because her option was up as they weren't going to give her a pay raise and offered her to stay on at the studio for the same weekly salary, of which she refused. So in effect, the contract was mutually terminated. When leaving the USA, she was under no contractual obligation to her former employer. Months later with the phenomenon of sound coming into vogue, Paramount decided to re-shoot some scenes with dialogue to release the picture to compete with other studios releasing sound films and cabled Brooks in Berlin demanding that she return, under the threat that if she didn't she would never work in Hollywood again, a threat that didn't faze her as she bluntly replied "Who wants to work in Hollywood?" A considerable amount of money was spent to hire actress Margaret Livingston
to dub the dialogue for Brooks instead where possible as well as re-shoot some scenes with Livingston only in profile or shot from behind.
Crime film
Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
/mystery film
Mystery film
Mystery film is a sub-genre of the more general category of crime film and at times the thriller genre. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of a crime by means of clues, investigation, and clever deduction.The...
made by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, directed by Malcolm St. Clair
Malcolm St. Clair (filmmaker)
Malcolm St. Clair was a Hollywood film director, writer, producer and actor, he was sometimes credited as Mal St Clair. A disciple of Mack Sennett, St. Clair was an actor in many films primarily comedies. At 6'7" he can be seen in such Sennett films as Yankee Doodle in Berlin, towering over the...
and Frank Tuttle
Frank Tuttle
Frank Tuttle was a Hollywood film director and writer who directed films from 1922 to 1959 ....
.
The screenplay was written by S.S. Van Dine (as Willard Huntington Wright), Albert S. Le Vino and Florence Ryerson, based on novel The Canary Murder Case
The Canary Murder Case
The Canary Murder Case is a murder mystery novel which deals with the murders of a sexy nightclub singer known as "the Canary," and eventually, that of her boyfriend, solved by Philo Vance. S. S. Van Dine's classic whodunnit, second in the Philo Vance series, is said by Howard Haycraft to have...
by S.S. Van Dine.
It was the first film in the series of Philo Vance
Philo Vance
Philo Vance featured in 12 crime novels written by S. S. Van Dine , published in the 1920s and 1930s. During that time, Vance was immensely popular in books, movies, and on the radio. He was portrayed as a stylish, even foppish dandy, a New York bon vivant possessing a highly intellectual bent...
films adapted from the novels, starring William Powell
William Powell
William Horatio Powell was an American actor.A major star at MGM, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the popular Thin Man series in which Powell and Loy played Nick and Nora Charles...
as Philo Vance, Louise Brooks
Louise Brooks
Mary Louise Brooks , generally known by her stage name Louise Brooks, was an American dancer, model, showgirl and silent film actress, noted for popularizing the bobbed haircut. Brooks is best known for her three feature roles including two G. W...
as the Canary and Jean Arthur
Jean Arthur
Jean Arthur was an American actress and a major film star of the 1930s and 1940s. She remains arguably the epitome of the female screwball comedy actress. As James Harvey wrote in his recounting of the era, "No one was more closely identified with the screwball comedy than Jean Arthur...
.
This film became notorious as the film where Brooks—having left for Germany to make two films for director G. W. Pabst -- refused to return to the U.S. to dub her dialogue for the sound version. Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
had already tried to strong-arm Brooks after the film was made, because her option was up as they weren't going to give her a pay raise and offered her to stay on at the studio for the same weekly salary, of which she refused. So in effect, the contract was mutually terminated. When leaving the USA, she was under no contractual obligation to her former employer. Months later with the phenomenon of sound coming into vogue, Paramount decided to re-shoot some scenes with dialogue to release the picture to compete with other studios releasing sound films and cabled Brooks in Berlin demanding that she return, under the threat that if she didn't she would never work in Hollywood again, a threat that didn't faze her as she bluntly replied "Who wants to work in Hollywood?" A considerable amount of money was spent to hire actress Margaret Livingston
Margaret Livingston
Margaret Livingston was an American film actress, most notable for her work during the silent film era....
to dub the dialogue for Brooks instead where possible as well as re-shoot some scenes with Livingston only in profile or shot from behind.
Cast
- William PowellWilliam PowellWilliam Horatio Powell was an American actor.A major star at MGM, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the popular Thin Man series in which Powell and Loy played Nick and Nora Charles...
as Philo Vance - Louise BrooksLouise BrooksMary Louise Brooks , generally known by her stage name Louise Brooks, was an American dancer, model, showgirl and silent film actress, noted for popularizing the bobbed haircut. Brooks is best known for her three feature roles including two G. W...
as Margaret Odell (the Canary) - Jean ArthurJean ArthurJean Arthur was an American actress and a major film star of the 1930s and 1940s. She remains arguably the epitome of the female screwball comedy actress. As James Harvey wrote in his recounting of the era, "No one was more closely identified with the screwball comedy than Jean Arthur...
as Alys LaFosse - James HallJames Hall (actor)James Hall was an American film actor. Born James E. Brown in Dallas, Texas, Hall began his film career during the silent film era. He made his sound film debut in the 1929 film The Canary Murder Case, opposite William Powell and Louise Brooks. In 1930, Hall co-starred in Howard Hughes' epic film...
as Jimmy Spotswoode - Charles LaneCharles Lane (actor)Charles Gerstle Levison , better known as Charles Lane, was an American character actor seen in many movies and TV shows, and at the time of his death may have been the oldest living professional American actor. Lane appeared in many Frank Capra films, including You Can't Take It With You , Mr...
as Charless Spotswoode - Eugene PalletteEugene PalletteEugene William Pallette was an American actor. He appeared in over 240 silent era and sound era motion pictures between 1913 and 1946....
as Sgt. Ernest Heath - Gustav von SeyffertitzGustav von SeyffertitzGustav von Seyffertitz was a German film actor and director. He appeared in 118 films between 1917 and 1939.He was born in Haimhausen, Bavaria and died in Los Angeles, California, aged 81.-Selected filmography:...
as Dr. Ambrose Lindquist - Lawrence GrantLawrence GrantPercy Reginald Lawrence-Grant was an English actor known for his supporting roles in films such as The Living Ghost, I'll Tell the World, The Mask of Fu Manchu, and Son of Frankenstein...
as Charles Cleaver - Ned SparksNed SparksNed Sparks was a Canadian character actor. Sparks was well known for his deadpan expression and deep, gravelly voice.-Early life and career:...
as Tony Sheel - Louis John Bartels as Louis Mannix
- E.H. Calvert as Dist. Atty. John F.X. Markham
- Oscar Smith as Stuttering hallboy
- Tim Adair as George Y. Harvey
- Margaret LivingstonMargaret LivingstonMargaret Livingston was an American film actress, most notable for her work during the silent film era....
as Margaret Odell (voice)