The Canary Murder Case
About The Canary Murder Case
Showgirl Margaret O'Dell, the Canary, blackmails her patrons and refuses Charles Spottswoode's bribe to leave his son Jimmie alone. She is found strangled. District Attorney Markham, Philo Vance, and Sergeant Heath question Cleaver, Mannix, Dr. Lindquist, and the Spottswoodes. The ex-husband Tony Skeel, who saw the murder from a closet, is strangled after he tries to blackmail the killer. Vance shows that O'Dell was already dead when Charles Spottswoode left, and that a recording was used to fake her voice. Charles dies in a car crash on the way to confess, and Jimmie is released.
Cast & crew
More about The Canary Murder Case
Paramount released it on February 16, 1929. Malcolm St. Clair directed the silent version. Frank Tuttle directed sound reshoots after the studio decided to issue a talkie. The screenplay is credited to S. S. Van Dine, Albert Shelby Le Vino, Florence Ryerson, and Herman J. Mankiewicz, from Van Dine's 1927 novel. Van Dine was the pen name of Willard Huntington Wright. Karl Hajos wrote the music. William Powell plays Philo Vance. Louise Brooks plays the Canary. She refused the sound retakes, and Margaret Livingston dubbed the part and doubled some reshot scenes. Film Daily listed the sound version at 7,171 feet and the silent version at 5,843 feet.
Themes
Making
Brooks's refusal to return for the dialogue scenes is the break usually cited in accounts of her leaving Hollywood. Livingston's voice is the one heard for the Canary.
Reviews
The New York World called it a good plot spoiled by spoken dialogue. The Cincinnati Enquirer wrote that Brooks was much more satisfying optically than auditorily.
Music
Karl Hajos wrote the score for the sound version. Margaret Livingston's voice replaces Louise Brooks's.
Notes
- It is the first Philo Vance film. Powell then played him in The Greene Murder Case (1929), The Benson Murder Case (1930), and The Kennel Murder Case (1933).
- Jean Arthur, James Hall, and Charles Lane are also billed in principal roles. Eugene Pallette plays Sergeant Heath.
Scenes
- Vance shows that a recording kept a witness believing the Canary was still alive after Charles Spottswoode had killed her.
Influenced by
- The Canary Murder Case (1927 novel)
Also available
- Internet Archive (CanaryMurderCase)
- Wikimedia Commons (The Canary Murder Case (1929).webm)
