Hollywood Stadium Mystery (1938)

Director:

David Howard

Writers:

Stuart Palmer (story) and
Dorrell McGowan (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

21 February 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

Ringside seats for a crime!

Plot:

A boxer is killed in the ring, and the only clue is a tune that a man was whistling. |

Plot Keywords:

Clue | Gambler | Stadium | Handcuffs | Stabbing

Cast

Neil Hamilton	...	Bill Devons
Evelyn Venable	...	Pauline Ward
Jimmy Wallington	...	Nick Nicholls
Barbara Pepper	...	Althea Ames
Lucien Littlefield	...	Watchman
Lynne Roberts	...	Edna Mayberry (as Lynn Roberts)
Charles Williams	...	Jake
James Spottswood	...	Albert 'Slats' Keefe
Reed Hadley	...	Ralph Mortimer
Robert Homans	...	Captain Joseph Filsom
William Haade	...	Tommy Madison - the Champ
Pat Flaherty	...	Ace Cummings
Dan Tobey	...	Announcer Dan Tobey
Al Bayne	...	Max
Smiley Burnette	...	Smiley Burnette

Runtime:

66 min | USA:53 min (edited version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Republic Pictures

Trivia:

A six-sheet poster from Gene Autry's 1936 film "Comin' Round the Mountain" is seen on a building while Evelyn Venable and Neil Hamilton are riding in a taxicab. Republic, more than most studios were fond of displaying posters from their films on buildings seen in many of their films, but this one (with its song-title) provided the clue needed to find and trap the killer in the film.

Movie Connections:

References Comin' 'Round the Mountain (1936)

Soundtrack:

She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain

Way Below Average

A boxing match is the setting for a whodunit murder mystery. But the real focus here is the camaraderie between the local D.A. (Neil Hamilton) and a famed mystery writer (Evelyn Venable). The two engage each other in a friendly duel to see which one can solve the case. The focus on them and their good-humored banter drains away any tension or suspense the story might otherwise have had. But that's hardly the only problem.

Character development of the various suspects is almost non-existent. And only when the puzzle solution is revealed do we learn important information related to the killer's motive. For a murder mystery, that's a no-no. It puts the viewer at an unfair disadvantage. Further, the key clue that leads to the identity of the killer is not at all credible.

In addition, characters talk unnaturally fast. Frequently, there are no pauses between lines of dialogue. The film's runtime of just sixty-two minutes conveys the impression that the project had a serious budget problem.

The film's sound is terrible. Lighting is not much better. Production design is cheap. Acting is marginally acceptable. About the only element worth a positive note is the presence of actress Barbara Pepper, as a Hollywood starlet.

Otherwise, this is a forgettable, way below average film that uses a whodunit storyline as an excuse to provide a cinematic vehicle for the two main actors.