I suppose if you hadn't seen "The Kennel Murder Case" (1933, you would enjoy "Calling Philo Vance" a little more. Because you see, this is a remake of the earlier film which starred William Powell arguably the best in the series.
James Stephenson takes over as Vance and although no Powell, gives creditable performance in the lead. The storyline was changed to a war time scenario where Vance is working undercover in Vienna, trying to prove that airplane designer Arthur Coe (Richard Kipling) is selling design secrets to foreign powers. Vance finds the necessary evidence but is arrested and deported before he can take action.
Back in the good old USA, Vance, who is now working for ex-D.A. Markam (Henry O'Neill) a Chief Investigator for some unknown agency, goes to seek out Coe. However on arriving at Coe's residence, Coe's body is discovered by butler Gamble (Martin Kosleck). The body is behind a door locked from the inside with a gun in his hand indicating suicide which Marham's assistant Ryan (Edward Brophy) is quick to point out.
The plot from this point forward is word for word identical to that of the original. Coe's brother Bisbane (whom we never meet) is found dead in a closet. Although Vance concludes that Brisbane killed his brother using an interesting device, but there appears to be another murderer involved. Vance tricks the murderer into revealing himself and.......................................................
It was sad to see that the Philo Vance series had been reduced to programmer status re-using an existing script from an earlier film.
James Stephenson takes over as Vance and although no Powell, gives creditable performance in the lead. The storyline was changed to a war time scenario where Vance is working undercover in Vienna, trying to prove that airplane designer Arthur Coe (Richard Kipling) is selling design secrets to foreign powers. Vance finds the necessary evidence but is arrested and deported before he can take action.
Back in the good old USA, Vance, who is now working for ex-D.A. Markam (Henry O'Neill) a Chief Investigator for some unknown agency, goes to seek out Coe. However on arriving at Coe's residence, Coe's body is discovered by butler Gamble (Martin Kosleck). The body is behind a door locked from the inside with a gun in his hand indicating suicide which Marham's assistant Ryan (Edward Brophy) is quick to point out.
The plot from this point forward is word for word identical to that of the original. Coe's brother Bisbane (whom we never meet) is found dead in a closet. Although Vance concludes that Brisbane killed his brother using an interesting device, but there appears to be another murderer involved. Vance tricks the murderer into revealing himself and.......................................................
It was sad to see that the Philo Vance series had been reduced to programmer status re-using an existing script from an earlier film.