The Gracie Allen Murder Case (1939)

That was an excellent one.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I don't even think you've got to be a Philo Vance fan or a classic mystery buff to be utterly disappointed by this movie; but if you've seen other Philo Vance movies beforehand, this one will surely make you wonder WHO on earth had the idea to try and combine one of his cases with a Gracie Allen comedy.I usually try and put myself in the place of the audience of the time to find out why a movie that doesn't appeal to me at all today was popular then - but in this case, that's not even necessary, because even then it was a flop; and that's no wonder.Gracie Allen was a very popular radio comedy star together with her husband George Burns; and their domestic little jokes obviously appealed to quite a lot of fans who weren't too hard to please. I've got some of their broadcasts on cassette, and it's - well, just VERY light comedy, much lighter than, for example, W.C. Fields, Bergen & McCarthy, or even Abbott and Costello. But it was comedy, and it was popular.The 'Philo Vance' movie series, on the other hand, which had started 10 years before this movie was made, was composed of classic murder mysteries, with suspense, clever plots - and humor; Philo Vance's OWN kind of dry, slightly sarcastic gentleman's humor. That was just about enough humor those films needed to lighten up the atmosphere of crime and murder a little bit, and it was intelligent and well-dosed and in a way quite charming. And then, since the success of the long-running film series seemed to fade a little, the producers seemed to try a NEW feature that would radically alter the style, and (hence the title) lure more people into the theaters with the big name of Gracie Allen.But what was the result? Unsuspecting Gracie Allen fans were probably scared by the murder plot, the strangers lurking in dark apartments, the poisoned flowers and cigarettes (which they only described as smelling like 'bitter almond', not even bothering to mention that this, as everybody who has read or watched more than two or three murder mysteries, means of course cyanide, or prussic acid...) - while Philo Vance fans must have simply gone MAD with rage at this nut case who doesn't stop talking nonsense for a single moment, until they probably wished somebody would at last murder HER...Don't get me wrong, I LOVE crime comedies, from "Arsenic and Old Lace" to "Murder by Death" to "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" - but all those WERE real crime comedies, parodies on the genre without losing the grip on the suspense and the atmosphere of the genre itself. They don't try to mix PURE comedy with PURE mystery, like "The Gracie Allen Murder Case" did - but the outcome is neither a comedy nor a mystery; and it's CERTAINLY not recommended for serious fans of serious classic murder mysteries.

A Philo Vance tale was created for Gracie Allen by her friend author and creator of Philo Vance SS Van Dine. the plot has Gracie going to her uncle's picnic where she's set up with a nice young man from her uncle's factory. the young man loves another girl but her figures to show Gracie a good time to make his girl jealous. While at a night club Gracie stumbles on a dead body and all evidence points to her chaperon. Philo Vance is brought in to help solve the case and the pairing of Allen and Vance (whom Gracie calls Fido) is on.An odd ball comedy mystery that doesn't really work as a mystery however the interplay between Gracie (sans George Burns) and Warren William as Vance is priceless. Actually Gracie and anyone is cause for sustained giggling. She is simply not one to be anything less than silly and it helps get us through a mystery that doesn't really work (we aren't given any real clues). One hopes that the novel that resulted from this screen pairing reads better as a mystery. Then again why would anyone in their right mind watch a Gracie Allen movie for anything other that the silliness A enjoyable but unremarkable comedy this film is worth the 75 minutes. As a mystery you're better off looking else where.

THE GRACIE ALLEN MURDER CASE (Paramount, 1939), directed by Alfred E. Green, the tenth installment to the then popular "Philo Vance" murder mysteries that initially began with William Powell's portrayal in THE CANARY MURDER CASE (1929), returns Warren William to the role for the second and final time, with this being something completely different, placing S.S. Van Dine's fictional character solving his latest caper opposite none-other than Gracie Allen. After many years as part of the Burns and Allen comedy team opposite husband, George Burns, from vaudeville, radio, motion pictures and later television, Gracie Allen finally gets her chance to work opposite another straight man. By 1939, the motion picture field saw the temporary or permanent splitting of popular screen partnerships, ranging from Oliver Hardy of Laurel and Hardy fame, partnered opposite Harry Langdon in ZENOBIA, to the popular song and dance team of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers ending their 10 film union-ship with THE STORY OF VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE. While George Burns didn't go solo until a decade after Gracie's death by the 1970s, this is Gracie minus George, acting as sidekick to Philo Vance, whom she addresses as "Fido." For a change of pace in the series where Philo Vance is actually a secondary character, appearing 28 minutes into the story and not around for the fadeout, leaving much of the 77 minutes over to Gracie Allen. The story begins in the city limits of Riverwood where employees of the Vogue Perfume Company are gathered together for their annual picnic. Bill Brown (Kent Taylor), the company's perfume mixer, loses the companionship of his girlfriend, Ann Wilson (Ellen Drew) to fellow employee, Fred (Richard Denning), leaving him to spend much of his time alone. Enter Gracie Allen, having just returned from her trip in Europe, arriving at the picnic, where her Uncle Ambrose (Jed Prouty) introduces her to his staff and to Bill. Bill accepts Gracie's company and later that night escorts her to the Diamond Slipper Cafe. As the plot develops, Benny the Buzzard (Lee Moore), who has escaped prison, arranges a meeting with Diamond Slipper manager Danny Mirche (Jerome Cowan). It is revealed through Dixie Del Mar (Judith Barrett), Benny's girlfriend and night club singer working for Mirche, that she knows that Benny took the rap for Danny, and believes there's trouble ahead. Later, Benny is found dead in Mirche's office, with the body discovered by Gracie, who also finds Bill's cigarette case on the floor in the office, believing that he done it. Sergeant Heath (William Demarest) and Attorney Markham (Donald MacBride) arrive at the scene after receiving a mysterious phone call, and through Gracie's testament, they place Bill under arrest with Gracie as material witness. With Dixie found dead through poisoning, Detective Philo Vance (Warren William) is called to investigate, accompanied by Gracie Allen. Philo Vance will never be the same again.Unlike film series featuring such notable detectives as Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan or Bulldog Drummond, Philo Vance has faded to obscurity regardless of its long range of films lasting through the 1940s. Although Gracie Allen, in her final film for Paramount, never assisted the likes of Holmes, Chan or any other fictional film sleuths for that matter, this edition, ranks one of the more notable and acceptable entries. While the actors play it straight, the comedy rests upon Gracie in her typical manner and funny, and not so funny verbal exchanges (Demarest: "The chief wants to see you. Gracie: "I just love Indians"). Aside from acting daffy, Gracie also takes time to sing the Frank Loesser song, "Snug as a Bug in a Rug" during the picnic ceremony.With H.B. Warner as Richard Lawrence, and Horace MacMahon as Gus the Waiter, in support, the cast also includes the comedy team of Al Shaw and Sammy Lee as "Two Thugs" taking part in the confusion of shaking hands with Gracie, getting all tangled up in the process. Other highlights include a well staged race against time through the Broadway district of Manhattan as Gracie rides behind the motorcycle cop going through traffic bound for the night club to prevent Philo Vance from smoking a poisoned cigarette accidentally placed in the case by his servant (Willie Fung).Unavailable on the television markets since the 1970s, THE GRACIE ALLEN MURDER CASE finally made it to home video in 2006 through Video Attic and DVD in 2008 through Nostalgia Family. THE GRACIE ALLEN MURDER CASE is definitely of nostalgic interest to those who enjoy the antics of Gracie Allen and a curio for anyone who has never seen the likes of her or Philo Vance. (**1/2)

Everyone dislikes this picture. Especially George Burns, who had the good sense not to appear in it. (His part was re-written to accommodate Kent Taylor). Gracie, of course, was stuck. Her good friend, S.S. Van Dine, had written the novel just for her. So who else could play the title role? ZaSu Pitts? Billie Burke? Perhaps Alice Brady might have given it a twirl had she not gone all serious in In Old Chicago.Well, actually, on approaching the movie a second time, I found it not so bad after all. Not riotously funny, mind, but tolerably entertaining at worst and quite enjoyable at best. The climax is even reasonably suspenseful.Production values generally come well up to the mark. The support cast is great. Warren William (who played Vance in 1934's Dragon Murder Case) makes a delightful straight man, Ellen Drew impresses as the heroine, H.B. Warner has a grand time as the lawyer, and it's hard to ignore Jerome Cowan as the slimy Mirche.Aside from its over-extended, hands-on fade-out, Green's direction has enough pace to overcome most of Gracie's flat-footed business and dialogue. And although we are blinded by an outpouring of light every time the camera focuses on the said Miss Allen, photographer Charles Lang does manage more than a few pleasingly atmospheric effects.