THE CANARY MURDER CASE / Who Killed The Canary Bird? - 1929

Well, here's one that's 91 years old and was produced in the first year of talking pitchers! In this murder mystery, a pretty little showgirl nicknamed 'The Canary' is a scheming little B. Blackmail is her game and she soon ends up dead, and all the suspects who were romantically involved with her had found out that she was just using them. Only one man, debonair detective Philo Vance, might be able to figure out who the real killer is...

It stars William (had 35 silent movie credits before starring in this one) Powell, Jean (MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON) Arthur, James (THE SHE-WOLF) Hall, Louise (PANDORA'S BOX) Brooks and Ned (played the Caterpillar in 1933's ALICE IN WONDERLAND) Sparks. Ned's image was also used in old Disney and WB cartoons!

Here's an ad for a show featuring the high flying 'Canary' girl.

Here she is, flying high over the audience on her swing, what a Hell of a gig to have!

Here's Philo talking to his friend, Charles Spottswoode, at her performance. He remarks that he believes the Canary is headed for trouble, word is, she's involved with a number of older men, which spells, you know, trouble!

Boy, Philo is one of those names that seems to have been totally forgotten about over time!

Anyway, she calls all of her beaus and shuts them down, threatening to expose them to the press or their wives, for a ding-danged price of course!!

Here's Ned as Tony Skeel, and get this, he's the Canary's freakin' husband!! She says that she divorced him 6 months ago but he don't care. He was listening in on her conversations and he wants a cut in the profits!

Here are the stuttering desk clerk and his helper who work where the Canary lives.

When the Canary doesn't answer the phone, the clerk lets a policeman into her apartment, only for him to report her as tot to his superiors!

All of her male friends are grilled by the police...

Philo wants to try something to help solve the case. He wants to include all the men in a poker game and use his reasoning to see if he can't figure out who really murdered the girl.

So, the men all get together and play poker for money. And after the game is over, Philo has the man he thinks is responsible!

Another clue involving a recording provides Philo with the complete picture of how he thinks the murder was carried out.

Although the man he thinks did the murder dies in a car crash, he surmises that his friend, Charles Spottswoode, was the guilty one because his son Jimmy was also being blackmailed by the Canary! And, that's how it sits, join us tomorrow for something special from Eegah!! Here, at The Dungeon!..