The Canary Murder Case

1929
Approved
1h 22m

IMDb RATING

5.9/10

903

YOUR RATING

Crime Mystery

Nightclub singer 'the Canary' blackmails acquaintances, ends up murdered. Only witness also killed. Detective Philo Vance investigates to uncover her killer among numerous suspects she had e... Read allNightclub singer 'the Canary' blackmails acquaintances, ends up murdered. Only witness also killed. Detective Philo Vance investigates to uncover her killer among numerous suspects she had exploited.Nightclub singer 'the Canary' blackmails acquaintances, ends up murdered. Only witness also killed. Detective Philo Vance investigates to uncover her killer among numerous suspects she had exploited.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.9/10

903

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 wins

Trivia
Louise Brooks refusal to dub the movie angered her parent studio, Paramount, and effectively sabotaged her acting career. According to the documentary Louise Brooks: Looking for Lulu (1998), Paramount spread the word that Brooks' voice was not suitable for sound film, and although later sound productions made by Brooks proved this to be more or less true, her lack of professional vocal training was also an obvious factor.

Goofs
In "The Greene Murder Case" (about 29 minutes in) someone mentions reading about "The Canary Murder Case". But, in "The Canary Murder Case" (about 21 minutes in) someone mentions that he hasn't seen Vance since "The Greene Murder Case". The studio may not have been sure which order the movies would be released when the dialog was written. Original writer S. S. Van Dine (true name: Willard Huntington Wright) published the first three Philo Vance novels together in a trilogy before separating them into individual books, which might explain the cross-references between the stories.

Quotes
Jimmy Spottswoode: No other man should ever have you alive!

Crazy credits
Upon its initial release, a message appeared at the end of the film requesting that the audience not reveal to anyone the surprise ending.

Connections
Featured in Arena: Louise Brooks (1986)

User reviews30

Review

Featured review

Louise Brooks Does Not Talk

A famous "transition" film. One shot as a silent and partly re-shot for talkies. William Powell stars as Philo Vance. Jean Arthur plays a show girl. Louise Brooks is the "Canary." Of course this film is famous because Brooks refused to return from Europe to re-shoot scenes as a talkie. The studio then released news her voice would not record well. To get even more even they hired Margaret Livingston to dub Brooks' voice in a high nasal New York accent. Livingston also appears in a few long shots in a Louise Brooks hair cut.

Slow but OK murder mystery. Brooks disappears after about 15 minutes; Arthur has no real part. That leaves us with James Hall as the dupe, Eugene Palette the dumb sergeant, Charles Lane the father, Oscar Smith the desk attendant, etc. Lots of talk.

Brooks is gorgeous and in the credits you note she gets downplayed from 2nd to 4th billing. Another Paramount jab. Brooks indeed had a fine voice even though I've only seen a couple of lousy westerns she made. She was a beauty and had a good voice. But she sure was difficult. And her "Lulu in Hollywood" memoir doesn't change my mind about her. By the way: I loved her in Beggars of Life as well as Pandora's Box and Diary of a Lost Girl.