The Dragon Murder Case

"The Dragon Murder Case" (1934) is not nearly as weak as some of these comments would lead you to believe. It should be cut some slack based on when it was made (it has Code Certificate #109) and viewed from the perspective of its intended audience. At the time its claim to fame was as a murder mystery packaged inside a lot of clever misdirection. For today's viewers, these sorts of twists will seem rather routine. Not so forgivable are several huge plot holes but as long as you are suspending disbelief anyway….

There is even a (Stanley) Kubrick-style subtext about Native Americans although they don't take it as far as he did in "The Shining".

This is a Philo Vance story (basically an early version of William Powell's Nick Charles character) with Warren Williams replacing Powell. Williams is nothing exceptional but the supporting cast and the production design are quite good. Eugene Palette (Friar Tuck) steals all his scenes with the funniest lines and the best delivery; his stuff alone makes the film worth viewing. The quotes section has his line about women generally speaking. Helen Lowell has a lot of fun playing the loony grandmother; she was born in 1866-wonder how many pre-1870 actors can claim lines in a talking picture. Margaret Lindsay is extremely beautiful as she was in "Jezabel" (1938); beautiful enough to stand out from all but a handful of her contemporaries.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Dragon Murder Case, The (1934)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

William Warren takes over the role of Philo Vance in this entry, which plays more like a horror film than just a mystery. A world class swimmer jumps into a pool during a party and never comes up. The next day the pool is drained but there isn't a body so various people are looked at as suspects but certain clues lead to a legend dealing with an Indian dragon monster. The Kennel Murder Case is the best known film in the series but this one here is just as exciting and entertaining. Warren is terrific in the role of Vance bringing his usual charm and brains to the role. The supporting cast including Lyle Talbot, Margaret Lindsay, Robert McWade and George E. Stone are all terrific but it's the overweight and funny talking Eugene Palette that steals the show. The mystery behind the killing remains interesting throughout the entire film and all the horror elements ranging from ghosts to dragons to a crazy old woman play out very well. This is certainly one of the better mysteries I've seen from this period.

In this Philo Vance film from Warner Brothers and director Bruce H. Humberstone, Warren William stars as the famous detective.

A group of wealthy people are partying at the Stamm household, and apparently several people are upset that Bernice Stamm (Margaret Lindsay) is planning to marry Monty Montague for reasons that seem to have nothing to do with love, but that she will not reveal. She's actually in love with Dale Leland (Lyle Talbot), who confronts her about it, and her brother is so upset he is drinking himself into a stupor. The guests assemble at the Dragon Pool - a kind of dammed stream - for some late night swimming. But when Monty dives in he never comes out. The police are called by Leland, who suspects foul play. The next day Monty's body is found a good distance from the pool with claw marks on his throat. There is a myth surrounding the pool about a flying dragon, a prehistoric creature, who still lives in the area. Is Philo Vance about to go X-Files in this installment? Watch and find out.

Warren William is very smooth and debonair in the role of Vance, but he spends lots of time picking on and insulting Sgt. Heath (Eugene Pallette) where in previous film installments, Vance and Heath were allied and treated each other as peers. Of course, William Powell was playing the famous detective in those previous films, and Warren William always played even his roles as a protagonist as a bit caddish.

Although Vance systematically interviews witnesses and investigates clues, the final deductions that he makes seem to come out of nowhere. And the actual killer makes a complete confession when he really hasn't been found out at that point at all. Released right after the production code began to be enforced, it seems robbed of the hard bitten situations and dialogue you would expect from a similar film just the year before. It does have its charms though. Warren William is always fun to watch, though Robert Warwick steals the show as a coroner who gets cranky if he is called to a crime scene and there is no corpse.

For all of us seasoned armchair detectives, Warren William remains one of the best in his class. He more than likely solidified that image with his entertaining portrayal of Perry Mason in a short series produced by Warner Brothers, who was crankin' out whodunits about as fast as they could in the early 30s. In fact, William Powell's portrayal of the THIN MAN came pretty darn close to William's portrayal of Mason, and it could justifiably be argued the other way around at that.

One interesting note is that William replaced Powell as Philo Vance, beginning with THE DRAGON MURDER CASE. Now you had William playing Vance fairly similarly to Perry Mason. Go figure. But it all was so much fun to watch because William, like Powell, was a terrific actor, in fact extremely hard to dislike, charming and a tad on the mischievous side. This Vance entry also took a turn to the macabre, often compared to a horror film, though not quite. It is a close call and most definitely more fun to watch late at night as Vance investigates the death of a pro swimmer who drowned in a mysterious pool, said to be haunted...

Leave it to those imaginative writers at Warners to come up with this one, and the identity of the murderer will keep you guessing through and through. Good supporting cast with the likes of Margaret Lindsay and Lyle Talbot, but you have to hand it to frog-voiced Eugene Pallette as the second guessing, cigar chimping long arm of the law coupled with Etienne Giardot as the ever frustrated coroner. Very atmospheric with some nice, spooky touches and DO NOT forget a host of red herrings to match.

Soooo, if you can, just sit back and enjoy this neat little thriller that keeps on giving in glorious black and white. Remastered separated on dvd by Warners, or in box sets with other episodes. Thank you TCM for the memories.

Not bad at all. This is an interesting tale, although the characters are strictly stereotypes and all of them used as red herrings to leave the solution nowhere in sight until you start thinking about how the story started. Then--a glimmer of light--and you've guessed it.

WARREN WILLIAM makes an affable, bright, know-it-all Philo Vance, who seems to have a background in everything, including exotic fish from the orient. But how he reaches his scientific answer to the crime is a bit implausible--as is the whole plot involving the legend of a deadly dragon living in the dragon pool.

MARGARET LINDSAY looks lovelier than ever in the film's leading femme role, LYLE TALBOT is well cast as her love interest, and EUGENE Palette gets to do some comedy relief that's a welcome contrast to Vance's superior attitude. GEORGE E. STONE does his usual schtick as one of the wealthy guests at the mansion where all the action takes place and ROBERT BARRAT is interesting as one of the suspects.

Summing up: Pleasant programmer passes the time in an entertaining way.

Trivia note: The IMDb processor refuses to let me spell Eugene Palette's name correctly. There should be two "ll"s in his last name.