The Sunset Murder Case

USA 1938
produced by
George A. Hirliman for Grand National
directed by Louis J. Gasnier
starring Sally Rand, Esther Muir, Reed Hadley, Dennis Moore, Paul Sutton, Kathryn Kane, Lona Andre, Frank O'Connor, Vince Barnett, Mary Brodel, George Douglas, Stanley Price, Henry King, Bruce Mitchell, Lester Dorr, Eddie Gordon, Monte Carter, Bill Duray
screenplay by Paul Franklin, Arthur Hoerl, additional dialogue by Lawrence Meade, based on the story Sunset Strip Case by Harold Joyce, published by Liberty Magazine, musical direction by Hugo Riesenfeld

review by
Mike Haberfelner

Sergeant O'Connor (Frank O'Connor) is trailing an extortion racket, and he is pretty confident that gangster moll Nita (Lona Andre) might have the goods on those behind it - but when he pys her a visit, he finds her shot dead, and since the killers have not yet left the scene, they shoot him dead too ...

O'Connor though has a daughter, nightclub dancer Kathy (Sally Rand), and she decides to investigate by going undercover at Bapti Stephani's (Paul Sutton) nightclub doing a risqué (for its time) dance routine, while reporter Lou (Dennis Moore), her boyfriend who's quickly becoming her ex, and attorney Helton (Reed Hadley), who is in the process of becoming Kathy's new boyfriend, watch her back.

Soon Kathy has won Stephani's trust, and soon too she has found out that he really is behind the extortion racket that works on the basis on having girls seemingly run over by drunk but rich clients to the club and then blackmail the white out of the eyes of these clients. so Kathy claims she needs some money, a rather large sum, and soon ... and Stephani is quick to seize the opportunity and make her the girl for his next drunk driving accident - in which she is of course not supposed to be coming to any harm since she has already caught the eye of Stephani, much to the dismay of his current girlfriend Lora (Esther Muir).

However, then Lou's new girlfriend Penny (Kathryn Kane), a very naive singer, accidently gives away the Kathy's whole undercover-setup to Stephani, and suddenly Kathy finds herself at the mercy of Lora and one of Stephani's men, a situation she tries to handle by getting them totally drunk - not quick enough though to escape Stephani and company who soon arrive and threaten to kill her ... when Lou, Helton and the police arrive to save the day.

In the end, Lou announces a double wedding, Helton to Kathy and himself to naive Penny.

So-so little crime drama, not all bad and with a wonderfully corny 1930's risqué dance routine, but on the other hand the film's plot is also far-fetched and very formulaic, and the direction is less than exciting.

It's ok I guess for a 1930's B-crime picture but nothing to write home about.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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