CMBA Hitchcock Blogathon: The Man Who Knew Too Much

I am honored to be taking part in the Classic Movie Blog Association's Hitchcock Blogathon - its largest blogathon yet. I'm not alone. In all there are 20 classic movie blogs covering a wide variety of Hitchcock masterpieces, staples, and lesser-known jewels; look to the bottom of this post for a full listing of all of the reviews and where they can be found. I look forward to reading each of them myself. I'm bound to learn a lot!


When I opened the invitation to participate in the blogathon, I didn't even have to think about which movie I would review. If you've been with this blog from the beginning, or know me personally, then you know that I adore Doris Day. Jimmy Stewart doesn't hurt either. So The Man Who Knew Too Much it is. Now, I've seen this film a number of times over the years, and it is one of my favorites to show friends who know nothing about Day and little about Hitchcock. But I knew that for a review of this kind I needed to watch it again and pay more attention to the details I had never focused on before. While I was at it, I figured I might as well start by viewing the original Man Who Knew Too Much made in Britain by Hitchcock in 1934. By Turner Classic Movies' account, this was the film that launched Hitchcock into the uninterrupted string of successes that made him world renowned. 


It was a fascinating experience, mostly. The audio quality of my copy is not exactly stellar, so I'm not sure I caught more than 80% of what was said, but that could also be due to the plethora of distractions that were assailing me as I watched. Incidentally, distractions do not affect me while I am watching the 1956 version with Doris Day, but more on that later. 


The 1934 version is notable, not so much for its story line or action, but for the performance delivered by Peter Lorre and the way in which Hitchcock framed the tension and suspense with dry and ironic humor interspersed throughout. As per Hitchcock's style, this humor is subtle, mostly visual, and it is entirely up to the viewer to take it or leave it. Peter Lorre, who is legendary in his creepiness and strangeness, doesn't disappoint in his role as the spy ringmaster. As always, I found him intriguing. But much of the rest of the film fell flat for me. 


The plot is this: 
A family vacationing in Switzerland is drawn into a spy caper when the wife becomes privy to the dying breaths of an operative who has uncovered an assassination plot against an important official. When their daughter is kidnapped to keep them quiet, her father and family friend go into the spy business themselves to recover her. Unfortunately, the child is a brat with whom it's hard to sympathize, and the film ends in a long shootout that lost my interest. 


In my opinion, Leonard Maltin had it backwards when he said that this version was the most exciting. Apparently, Hitchcock agreed with me. As he stated in an interview:

"Let's say that the first version was the work of a talented amateur and the second was made by a professional."

In 1956, the famed director was ready to begin the remake of The Man Who Knew Too Much he had been planning since 1941. It was the only time he ever remade one of his own films. Having recently visited Morocco himself, the wheels of Hitchcock's unmatched morbid imagination began revolved around the idea of placing the plot in precisely that part of the world. The result was a American couple sucked into the dangers and excitement of espionage  in Marrakech, rather than a British couple drawn into similar adventure in Switzerland. The new plot involved a woman of musical talent as the wife and mother, and because of this Hitch had his mind set on Doris Day from the beginning. 


The project, originally retitled Into Thin Air, took shape under the supervision of both Hitch and Jimmy Stewart from the production end, with John Hayes and Bernard Herrmann on the scripting and musical ends. Hermann may be seen conducting the orchestra himself in the famous Royal Albert Music Hall scene at the end.


It was Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, however who were responsible for the Oscar-winning song that is to this day an integral part of Doris Day's image: "Que Sera, Sera" (though in those days it was officially, "Whatever Will Be, Will Be"). The tune, sung with such heartfelt emotion and capability by Doris Day, remains for me one of the highlights of the film.


According to Paramount production files, the project ended late and over-budget, but has grossed substantially more than it cost and gave Stewart and Day the never repeated opportunity of working together under the direction of one of the most brilliant and famous movie masterminds in history. The result is splendid.


Hitch's 1956 Man Who Knew Too Much, is, in a word, deft. It accomplishes the blend of adventure, intrigue, suspense, and humor that the earlier version hinted at but did not expertly combine. Sold by the excellent performances from all the actors involved, but particularly by Doris Day, the film not only distinguishes itself as a class act thriller, but also comes in as a fairly good musical in some respects. 

Here's the plot if you're unfamiliar:
Dr. and Mrs. Ben McKenna (Stewart and Day) are touring Morocco with their little boy Hank when they become acquainted with a mysterious Frenchman by the name of Louis Bernard. Their acquaintance is short but perplexing, with Bernard's odd and inquisitive behavior troubling Mrs. McKenna, formerly Jo Conway, the celebrated stage artist. The next day, while they are exploring the market place with a British couple they've befriended, the McKenna's are witness to Bernard's public murder, and Ben is the sole hearer of Bernard's last words. It isn't long before Hank is kidnapped and used to keep Ben silent about what Bernard told him. Ben tracks the kidnappers to London and the McKennas pursue them there. Once arrived, they decline to cooperate with Scotland Yard in fear of Hank's safety, and set off on their own to save Hank and stop an assassination attempt at the same time. The climax is a supreme combination of good music, high suspense, and dramatic accomplishment.


The film as a whole is also a telling demonstration of Hitchcock's genius and the extent to which he developed his own talents in the time between the two versions of the film (besides the general improvement in technology and methods). We see his mellow, dry humor lightly sprinkled throughout the film, deftly weaved in among the threads of tension and suspense. Particularly in the final moments Hitch seamless transitions from the emotional high of the conclusion to a very funny and similarly short moment that immediately precedes the credits.


Cultural depictions and foreign language are also used to much better effect than in the first film, with the foreign setting elevated the expectation and dread of the viewer. Priceless cinematic moments in which little movements and subtle staging say much more than lines being uttered are also highlights. Watch for the scene where Ben is called away from his interrogation with the French police to take the call from the kidnappers. Pay special attention to the small movements of his fingers and those of Drayton as they make a follow-up phone call. The import of those movements and the way in which they are framed by the camera is outstanding. 


In the end I always come back to the performance by Doris Day, however. The scene in which Ben gives her the news of their son's kidnapping is of Oscar calibre, in my opinion. Also impressive is the way in which she can intone such meaning and foreboding into the simplest of lines. Listen carefully when she has the following exchange with Ben early in the film:


Ben: "What does that mean?"
Jo: "It means that Mr. Bernard is a very mysterious man."


Ben: "I have nothing to hide."
Jo: "I have a feeling that Mr. Bernard has."


Such simple words packed with such foreshadowing. 


I hope you'll find time to fit this movie into your schedule soon. It's worth your while. As always your comments and feedback are welcome her at Reel Revival. Enjoy those films!


Check out these other Hitchcock Blogathon reviews at the blogs of other Classic Movie Blog Association members:
 The Birds – Classic Film & TV Café 
Dial M for Murder – True Classics: The ABCs of Film
The Lady Vanishes – MacGuffin Movies 
Lifeboat – Classicfilmboy’s Movie Paradise 
Marnie – My Love of Old Hollywood 
Mr. and Mrs. Smith – Carole & Co.
North By Northwest – Bette’s Classic Movie Blog 
Notorious – Twenty Four Frames
The Pleasure Garden – Thrilling Days of Yesteryear 
Rear Window – Java’s Journey 
Rebecca­ – ClassicBecky’s Film and Literary Review 
Rope – Kevin’s Movie Corner
Shadow of a Doubt - Great Entertainers Media Archive
The 39 Steps – Garbo Laughs
Three Classic Hitchcock Killers – The Lady Eve’s Reel Life
Torn Curtain - Via Margutta 51
The Trouble with Harry – Bit Part Actors
Vertigo – Noir and Chick Flicks
The Wrong Man – The Movie Projector

Miss Marple Marathon

Cover via Amazon

Over the past two days I went on a Miss Marple marathon as I made and prepared decorations for my Halloween party and accomplished other household tasks.  I watched Murder at the Gallop, Murder Most Foul, and Murder Ahoy.  My copy of Murder She Said is in another box somewhere and I haven't dug it out yet.  But that's ok: SuperFan Tori is on that one.  


I have watched these films so many times that I know the staging without even looking at the screen, which is great because if I'm listening to the dialog and looking at what I'm busy with, I can still see the action in my mind's eye. And I promise you these never get old. The reasons are simple:


1. Margaret Rutherford's performance. One of the most appropriate, brilliant, and thoroughly enjoyable conversions of a character from book to screen that ever occurred in classic film. 


2. Music. The Miss Marple theme song is incomparable.  If you have your speakers turned on you've already been treated to it. It is so good, I almost wish the intro would never end.


3. Mr. Stringer.  Played by Stringer Davis (Rutherford's real life husband I have only just learned, this character is one of the cutest and sweetest old men to ever grace the silver screen.  He makes a perfect side-kick to the plucky Marple.


With varying, interesting plots and superb supporting casts throughout the series, this is one that I can heartily recommend in its entirety, and I am confident in saying that it would make a fine gift for any lover of mystery, Christie, or old movies.


Amazon sells the set, but single movies are more economical. Murder Ahoy comes in at just over $5. 


However and whenever you enjoy these films, I do hope you will send a comment my way so I can know about it!


-Incidentally, this is a fascinating read if you are interested in Rutherford and Davis personally.

Murder Ahoy

Murder Ahoy stars Margaret Rutherford. 





'Nuff said.


Anybody watch it today?

The Nancy Drew Series

Today's topic is one of my favorite literary and film characters: Nancy Drew.

Nancy Drew: the polished princess of puzzle perfection.

Nancy Drew: the smartest seeker of secrets to steal the spotlight.

Nancy Drew: the audacious amateur amazing American audiences.  

Nancy Drew: the one and only most professional, most proper, most attractive, most resourceful, most idolized, most famous, and longest-lived heroine of American fiction, EVER.

There is really a whole world that belongs to Nancy Drew, and there is no medium that she has not traversed.  Books, magazines, graphic novels, movies, TV, computer games, internet sites, blogs, conventions, fan clubs, even Halloween costumes, have been dedicated to the study of Nancy Drew and her mysteries.  With upwards of 175 mystery novels published in the regular series and over 80 million copies sold in some 45 languages, she is a phenomenon that has nearly enveloped the globe.  

Today I bring you the original four-part Nancy Drew film series, done in 1938 and 1939, only eight years after Nancy was "born."  The four films,

• Nancy Drew, Detective
• Nancy Drew... Reporter
• Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter
• and Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase,

have been compiled by Warner Brothers in a two-disk DVD set, and can likely be found in your local public library.  

But before I get to reviewing each of these films in turn, I want to provide a bit of the background and history that will put their creation and characters in context.  

Background:

The idea for the Nancy Drew books was developed by Edward Stratemeyer, cornerstone of the Stratemeyer Syndicate and tycoon of literary character creation.  Having already churned out dozens of popular literary series, the Bobbsey Twins and Hardy Boys among them, Stratemeyer hit upon the idea for Nancy just before his death in 1930.  

After roughly outlining the character, Stratemeyer passed on his expectations for Nancy Drew to staff writer Mildred Wirt Benson, whose responsibility it was to flesh out the skeleton (pardon me) into successful novels.  Benson wrote 23 of the first 30 Nancy Drew mystery novels under the Syndicate pen name, Carolyn Keene.  Of course, the series was much more popular than anyone expected, though Stratemeyer didn't live to know it.


Upon Edward's death the Syndicate passed to his daughters, Edna and Harriet, who together continued to guide Nancy's development.  Harriet was responsible for most of the work done between them, writing 24 of the novels herself, and dedicating more than 25 years to an extensive revision and update process on the original novels.  


Possibly more than 13 salaried ghostwriters contributed to the original series through the Syndicate, which reserved the rights to both Nancy and the pseudonym Carolyn Keene.  Other authors include Walter Karig, George Waller Jr., Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Charles Strong, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, and Margaret Scherf.

Mildred Wirt Benson shortly
before her death in 2002 at the
age of 96.

Initially, most ghostwriters were paid at a rough fee of $125 per novel written. Mildred Wirt Benson, still treasured among Nancy devotees as the most original and beloved of the "Carolyn Keenes" is said to have earned upwards of $500 for the last few books she contributed.  She is regarded as being largely responsible for shaping Nancy's personality, demeanor, and spirit.  


Benson wrote Nancy at 16 years old and driving a blue roadster.  Somewhere along the way, Nancy starting driving a maroon roadster, then ended up in a yellow one and aged to 18 years of age.  She has remained 18 years of age for the the past 75 or so years.  


Russel H. Tandy, the original illustrator, sealed the deal for Nancy's success. Stylish and sophisticated, the original book covers and inside illustrations depicted a female heroine unlike any other at the time.  Independent, smart, and courageous in word and picture alike, Nancy captured the heart of millions.  


In 1938, Warner Brothers liked nothing better than to have a slice of the Nancy Drew pie. The studio assembled a cast, threw together a plot that was only lightly based on any of the Nancy Drew books, gave the production B level funding, and sent the product off to be second billing. (Strange behavior in light of the novels' success and the hasty way in which they snatched up rights.)  Nonetheless, Nancy Drew, Detective did surprisingly well at the box office and three more follow-up productions were put in the works.  Reporter, Trouble Shooter, and the Hidden Staircase all followed within a year.  More sequels were probably on the shelf in 1939, but Bonita Granville left Warner Brothers for MGM and further development of the series was precluded.


Nancy then went untouched by the screen until the 70s, when she was reinvented for TV by Pamela Sue Martin.  Recent depictions (I'm talking about the 2007 Emma Roberts version) give us an unrecognizable Nancy, one with challenged social skills and brown hair.  How did we come to this?


Without further ado, I give you the Nancy Drew series!


The Basics:
The films feature the same core cast, with 15-year-old Bonita Granville in the title role, Frankie Thomas as "Ted" Nickerson (he was "Ned" in the books), John Litel as Carson Drew, Frank Orth as Captain Tweedy, and Renie Riano as "Effie" the housekeeper (she was "Hannah" in the books).  All were made in black and white with a run time of 60-68 minutes each.  


Nancy Drew, Detective

In this first of the series, Detective features a plucky Nancy Drew who goes on the man-hunt when a wealthy old dowager disappears after promising to donate a large amount of money to Nancy's private school.  


True to form, Nancy jumps into the mystery even when no one else believes that there is one.  Determined to find out what happened to the elderly woman, she enlists (or forces) the help of Ted Nickerson, next door neighbor.  


Together they follow the trail of clues, Ted always unwilling and always "duped" into assisting.  Nancy may be good at solving mysteries, but she is even better at manipulating the good-hearted, frustrated, Ted.  The boy who only wants to spend his summer training for football and fooling with his ham radio ends up following carrier pigeons and dressing up as a female nurse at Nancy's command.  


Captain Tweedy, the classic stupid policeman, is the perpetual thorn in Nancy's side.  He is always arresting the wrong people and coming to the wrong conclusions, and he won't take Nancy seriously.  


Carson Drew forbids Nancy to get mixed up in police matters.  She always does anyway.  Sometimes she even promises him that she'll stay out of it, crossing her fingers all the while.  


"Effie" (I have no idea why they changed some of the names) is not the warm, capable, unflappable authority she is in the books.  This series features a flighty, nervous, airhead.  But that's ok, because it is more funny that way.


Which brings me to the point: these movies are not faithful adaptations of the books by any stretch of the imagination.  Physically, Bonita Granville makes a very good Nancy Drew: blonde, pretty, girl-next-doorish.  She also has the spunky spirit we would expect from Nancy.  But she is neither as calm, even-keel, sophisticated, or mature as the Nancy we would expect from the books.  Granville's Nancy is more short-sighted and less resourceful than Benson's Nancy, and we have never seen a Nancy so manipulative. This is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps the movies along at a fast clip and keeps them entertaining.


Nancy Drew... Reporter
Nancy, already a detective, now tries her hand at reporting.  Entering into a newspaper contest for youngsters, Nancy is dissatisfied with her "assignment" and indignant that the editor so quickly dismisses the potential of the "kiddies." You can bet she'll show him!


Overhearing the editor give instructions for an absent reporter to get over to the courthouse right away, Nancy steals his assignment and leaves her own behind in its place (this is also a  less scrupulous Nancy). When the inquest she attends concludes with the indictment of a woman Nancy believes to be innocent, Nancy is off to prove the innocence of the accused.  She gets into a bucket-load of trouble, dragging Ted and her father into it behind her.   


Her shenanigans include:
- instructing Ted to smuggle his camera into jail and illegally take pictures
- getting Ted into the boxing ring with a professional heavyweight 
- repeatedly breaking into a house secured by police


Here's a sampling

Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter

This time Nancy and gets out of River Heights for a mystery involving an old family friend falsely accused of murder.  Carson Drew intends to take the case without Nancy knowing there is one (yeah right).  He makes up a story about them going to the country for a vacation.  Ellie, no match for Nancy's questioning, spills the beans.  The three of them travel to the Sylvan Lake, where Ted is also vacationing, and get into a terrific mess.  Nancy and Ted end up trapped in old barn, chased by a bull, up in an airplane with no pilot, and exploring the ghostly scene of the crime with Apollo, the superstitious hired hand.  Nancy even has trouble at home when father Carson takes in interest in Edna, a neighbor (Nancy has no patience for this romance).  And all the while Ted only wants to build his boat.  


It's another whirlwind of trouble and adventure for the crime-solving bunch!


Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase

The only of the four movies to be expressly based on a Nancy Drew book, this last of the four films was also the best. A pair of elderly sisters has been inhabiting their home for decades.  They wish to donate it to be transformed into a much needed hospital, but, due to their father's kooky will, can only do so after they have spent every night in the house for twenty years.  With only two weeks remaining before the mansion is officially theirs to give, it looks as if the sisters will be able to fulfill their promises, that is, until their chauffeur turns up murdered and the sisters believe they are being visited by a nightly intruder.


Nancy is determined to put the sisters' minds at ease, so she tricks Ted into writing a fake suicide note and plants it near the scene of the crime.  But Ted is too busy with his job delivering ice to help Nancy, so she calls him out on fake jobs, gets him to fire a Luger in a no shooting zone, plants him in the basement to catch the intruder, and gets him into all kinds of situations that cause him to be arrested and ultimately fired.  Poor Ted.  


The suspenseful ending has Nancy and Ted trapped in a secret passageway underneath the mansion, with the killer and rising water. 


Conclusion
Each of these films is a fun and entertaining way to spend and hour.  Though we see a Nancy not quite like the one in the books, it is not hard to suspend your expectations and let Granville charm you, or trick you, into going along.  Have fun!

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Image via Wikipedia

Everyone wears tweeds, except the butler.  When you are watching The Hound of the Baskervilles, you feel like a stinker for not wearing tweeds too.  So, if you happen to have tweeds, I would suggest donning them before you pop this one in.  


We had a cloudy night and electrical storms: the perfect setup for a gothic horror film that brings to life one of Sherlock Holmes' most famous mysteries.


I have my husband pick out the movies most of the time because it prevents me from only blogging about my favorites, and since he's never seen most of them, it keeps the selection more spontaneous and objective.  This time it came down to The Hound, Stars and Stripes Forever, and The Mark of Zorro, which I eliminated because I recently reviewed an Errol Flynn film.  

When my husband found out that this version of The Hound stars Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, he, being a Star Wars and Lord of the Rings fan, decided on it.  This particular production was a much anticipated film in 1959.  The first major depiction of Holmes onscreen since Basil Rathbone retired in the 40s, this Hammer Film Productions feature film dishes up "Ten times the terror in Technicolor!"  


The Basics
Directed by Terrence Fisher and starring Cushing and Lee as Sherlock Holmes and Sir Henry Baskerville, with Andre Morell as Watson, the film also featured Marla Landi, David Oxley, Francis de Wolff, and Miles Malleson.  A British production, The Hound was the first Sherlock Holmes film to be shot in color, but it is said that because audiences were used to getting gruesome monsters in Hammer films, they snubbed The Hound for its lack of them.  


Runs at 87 minutes.  Made in 1959.


The Plot
If you have read the book and can remember it, you won't be held in suspense by either the movie or my review of it.  I have read the book and seen the movie several times, but I still couldn't remember what was going to happen, so it was fun for me.  


The movie starts with Dr. Mortimer, country doctor and family friend of the Baskervilles, soliciting the services of Sherlock Holmes and Watson.  Legend has it that there is a curse on the Baskervilles going back to Sir Hugo Baskerville, a singularly evil and diabolical man.
After hunting a poor farm girl with a pack of hounds, Sir Hugo murdered her in cold blood on the moor, then promptly had his throat torn out by a beast that continued to haunt the moor at night.  


When Sir Charles Baskerville dies in the same fashion as his ancestor, alone on the moor, a look of terror stricken across his face, Holmes is called onto the case to solve the mystery of the hound and save the life of the last remaining Baskerville.  


Haunted rooms, a tarantula (of which Christopher Lee was really afraid), pits of mire, a savage hound, and even eerily glowing ruins abound.  Along the way Holmes meets a lovably bumbling bishop (Malleson), an escaped convict, and a man with webbed fingers.  Attempted murder greets him around one corner, and Watson makes an untimely acquaintance with the mire on their way to dramatically and climatically solving the mystery of The Hound of the Baskervilles. 

Highs

• Cushing, Lee, and Morell are good.  Malleson is even better.
• The opening sequence is quite frightening (this depicts the diabolical evil of Sir Hugo, which is quite terrible).  Probably not suited for young children.
• There are some twists and turns to keep you guessing.
• There is a scary, haunted room at the end of the hall.
• The Hound is messed up looking.  You get to see him at the end.
• Some loose ends are tied in nicely at the conclusion.

Lows

• Some loose ends are not tied in nicely at the end.  We never find out, for instance if there are any consequences for one particular character who was involved in attempted murder, and we never really knew what his/her motivation was in the first place. 
• There are some bad attempts at romance that come off as being kind of strange.  I have no idea if this is attributable to the film's British origins. 
• Somebody (Landi) has an accent that sounds a little weird to me. 
• One word: really thick ketchup.  And by "word" I mean "noun".  

Conclusion

I don't know if I would call The Hound of the Baskervilles the best Sherlock Holmes film ever made.  As I add reviews of other Holmes films it will be easier to make a comparison.  I do think, however, that this a good way to spend an evening and an even better way to gain appreciation for tweeds.  Go Sherlock!


Where to get it
                                          

Amazon has this film on DVD for $11.99.  
Order here: The Hound of the Baskervilles


It is available on Netflix.


Try your local library.  You never know what you might find!


You might also enjoy reading...

• Accurate re-creation of Sherlock Holme's rooms based on readings from all novels (stutler.cc)

Footsteps in the Dark

Apart from establishing that we should vary genres, I haven't established any rules regarding our movie choices.  When you have four crates of VHS tapes to choose from, it's not very hard to make a decision.  My husband, who has seen a scarce few of these films, pulls out a tape.  "Footsteps in the Dark?"  "Oh, that's a good one.  That has... ah..." I take the tape out of its sleeve.  "Yeah, that has Errol Flynn in it.  I was going to say that but it sounded ridiculous.  Oh, Kisses for Breakfast and Whistling in Dixie, too." (Most tapes have three or four movies on them.)  "That's a really good one."

Footsteps is the first one on the tape, so Footsteps it is.  And the remarkable thing (that had me confused) is that this isn't a swashbuckling adventure, no frigates or sword fights here.  That kind of thing is what we expect from Errol Flynn, and it is what he is most famous for.  Rather, Footsteps in the Dark is one of those mystery/comedies that were so popular in the 30s and early 40s.  The most memorable among those were the Thin Man series, of course.  No film of the kind ever stood up to the sheer radiance that William Powell and Myrna Loy produced in those movies.  But we'll get to them later.  And while Errol Flynn's Francis Warren is no Nick Charles, Footsteps has, like a fingerprint, a charm particular to itself.

The Basics:
Released in March of 1941, Footsteps featured a cast of familiars directed by Lloyd Bacon, if you can believe the name.  Brenda Marshall, only featured in 19 films (some of which were Flynn vehicles), is Warren's wife, Rita.  Alan Hale and William Frawley gallivant as misguided policemen, Ralph Bellamy is a soft-spoken dentist, Lee Patrick is an untalented burlesque dancer, and Roscoe Karns, Allen Jenkins, Lucille Watson, and Grant Mitchell (unfamiliar names with familiar faces) round up the cast of characters quite nicely.  The film runs a short 96 minutes long.

The Plot:
[As it turns out, I remembered almost nothing about the movie correctly.  That makes one feel a little foolish when one has began by saying, "Oh, that's a good one."]

Society gent Francis Warren (Flynn) leads a double life.  Holding down a reputable, boring life as the financial manager of the best portfolios in town by day, Warren entertains his whims by night as F.X. Pettijohn, the amateur sleuth who pesters the police and writes shockingly skewering novels about the high society ladies' clubs to which his wife belongs.  This isn't giving away too much, mind you; the picture opens with Warren entering his own home through via the upstairs bedroom window at 3 o'clock in the morning (this does not wake his wife).

When a jewel smuggler who has knowledge of this double life attempts to blackmail Warren into laundering money and then turns up dead, Warren is drawn into a murder mystery so dramatic it outclasses his penmanship.  The police, as they were often portrayed in film at this time, are inept and stupid, though comically so thanks to Frawley (you may recognize him from I Love Lucy).  Warren and his chauffeur relieve the police of their responsibility and save the day on their own, and Warren almost ends up in divorce court because of it.

Pros and Cons (not Con men):
Pros

• Flynn, a smooth operator as always, is pleasant to watch as he juggles two complicated lives.
• Frawley is enjoyable as the tough-talking, pudding-brained cop.
• There funny moments throughout, many coming from unexpectedly amusing dialogue.
• The film was shot in black and white, which always adds richness to any type of murder mystery caper.

Cons

• The police may have been a little too stupid this time around. (This gets frustrating at the end.)
• Warren poses as a Texan to gain the affection of the burlesque dancer, Blondie White, pursuant to solving the case.  Now, this in itself is not necessarily a con, but is a gag that was done to much better effect in several other films, notably Pillow Talk and The Awful Truth.  Depending on your mood, Flynn's version of The Texan could try your patience.  If you are a Texan you might be offended.
• I got confused sometimes.  Granted, that is bound to happen every now and then.  
• Blondie White frightened me a bit.  I don't know if it's Lee Patrick's fault or the character's.  This could be a pro if you are prepared to laugh about it, and I suppose you would understand the sense in which I use the word "frightened" if you checked it out. 

As I mentioned, many of these cons could turn out to be pros for you depending on how you approach the viewing experience.  If your sense of humor has a hankering for the ridiculous, this could be your summer runaway sensation!

Conclusion:
That said, your viewing experience could be totally different from mine.  I think this film is fun and worth the watch.  Like I said above, it does have a charm of its own, which may be due to seeing Flynn do something a little different.  If you've got the time, why not give it the old college try?

Note: I don't have a clip to share with you this time because YouTube doesn't have anything in the way of "Footsteps in the Dark" that comes without electric guitars. Electric guitars are cool, but they're just not relevant right now.