(1929) William Powell, Jean Arthur, James Hall, Louise Brooks, Charles Lane, Lawrence Grant, Gustav von Seyffertitz, Eugene Pallette, Ned Sparks. As early talkies go, this is a pretty good whodunit, with gorgeous silent star Brooks as a shrewd nightclub singer known as “the Canary.” She has a bad habit of blackmailing her acquaintances—and it’s a habit that leads to her untimely demise! Enter the one and only master detective, Philo Vance, who comes in and sorts things out, eventually fingering the killer out of the numerous suspects Brooks had taken to the cleaners. Powell is so cool. An early whodunit classic. From 35mm.
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