MikeMagi When strait-laced district attorney Lionel Barrymore discovers that his daughter has been having an affair with ladies man Alan Mowbray, he confronts him. But Mowbray isn't easily intimidated. Barrymore's daughter is simply the latest in his long line of conquests and he will only leave her when he has made her life miserable. Barrymore has only one option -- to commit the perfect crime, murdering Mowbray. But this is a movie -- and you can't let a killer get away. So in what has to be one of the weirdest cop-outs in Hollywood history, Barrymore pays for his dastardly deed. I won't spoil the fun by telling you how it happens -- but you've got to give the screenwriter credit for truly bizarre ingenuity.

dougdoepke Offbeat little programmer that plays like a whodunit, but without the mystery. We know from the outset who killed the bounder Gordon Rich (Mowbray). The fun is in watching the narrative unfold like a Charlie Chan, except it's the killer, of all people, who assembles the "suspects" and gathers the clues. In that respect, it's an interesting variation on the standard whodunit of the time.Watch for cult actress Kay Francis as the dark haired Marjorie. With her distinctive looks and strong personality, I can see why Francis has remained a favorite with old movie fans. Also, there's the lovely Madge Evans as the winsome daughter. Too bad she's become so obscure given her obvious talents. And at least the notorious Lionel Barrymore, in the lead, hams it up less than usual.A kind of philosophical question is posed in the subtext. That is, is murder ever justifiable. Certainly, getting rid of the unprincipled Gordon Rich, who's ruined the lives of many young women, poses the question sharply. At the same time, the movie responds to the issue in an interesting and unexpected way. All in all, the movie is dated in many respects, but is still worth catching up with.(In passing—catch the primitive sound effect of thunder that sounds like someone is snapping a Kevlar tarp! I expect in 1931, the studios were still perfecting their sound effects.)

Larry41OnEbay-2 Thank God that Turner Classic Movies plays these forgotten early films. Using an innovative gimmick, the film starts in the dark with three men discussing the possibility that a truly clever man could get away with murder. And former district attorney Lionel Barrymore should know - he's prosecuted dozens of murderers, but he is soon considering the other side of the law. SPOILERS: Cast against type, Barrymore is a lawyer (soon to be a murderer) working for a spoiled playboy played with intense villainy by Alan Mowbray (also out of his usual element of pompous comedic roles.) Barrymore goes to Mowbray's private island to collect pay-off checks for ex-girlfriends/victims of Mowbray's, to keep them from causing "trouble." Fiendishly, Mowbray explains he's preparing to marry a girl because that's the only way he can "have" her. And he surprises the attorney with the shocking news that it is Barrymore's daughter (Madge Evans) that will soon be his bride conquest! Barrymore seethes with anger and threatens Mowbray with murder. Mowbray counters with "You may but I'll come back from the grave to accuse you." Hours pass with charming scenes of dinner guests oblivious to this hidden war with the likes of C. Aubrey Smith and frumpy Polly Moran filling in the background. But eventually, late that night the deed is done. Will Barrymore outsmart everyone? Will Mowbray have covered all his bases to get revenge, will it appear as a suicide to Barrymore's police buddies or will Kay Francis be the fall-girl? Seeing these two actors play characters opposite for what they are known for could be a risk except the director(s) are no less than W.S. Van Dyke and Barrymore himself! Sexy Kay Francis was the reason we started to watch the film and she is fascinating, but not the only beauty. Madge Evans parades her golden locks, long lashes and a wears a see-through negligee. This pre-code murder mystery comes with an ending that will remind some of THREE ON A MATCH. I recommend you watch it during a thunder storm with the lights down low

marcslope What a dopey little melodrama, even by the impoverished standards of early talkies. Lawyer Barrymore brags about being able to commit the perfect murder, then supposedly commits it, then conducts a pointless investigation among the guests in the country house, while a phony early-talkie thunderstorm rages outside. In the end he gets his ludicrous just deserts. Barrymore smacks his lips and harrumphs in his hammy theatrical style that was mistaken for great acting at the time, and he and Kay Francis, playing the deceased's mistress, seem to have a contest going over who can pop their eyes more. The scriptwriting is so lazy that we can't tell how we're supposed to feel about the protagonists, and the pretty young couple who supposedly should capture our sympathies are far too insipid to care about.