MURDER IS NEWS

US, 1937, 55 minutes, Black and white.
John Gallaudet, Iris Meredith, George Mc Kay, Doris Lloyd, John Hamilton, John G. Spacey, Frank C.Wilson.
Directed by Leon Barsha.

This is a supporting feature of the 1930s, small-budget. It is much like an episode of a later television series. It is also a murder mystery set in New York society, clubs for the wealthy, affluent business families, the police and, the central focus, a radio reporter with a tabloid reputation.

The film introduces the club, the band, the patrons stopping to listen to news and gossip report on the radio. This sets into motion a reaction of various people which leads to murder. John Gallaudet a is the newspaper reporter, called to the scene of the murder, the body disappearing.

The audience to see the victim, a businessman planning to go to Europe, his company needing space and time so that it will not collapse on the stock market. Also involved are his wife who is about to divorce, his lawyer with whom the wife has a relationship, the wife’s young son who is playing trumpet in the club, not wanting any money from his stepfather. There is also the manager of the club, friendly to the son, collaborating with the reporter. And there are the police. There is also the wife’s attractive secretary who helps with the solving of the crime.

As with most murder mysteries, it is the least likely suspect who is the killer – the owner of the club, friendly, but dabbling in stocks and shares and confronting the businessman leading to conflict and his death and the hiding of his body in a specially constructed room in his mansion.

Always interesting to see a murder mystery.