The Gracie Allen Murder Case

"A DUMBELLE...who knew too much about MURDER!"

1939 1h 18m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 7

ComedyMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Super-sleuth Philo Vance faces the zaniest case of his career when Gracie Allen "helps" him try to solve the murder of an escaped convict. As she attempts to clear the name of a friend accused of the killing, her wacky, scatterbrained ways constantly impede the investigation.

“A DUMBELLE...who knew too much about MURDER!”

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Cast

Gracie Allen
Gracie Allen
Warren William
Philo Vance
Ellen Drew
Ann Wilson
Kent Taylor
Bill Brown
Jed Prouty
Uncle Ambrose
Jerome Cowan
Daniel Mirche
Donald MacBride
Dist. Atty. John, Markham
H.B. Warner
Richard Lawrence

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Alfred E. Green
Writers: Nat Perrin, C. Gardner Sullivan, S.S. Van Dine
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

87 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Philo Vance Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Alfred E. Green, shot by Charles Lang. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Original score by Gerard Carbonara. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Paul Weatherwax shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Gracie Allen and Warren William and Ellen Drew carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A DUMBELLE...who knew too much about MURDER!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Alfred E. Green directs. Charles Lang behind the camera. Gerard Carbonara scores. Paul Weatherwax cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
287 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Philo Vance Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Alfred E. Green, shot by Charles Lang. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Gerard Carbonara. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Paul Weatherwax shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Gracie Allen and Warren William and Ellen Drew carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "A DUMBELLE...who knew too much about MURDER!".
9IMDB entry: tt0031389 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 7 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
11Classified under 9 themes, including "detective", "murder", "perfume", "frame up".