Watch The Kennel Murder Case For Free

Too much of everything

The Age of Commercialism

Such a frustrating disappointment

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Suicide or Murder? When the much hated Archer Coe turns up dead and is believed to be a suicide, Philo Vance and Detective Heath steps into the scene to find out why a rich man would consider suicide as an option. Things become a bit stranger when Archer Coe's brother, Brisbane, turns up dead in a closet. Vance and Heath enlist the help of poor Dr. Doremus who never seems to get a chance to eat while this investigation is going on. It must be murder - but who and why?! A film I really enjoyed watching! It's a mystery film that is peppered quite a bit with comedy. Detective Heath is the funniest - and has an outstanding speaking voice! Dr. Doremus is very funny as well! Two of my favorite characters in the entire film.8.5/10

THE KENNEL MURDER CASE (Warner Brothers, 1933), directed by Michael Curtiz, returns William Powell to the screen playing detective Philo Vance. Having originated S.S. Van Dine's novel character in earlier Paramount capers as THE CANARY MURDER CASE (1929), THE GREENE MURDER CASE (1930), and THE BENSON MURDER CASE (1930), followed by Basil Rathbone's take on the character in MGM's THE BISHOP MURDER CASE (1930), it was natural having Powell back as the master sleuth once again as assisted by Eugene Palette as the police inspector from the Paramount entries. While those aforementioned titles along with the entire "Philo Vance" mysteries are as forgotten as the character himself, THE KENNEL MURDER CASE goes on record as the finest and most revived of them all.The story opens at a Long Island Kennel Club where Detective Philo Vance (William Powell) enters his Scottish terrier, Captain McTavish, in a dog show. Also in attendance is Archer Cole (Robert Barrat) observing glaringly at his mistress, Doris Delafield (Helen Vinson), accompanied by a much younger man, Eduardo Grassi (Jack LaRue). Cole's niece, Hilda Lake (Mary Astor), despises him because of his control over both her assets and personal life. Cole disapproves of Sir Thomas MacDonald (Paul Cavanaugh) whom Hilda intends to marry. While Vance's dog loses the contest, MacDonald's dog, Ghillie, is soon found dead in the alley. MacDonald places the blame on Cole and intends on avenging his dog's death. After having a heated argument with Doris and confrontation with her lover, Cole returns to his 980 East 71st Street residence. The next morning, Gamble (Arthur Hohl), Cole's butler, finding the door bolted, looks through the keyhole to find his employer dead. Before the steamer leaves port for Italy, Vance, on board, hears the news about Cole's death on the radio and immediately cancels his vacation to do some investigating. Because Cole's death is ruled a suicide by coroner, Doctor Doremus (Etienne Girardot), Vance believes otherwise and intends on proving it. Teaming up with Detective Ernest Heath (Eugene Palette) and District Attorney John F. Markham (Robert McWade) during the investigation, Vance encounters a total of seven suspects with motives for wanting Cole dead, ranging from his niece, her fiancé, Raymond Wrede (Ralph Morgan), Cole's personal secretary and live-in boarder in love with Hilda; Brisbane Cole (Frank Conroy), the victim's brother who owns a book of unsolved murders; and Liang (James Lee), Cole's Chinese cook. Things prove more complicated when Vance learns the sole witness to be a Doberman Pinscher.For Powell's fourth go round as Philo Vance, it also became his last. Powell would play other master detectives over the years, his best known and admired being that of Nick Charles in six installments of "The Thin Man" series for MGM (1934-1947). Based on his performance enacted here can only envision the way Powell's Philo was performed over at Paramount. In fact, Powell's Philo appears to be no different from his Nick Charles interpretation, with the exception that Nick is married. It really doesn't matter considering their similar techniques on crime solving and how he goes about revealing "who done it?" and why. Aside from its fine casting, director Curtiz keeps the pace moving through portions of split screen techniques, limited off-screen narration (by Vancve) and flashback details. Another definite asset is the familiar presence of Mary Astor, eight years before her substantial performance in the third screen adaptation of Dashell Hammett's detective mystery, THE MALTESE FALCON (Warners, 1941) starring Humphrey Bogart as private eye, Sam Spade. Being both classic "Philo Vance" and top-notch Powell, THE KENNEL MURDER CASE was unrecognizably remade by Warners as CALLING PHILO VANCE (1940) featuring James Stephenson in the title role; with Margot Stevenson (Hilda Lake); and Richard Kipling (Archer Cole). Shorter (65 minutes) from the original (73 minutes), the remake, with material brought up to date, is a very dull affair.Aside from broadcasts on commercial television, THE KENNEL MURDER CASE turned up quite regularly on public broadcast stations in the 1980s as part of its "Sprockets" series. As much as other "Philo Vance" mysteries featuring different actors distributed by other film companies through 1947, THE KENNEL MURDER CASE became the of many to be distributed to video cassette. Having fallen into public domain, many video prints are usually of poor quality. DVD copies are either found with a double bill with NANCY DREW, DETECTIVE (1938) on the flip side or as a solo disc. Better visuals and audio copies of THE KENNEL MURDER CASE can be seen on Turner Classic Movies. While a film like this may not win any blue ribbons, it should satisfy both humans and dogs alike. Sequel: THE DRAGON MURDER CASE (Warners, 1934) starring Warren William as Philo Vance supported by Eugene Palette, Robert McWade and Etienne Girardot resuming their initial roles. (***)

There were times when this movie seemed to get a whole lot more complicated than it needed to be, but I guess that's part of it's charm. Detective Philo Vance's powers of observation seem greater than all the Oriental sleuths of the era combined when it comes down to that final evaluation of how the murders were committed. The dropping of the dagger into the Chinese vase was the kicker for me; I mean, couldn't somebody have just dropped it? Vance (William Powell) had a line early in the film about Archer Coe's 'psychological impossibility' to kill himself - I had to think about that for a while. I was left wondering if there's some scientific basis in fact for that concept to be true, not having studied psychology myself. Seems logical, but then there's always the case that doesn't fit the rules.You know, I got a kick out of the agitated coroner (Etienne Girardot), who reminded me of Star Trek's Dr. McCoy the couple of times he stated "I'm a doctor, not a magician" and "I'm a doctor, not a detective". I can picture DeForrest Kelley watching the film and saying to himself - 'I'll have to use that sometime'.Once the killer's identity is revealed, it doesn't seem like such a big surprise, but up till then it's really anybody's guess. But Archer and Brisbane Coe aside, the film didn't answer the central question posed by the title, and the murder I was really interested in - who killed Sir Thomas MacDonald's dog Ghillie?

"Markham," says urbane gentleman crime-solver Philo Vance (William Powell) to the district attorney, "I'm coming more and more to the belief that Archer Coe was killed in this room. That poker, this dagger sheath, now these fragments...it's all here." "But Vance," Markham says, "do you mean to tell me a dead man walked upstairs?" "I'm not trying to tell you anything but the facts," Vance says. "This is the most remarkable case in my experience." We're sympathetic. Wealthy, arrogant Archer Coe, disliked it seems by all who knew him, had been found slumped in a chair in his bedroom, pistol in his hand and a gunshot wound to his head. But wait. Further examination shows Coe had been hit hard by a blunt instrument that fractured his skull. Then there's the dagger wound in his back. Complicating matters is that Coe's bedroom door and windows all had been locked from the inside. Coe was no suicide; this was murder. But how could the killer have escaped? What was the specific motivation since there are so many suspects? And why was Coe's brother, Brisbane Coe, found dead in the main-floor closet? The Kennel Murder Case, now 73 years old, still provides a stylish look at the old locked- room classic whodunit. What makes it work as well as it does is, first, the mystery is complicated and clever, but still is logical. Second, is the amusing, assured performance of William Powell. Consider his work as Philo Vance as something as a rehearsal for his great performances as Nick Charles. Few things escape Vance. He uses his wits to piece things together. He's also good company. Powell was a star in the Twenties and moved steadily upward in status and popularity when the talkies took over. His intelligence, style and effortless sophistication have made him one of the most contemporary-seeming of actors from the past. Also pleasant is seeing a few other great faces. There's Mary Astor as Hilda Lake, the young, resentful and potentially rich ward of Coe; Paul Cavanaugh as a titled Brit hovering around Hilda; Helen Vinson with her notably sultry and selfish manner (watch her really do her stuff in Vogues of 1938); Etienne Giraudot, a small elderly man as the fussy Dr. Doremus, whose job as coroner and medical examiner keeps taking him away from his meals; and Ralph Morgan as Archer Coe's private secretary. This movie has a high percentage of middle-aged men without an ounce of fat who can wear snug, English-cut tailored suits with ease. Most of all is Eugene Palette, with his noble belly and gravel voice, as Detective Sergeant Heath. Sergeant Heath and Vance are long-time acquaintances who actually seem to like each other.