Watch The Phantom of 42nd Street For Free

Thanks for the memories!

It is a performances centric movie

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Tony Woolrish (Dave O'Brien) is a theater critic thrust into the role of crime reporter. At first he resists, but as the bodies pile up, he realizes the theater is the common thread behind a series of murders. With the help of his trusted cab-driving friend Romeo (Frank Jenks), he sets out to unmask a killer.Recently, I've watched a good number of low-budget mysteries from the 30s and 40s. The Phantom of 42nd Street is easily (and it's not even close) the worst of the bunch. While there are a few elements of the plot that appealed to me, the movie has way too many problems. The direction is terribly uninspired, leading to an overall dull movie. The sets have that cheap look I associate with the worst of the Poverty Row films. Lighting is non-existent. The acting is hit or miss at best. O'Brien is actually pretty good in the lead role. But at the other end of the acting spectrum, Edythe Elliott gives one of the worst performances I've seen lately. Her delivery is just so stilted and unnatural. Finally, I have an issue with the movie's finale. Agreeing with another comment on IMDb, I've gone back and watched the ending twice and I still can't tell you whodunit. It's a very poor ending to a very unappealing movie. A 3/10 from me.

After watching this poverty row mystery -- and re-running the climactic scene three or four times -- there's no need for a spoiler alert. I still have no idea who committed the murders nor why. Which sorta' takes the wind out of watching Dave O'Brien as the drama critic for the New York Record playing amateur sleuth, probing the slayings that are decimating the cast of a New York repertory theater. Then again, why was the film called "Phantom of 42nd Street" when live theater had long given way to grind movie houses on 42 Street by the time it was made in the 1940s? That's easy. While "Phantom of 47th Street Between Seventh and Eighth Avenues" would have been more accurate, it wouldn't have had nearly the cache. And fitting it on marquees -- especially at theaters that played PRC releases -- would have been a challenge.

My score of 4 might just be a bit generous to this ultra-low budget film from PRC--one of the worst of the so-called 'Poverty Row studios'--so named because of their very, very low production values. Much of the acting is very, very rough as is some of the dialog. A bit more polish and some better supporting actors would have helped this one a lot--especially since the actors often flubbed the delivery of their lines. As a result, it often seemed pretty amateurish. This is sad because the basic story idea is pretty nifty for a B-mystery and Dave O'Brien (a total unknown) did great in the lead. As a result of appearing in films like this, you can see why he never became a household name.The story finds O'Brien a theater critic for the local newspaper. Oddly, following a particularly dreary show, one of the theater company members is found dead--murdered! While O'Brien is NOT a crime reporter, his short-tempered boss insists that he investigate further. In typical 1940s fashion, the hero reporter suddenly becomes a private detective--something I assume happened all the time back then!! And, after some clever digging and a few wild guesses, he has an angle on the killer--too bad the stupid police (big surprise) have already arrested the wrong man! Overall, despite some bad acting and writing, the basic story works and the film is an enjoyable little B-movie. While it won't change your life, it is worth a look if you love Bs. Otherwise, you can skip this one and not be missing out on much.

Minor little murder mystery involving the deaths of members of a theater company and how it revolves around a popular star of the stage, Cecil Moore(Alan Mowbray). A renowned New York City theater critic, Anthony Woolrich(Dave O'Brien)is asked by his newspaper's publisher to cover the story of the murder of Cecil Moore's brother, found hung with a note with written verse from a play. A second murder, an electrician who once worked for Cecil during an old theatrical troupe many years previous, is murdered as well(..a note with verse also left at his crime scene), and Tony has a hunch that it might concern a revenge of some sort tied to the Moores from their past. Looking through an old program that contained names of those involved with this troupe, Tony questions the leading actress, Janet(Edythe Elliot)and discovers, by her own admission, that she was in fact married to Cecil and is mother to his daughter, Claudia(Kay Aldridge). This might just be the link. Both Cecil and his brother were after Janet's hand, but she was in love with another..and actor who vanished, perhaps murdered by a jealous rival for her affections. Janet married and divorced from Cecil, and soon met another, a Buchanan, someone also involved with the stage who she confirmed died in an asylum..or did he? Tony believes someone currently working for Cecil might be the madman and that Claudia could be in danger as well. Even Tony himself was shot at. Along with his trusty taxi driver, Romeo(..the wisecracking Frank Jenks, whose cabbie never feels appreciated for all he does for our intrepid reporter), and Homicide detective, Lt Walsh(Jack Mulhall), Tony will attempt to lure the killer into a trap by staging a charity play of Julius Caesar, hoping that he will literally inhabit the role of Brutus, getting caught in the process.Time hasn't been kind to this relic, and when you watch a film like THE PHANTOM OF 42ND STREET, you'll realize just why the role of film preservationists is so important. Lots of film jumps, lines and blotches that have effected key moments in the movie, and cuts into the dialogue due to the devastated quality really hamper the viewing experience..nothing's as important as getting all the details and when characters are interrupted by ravaged film and sound, you never completely get the whole story. The film is certainly of it's time as the talk and humor are relative to the people who existed in New York City of the 40's(..Jenks' cabbie is a true example of this). O'Brien is a handsome charmer and Aldridge quite a stunner. It's relatively quick at around an hour and harmless, but rather forgettable amongst others of it's type. Very talky..quite dialogue driven as clues are pursued with our hero's life always in danger, although he never breaks a sweat, quite determined and motivated to save the Moores from potential peril.