Country house, stormy night. A company president tells the officers seated around his dinner table that one of them has defrauded the company of half a million dollars. Then he goes off to bed--and soon is found dead. The police call it suicide but the man's daughter has her doubts. She asks her old aunt's nurse if she knows of any good detectives. "Why yes," Nurse Keate answers, "I think I know one of the best. Lance O'Leary is his name."
This dialog is silly but fun, as is the idea that you would ask a nurse to recommend a private detective. However, this B mystery doesn't take itself too seriously and while it may be short on thrills or snappy dialog, it's nevertheless quite entertaining.
Ann Sheridan is wide-eyed and earnest as Nurse Sara Keate, on hand to care for the cranky old invalid aunt. Dick Purcell is just fine as Lance O'Leary, the dashing detective and sometime boyfriend who is summoned by the nurse to look into the situation. Lance picks up clues, discusses them with Nurse Keate, and draws up theories. (Is the old aunt really confined to her wheelchair? "I'm not so sure about that," he says with set jaw.)
It's a pretty standard plot with a couple of murders and a handful of shady suspects. Elspeth Dudgeon is fun as the feisty old aunt. There's also a dog that has a pretty good role--he's always sniffing around at closed doors and even gets involved in the climactic fight.
A minor entry in the old dark house genre but fun for fans.
This dialog is silly but fun, as is the idea that you would ask a nurse to recommend a private detective. However, this B mystery doesn't take itself too seriously and while it may be short on thrills or snappy dialog, it's nevertheless quite entertaining.
Ann Sheridan is wide-eyed and earnest as Nurse Sara Keate, on hand to care for the cranky old invalid aunt. Dick Purcell is just fine as Lance O'Leary, the dashing detective and sometime boyfriend who is summoned by the nurse to look into the situation. Lance picks up clues, discusses them with Nurse Keate, and draws up theories. (Is the old aunt really confined to her wheelchair? "I'm not so sure about that," he says with set jaw.)
It's a pretty standard plot with a couple of murders and a handful of shady suspects. Elspeth Dudgeon is fun as the feisty old aunt. There's also a dog that has a pretty good role--he's always sniffing around at closed doors and even gets involved in the climactic fight.
A minor entry in the old dark house genre but fun for fans.