IMDb RATING
6.9/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
Shady stockbroker and abusive husband Gerald Parker is found dead in the penguin pool of a NYC aquarium after being knocked cold by his wife's boyfriend.Shady stockbroker and abusive husband Gerald Parker is found dead in the penguin pool of a NYC aquarium after being knocked cold by his wife's boyfriend.Shady stockbroker and abusive husband Gerald Parker is found dead in the penguin pool of a NYC aquarium after being knocked cold by his wife's boyfriend.
Clarence Wilson
- Bertrand B. Hemingway
- (as Clarence H. Wilson)
Gustav von Seyffertitz
- Von Donnen
- (as Gustav Von Seyffertitz)
William Le Maire
- MacDonald
- (as William LeMaire)
A.S. 'Pop' Byron
- Jailer Strauss
- (uncredited)
Edith Fellows
- Little Girl at Aquarium
- (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton
- Policeman Jack - at Jail
- (uncredited)
Mary Mason
- Parker's Secretary
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe New York Aquarium, where the Penguin Pool Murder is set, was located on the southern tip of Manhattan in Battery Park from 1896 until it was closed in 1941. It has been located in Coney Island since 1957.
- GoofsThe boom's shadow appears on a column behind Edna May Oliver when Miss Withers is looking through the aquarium at night.
- Quotes
Hildegard Withers: [to telephone operator who is putting on thick make-up] Now that you've got your disguise on, I would like to ask you a few questions. That is if you talk through all that make-up.
- ConnectionsFollowed by Murder on the Blackboard (1934)
Featured review
Shows just why 1930's movie audiences kept studios and theaters so busy
I saw this movie at the Stanford Theater, a restored small-town movie palace of 1925. The Stanford only shows old classics, and often some films show up on the bill that sound completely unfamiliar, but sound like they might be worth a look.
Penguin Pool Murder is just such a film. When I reat a little bit about it, it didn't sound too interesting, but since I like the pre-code period so much, and I'd never seen an Edna Mae Oliver film before (other than a tiny snippet from Saturday Night Kid) I decided that I might as well go and see it.
PPM is a fast-paced and hilarious murder mystery, still as gleefully enjoyable as it was upon it's first release. The lead character, school marm Hildegarde Withers, is brilliantly portrayed by snappy, vivacious and proper Edna Mae Oliver. I'm sure some people might get annoyed by her high-toned and imperious British accent, but I loved it. It lent buoyancy to her already top-notch dialogue.
Despite it's status as a B-production (as opposed to a more prestigious "A" movie with more stars, more crowd scenes and an all-around bigger budget), PPM is a movie that reflect's Hollywood's unending attention to detail, high visual standards and emphasis on glamour whenever possible. Take for instance one of the first scenes: Mae Clarke in her posh boudoir, dressed in a shimmering evening gown, making a telephone call and getting accosted by her husband. Later, when she visits the aquarium, she's swathed in an enormous fur collar and the chiquest of clothes. Imagine how many depression-weary families went to see this, and the mother imagined herself with Clarke's clothes and figure. Dad could fancy himself her husband, and the kiddies would be entertained by the character's antics. This is, if any thing, a family in the best sense of the word.
Edger Kennedy has a small role in this, as the token blundering Irish cop. When I was a kid, I saw him perform his routines in the Our Gang shorts When the Wind Blows and The First Seven Years, and again as the antagonized street vendor in Duck Soup. Recently, I've come to dislike his "slow burn" technique, but I'm starting to like it again. It's an acquired taste, that's for sure. Here, Kennedy the cop has a shaved head, which I thought was a bit unusual.
I hope this movie comes out on video and DVD so I can own it for myself. To my limited knowledge, it's still relegated to the vaults, with the likes of so many great movies. Some day, people will begin to hear more about Edna Mae Oliver and want to see her films. Penguin Pool Murder will surface and be enjoyed by a whole new legion of fans. That day will be a good day indeed.
Penguin Pool Murder is just such a film. When I reat a little bit about it, it didn't sound too interesting, but since I like the pre-code period so much, and I'd never seen an Edna Mae Oliver film before (other than a tiny snippet from Saturday Night Kid) I decided that I might as well go and see it.
PPM is a fast-paced and hilarious murder mystery, still as gleefully enjoyable as it was upon it's first release. The lead character, school marm Hildegarde Withers, is brilliantly portrayed by snappy, vivacious and proper Edna Mae Oliver. I'm sure some people might get annoyed by her high-toned and imperious British accent, but I loved it. It lent buoyancy to her already top-notch dialogue.
Despite it's status as a B-production (as opposed to a more prestigious "A" movie with more stars, more crowd scenes and an all-around bigger budget), PPM is a movie that reflect's Hollywood's unending attention to detail, high visual standards and emphasis on glamour whenever possible. Take for instance one of the first scenes: Mae Clarke in her posh boudoir, dressed in a shimmering evening gown, making a telephone call and getting accosted by her husband. Later, when she visits the aquarium, she's swathed in an enormous fur collar and the chiquest of clothes. Imagine how many depression-weary families went to see this, and the mother imagined herself with Clarke's clothes and figure. Dad could fancy himself her husband, and the kiddies would be entertained by the character's antics. This is, if any thing, a family in the best sense of the word.
Edger Kennedy has a small role in this, as the token blundering Irish cop. When I was a kid, I saw him perform his routines in the Our Gang shorts When the Wind Blows and The First Seven Years, and again as the antagonized street vendor in Duck Soup. Recently, I've come to dislike his "slow burn" technique, but I'm starting to like it again. It's an acquired taste, that's for sure. Here, Kennedy the cop has a shaved head, which I thought was a bit unusual.
I hope this movie comes out on video and DVD so I can own it for myself. To my limited knowledge, it's still relegated to the vaults, with the likes of so many great movies. Some day, people will begin to hear more about Edna Mae Oliver and want to see her films. Penguin Pool Murder will surface and be enjoyed by a whole new legion of fans. That day will be a good day indeed.
helpful•357
- Kieran_Kenney
- Jul 21, 2004
- How long is Penguin Pool Murder?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 10 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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