This was June Collyer's last film before her retirement and featured an unusual plot with an interesting theatrical setting.
Drama editor Jean Monroe (June Collyer) publishes a tantalizing story in the Daily Journal where she hints that she knows the identity of a mad killer, a hunchback known as "The Fiend". The film begins at an exciting pace. While looking at her column Jean is visited by a caped hunchback - "The Fiend" - she grabs her coat and hails a cab but the driver is felled by a bullet meant for Jean. She doesn't really know who "The Fiend" is, the story was just a stunt but "The Fiend" doesn't know that and is now out to get her!!!
Fellow news hound Frank Gordon (Lloyd Hughes) decides to keep an eye on her and together they go to the Orient Theatre to see Wallington (George Ball), a performer, who has requested an interview with Jean. Of course he sent no such note but "The Fiend" has followed her and the stage is set for another exciting shoot out. All the clichés in the book are in this film but they all work wonderfully. Wallington gets the poisoned dart (the now proved murder weapon) but he still has time to utter those immortal words "the murderer is ..." just before he dies!!! Zany photographer (Al St. John) is on hand to offer pearls of wisdom throughout the film.
The playwright Peter Fortune (Lawrence Grey) appears very friendly and helpful and throws suspicion on Sanchez, a person who has helped him devise ingenious murder plots for his plays over the years. Reardon (Jack Mulhall) is not who he seems - when he is on the phone, supposedly talking to police headquarters, Gordon sees that he has his finger down on the receiver. He is then tracked to Sanchez' house but has no explanation of why he is there. When the police decide to do a re-enactment at the theatre Reardon decides to talk ...but is killed before he can say anything. Gordon delves back into Fortune's life and finds that 10 years before there was a terrible fire at his first theatre and no explanation can be found. Just when you think you know who the killer is.........!!!!
This is one of several Victory productions based on the short stories of popular novelist Peter B. Kyne and it is an excellent film. It is action packed and although cliché ridden - who cares!!!!
The actors were very good in their roles - Lawrence Grey had his period of popularity in the very early 30s where he had success in several early musicals - "Sunny", "Spring is Here", "Children of Pleasure" "Marianne" and "It's a Great Life". "A Face in the Fog" was his next to last film. Lloyd Hughes was a personable leading man but just not interesting enough to become a major star. More virile looking than David Manners, he was a compliment to his leading lady whether it was Colleen Moore in "Ella Cinders" (1926) or Alice White in "Sweethearts on Parade" (1930). He did make a few films with his co-star June Collyer and even made a couple in Australia - "A Broken Melody" (1937) and "Lovers and Luggers" (1938) before his career ended.
Highly Recommended.
Drama editor Jean Monroe (June Collyer) publishes a tantalizing story in the Daily Journal where she hints that she knows the identity of a mad killer, a hunchback known as "The Fiend". The film begins at an exciting pace. While looking at her column Jean is visited by a caped hunchback - "The Fiend" - she grabs her coat and hails a cab but the driver is felled by a bullet meant for Jean. She doesn't really know who "The Fiend" is, the story was just a stunt but "The Fiend" doesn't know that and is now out to get her!!!
Fellow news hound Frank Gordon (Lloyd Hughes) decides to keep an eye on her and together they go to the Orient Theatre to see Wallington (George Ball), a performer, who has requested an interview with Jean. Of course he sent no such note but "The Fiend" has followed her and the stage is set for another exciting shoot out. All the clichés in the book are in this film but they all work wonderfully. Wallington gets the poisoned dart (the now proved murder weapon) but he still has time to utter those immortal words "the murderer is ..." just before he dies!!! Zany photographer (Al St. John) is on hand to offer pearls of wisdom throughout the film.
The playwright Peter Fortune (Lawrence Grey) appears very friendly and helpful and throws suspicion on Sanchez, a person who has helped him devise ingenious murder plots for his plays over the years. Reardon (Jack Mulhall) is not who he seems - when he is on the phone, supposedly talking to police headquarters, Gordon sees that he has his finger down on the receiver. He is then tracked to Sanchez' house but has no explanation of why he is there. When the police decide to do a re-enactment at the theatre Reardon decides to talk ...but is killed before he can say anything. Gordon delves back into Fortune's life and finds that 10 years before there was a terrible fire at his first theatre and no explanation can be found. Just when you think you know who the killer is.........!!!!
This is one of several Victory productions based on the short stories of popular novelist Peter B. Kyne and it is an excellent film. It is action packed and although cliché ridden - who cares!!!!
The actors were very good in their roles - Lawrence Grey had his period of popularity in the very early 30s where he had success in several early musicals - "Sunny", "Spring is Here", "Children of Pleasure" "Marianne" and "It's a Great Life". "A Face in the Fog" was his next to last film. Lloyd Hughes was a personable leading man but just not interesting enough to become a major star. More virile looking than David Manners, he was a compliment to his leading lady whether it was Colleen Moore in "Ella Cinders" (1926) or Alice White in "Sweethearts on Parade" (1930). He did make a few films with his co-star June Collyer and even made a couple in Australia - "A Broken Melody" (1937) and "Lovers and Luggers" (1938) before his career ended.
Highly Recommended.