5/10
Tripped up by a turtle
3 December 2013
The last film that Randolph Scott did in modern dress was this film where he plays a homicide detective and he and Lynn Bari support the juvenile cast of Peggy Ann Garner, Connie Marshall, and Dean Stockwell. The three kids are the show and they work, sometimes at cross purposes to solve the homicide of neighbor Sheppard Strudwick's wife.

The murderer has worked out a very clever sound alibi for the time of the victim's death. But it's soon broken up and it's Stockwell's pet turtle who trips up the culprit and I do mean literally.

Lynn Bari is a mystery writer and a widow of a war correspondent who has settled down to domestic bliss such as it is with three lively kids. Said kids feel she needs some romance. And if you write mysteries what better than to have a policeman ready for a consultation.

Some years ago I panned a rather well received screwball comedy from the 30s, The Mad Miss Manton. In that one Barbara Stanwyck plays a madcap heiress who interferes in police business. But here at least these are kids and not mature, but among other things they hide a suspect, tamper with evidence, withhold evidence. That strains the credulity of the audience somewhat.

But as they are kids their actions are somewhat forgivable and Home Sweet Homicide is still a good film for family viewing.
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