By B movie standards, this one comes pretty close to being a feature film. Not going by its length obviously, but for the quality of the sets and cinematography. The principals aren't bad either, although given any of the lead players, none seem to occupy a lot of screen time individually. With typed murder threats leveled against the main persons involved in the remake of a film titled "Song of the Toreador", the police have their hands full in quarantining an entire back lot, securing seven hundred people behind locked studio gates while a murderer remains on the loose. It's played for some comedy as well as drama, with even a movie 'Batman' (Henry Brandon) making an appearance as a frightened vegetarian who can't deal with the suspense! To guess the identity of the killer one has to stretch a bit, as it requires belief that an esteemed actor of seven years prior faked his own death following a disfiguring fire that ruined his face. Seeking revenge on the actor (Rod La Rocque) in a remake of his earlier triumph, Edwin Strange (Conway Tearle) also has it out for his former wife (Gail Patrick), now married to his original director (Ian Keith). Although Strange is smoked out by the authorities, the final scene fades out with publicity manager of World Attractions, Johnny Morgan (Reginald Denny) in a clinch with his secretary/girlfriend (Frances Drake) after she finally agreed to accept his proposal. It's almost as if they were the picture's main characters!
Review of The Preview Murder Mystery
The Preview Murder Mystery
(1936)
"You'll wake up with a kink in your medulla oblongata!"
11 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers