Charles Ruggles, Mary Carlisle, and Una Merkel star in this crime thriller on a train, made just as the Hays Production was starting to be enforced. Merkel and Carlisle are telephone operators, Ruth and Georgia, but when circumstances change, they end up on a train, in a private car, with the absent minded, stuttering Ruggles as Godfrey Scott. He "deflects" crimes before they occur....(?) And of course, a 35 year old Sterling Holloway (voice of Winnie the Pooh) as an office boy. Keep a quick eye out for Walter Brennan, the railroad switch- man, in a real brief appearance. They pack a lot of action into the 63 minute shortie from MGM. Good photography with the train "chase scenes", in spite of all the back mattes and sped up film scenes used. There is a confusing scene near the beginning, before they all get on the train, but it becomes quite an entertaining film. Appears to have been remade in 1942 as Grand Central Murder (?) also by MGM.
28 Reviews
Top-notch railway-set second feature
goblinhairedguy12 July 2006
This is a fast-paced and highly enjoyable comedy-thriller from the MGM B-movie mill. The plot concerns a pretty switchboard operator who discovers that she is the long-lost daughter of a wealthy industrialist. On a cross-country train trip to visit him, a mysterious villain threatens her and her entourage with murder through messages and the occasional disembodied voice.
The first two-thirds of the movie are played mainly for laughs, with sharp, witty dialog and goofy situations. This leads to a frantic no-holds-barred climax as a runaway railway car hurtles down a mountain line, narrowly missing speeding trains coming its way.
Charlie Ruggles creates another wonderfully eccentric character, a "deflector" -- something like a detective, but instead of solving crimes he uses his savvy to prevent them from occurring. He mangles many an old aphorism, and has some terrific exchanges with the equally incisive Una Merkel. He even gets to interact with some circus animals in amusing fashion. Pre-code buffs will enjoy some of the subtly racy asides (listen for Ruggles' full name, for instance), but modern viewers may be dismayed by the racially insensitive material to which "Snowflake" is subjected as the frightened porter (he has a larger role than usual, and certainly plays the demeaning stereotype with aplomb).
Definitely worth an hour of any buff's time, and a "keeper" for railway aficionados.
The first two-thirds of the movie are played mainly for laughs, with sharp, witty dialog and goofy situations. This leads to a frantic no-holds-barred climax as a runaway railway car hurtles down a mountain line, narrowly missing speeding trains coming its way.
Charlie Ruggles creates another wonderfully eccentric character, a "deflector" -- something like a detective, but instead of solving crimes he uses his savvy to prevent them from occurring. He mangles many an old aphorism, and has some terrific exchanges with the equally incisive Una Merkel. He even gets to interact with some circus animals in amusing fashion. Pre-code buffs will enjoy some of the subtly racy asides (listen for Ruggles' full name, for instance), but modern viewers may be dismayed by the racially insensitive material to which "Snowflake" is subjected as the frightened porter (he has a larger role than usual, and certainly plays the demeaning stereotype with aplomb).
Definitely worth an hour of any buff's time, and a "keeper" for railway aficionados.
Strangers on this train
bkoganbing16 November 2018
In his career during the 30s Charlie Ruggles was a master of silly and non-sequitar
comedy. No one could mix a metaphor quite like Ruggles as he proves in Murder
In A Private Car.
The film concerns two switchboard operators and best friends Una Merkel and Mary Carlisle. Just one day private detective Porter Hall contacts Carlisle and tells her she is the missing heiress to a fortune and millionaire Berton Churchill's daughter. As a toddler Carlisle was kidnapped and placed in an orphanage by nefarious forces unknown.
Those same nefarious forces are determined to see she doesn't get to be reunited with dad. Let's say there's a lot of money at stake.
So begins an eventful trip with a few deaths, an escaped gorilla, and romance developing between another private detective Ruggles and Merkel. Ruggles is kind of shoehorned into the plot. He's not a detective, Ruggles calls himself a deflector one who prevents crime rather than solve it. That was in fact the premise of the TV series Checkmate back in the day.
Even with 'murder' in the title, Murder In The Private Car is still an amusing little item. Listen carefully to Ruggles, you may have to watch this film one or two times to catch all the bon mots he utters.
They and he are worth catching.
The film concerns two switchboard operators and best friends Una Merkel and Mary Carlisle. Just one day private detective Porter Hall contacts Carlisle and tells her she is the missing heiress to a fortune and millionaire Berton Churchill's daughter. As a toddler Carlisle was kidnapped and placed in an orphanage by nefarious forces unknown.
Those same nefarious forces are determined to see she doesn't get to be reunited with dad. Let's say there's a lot of money at stake.
So begins an eventful trip with a few deaths, an escaped gorilla, and romance developing between another private detective Ruggles and Merkel. Ruggles is kind of shoehorned into the plot. He's not a detective, Ruggles calls himself a deflector one who prevents crime rather than solve it. That was in fact the premise of the TV series Checkmate back in the day.
Even with 'murder' in the title, Murder In The Private Car is still an amusing little item. Listen carefully to Ruggles, you may have to watch this film one or two times to catch all the bon mots he utters.
They and he are worth catching.
I thoroughly enjoyed this goofy old film
AlsExGal15 May 2010
One thing you can say for sure, it certainly is not a rip-off of "The Thin Man" or any other big budget murder mystery of its time.
The scene opens on two switchboard operators busy at work at an investment firm - Ruth Raymond and Georgia Latham (Mary Carlisle and Una Merkel). One day an investigator informs Ruth that she is the long lost daughter of a wealthy man. She is to be whisked away via a private car to New York to meet her father. She asks her friend and coworker, Georgia, to come along too, and thus the adventure begins.
Onboard the train the bodies start piling up, there is a mysterious invisible voice telling Ruth she has only hours to live, and there are doubts raised as to whether or not she is the long lost daughter of the wealthy man in the first place. Along for the ride is the long-time boyfriend of Ruth, as well as a goofy fellow, Godfrey Scott (Charles Ruggles), who has taken a shine to Georgia before all of this mystery began and appointed himself investigator of the case. There are escaped primates in assorted sizes and also a plot device that reminds me of the "Wild Wild West" TV show.
Ruggles' act can get tiresome depending on how big a dose is injected into a particular movie, but there is so much going on here that I really didn't think him more of a hindrance than a help, plus the building relationship between himself and Merkel's character is adorable. I'd recommend it if you're in the mood for a rather offbeat film that is certainly very atypical output for MGM of the period.
The scene opens on two switchboard operators busy at work at an investment firm - Ruth Raymond and Georgia Latham (Mary Carlisle and Una Merkel). One day an investigator informs Ruth that she is the long lost daughter of a wealthy man. She is to be whisked away via a private car to New York to meet her father. She asks her friend and coworker, Georgia, to come along too, and thus the adventure begins.
Onboard the train the bodies start piling up, there is a mysterious invisible voice telling Ruth she has only hours to live, and there are doubts raised as to whether or not she is the long lost daughter of the wealthy man in the first place. Along for the ride is the long-time boyfriend of Ruth, as well as a goofy fellow, Godfrey Scott (Charles Ruggles), who has taken a shine to Georgia before all of this mystery began and appointed himself investigator of the case. There are escaped primates in assorted sizes and also a plot device that reminds me of the "Wild Wild West" TV show.
Ruggles' act can get tiresome depending on how big a dose is injected into a particular movie, but there is so much going on here that I really didn't think him more of a hindrance than a help, plus the building relationship between himself and Merkel's character is adorable. I'd recommend it if you're in the mood for a rather offbeat film that is certainly very atypical output for MGM of the period.
I admit I was a little confused
blanche-210 October 2015
"Murder in the Private Car" is from 1934, right at the beginning of the production code.
A pretty switchboard operator, Ruth (Mary Carlisle) is told by detectives that she is the long-lost daughter of a wealthy man. Her coworker (Una Merkel) accompanies her in a private train car ordered for her to take her to her father. But somebody -- a disembodied voice, in fact - wants her dead -- and tells her she has only hours to live.
A man on the train, Godfrey Scott (Charles Ruggles) is on the train. He is a "deflector," one who stops crimes before they start. Ruth's long- time boyfriend is also on the train.
Soon people start being murdered, and it's obvious Ruth is in great danger.
This is an odd movie in that the story - for me, anyway, wasn't very clear. There is a circus train wreck thrown in, giving Ruggles the opportunity to interact with several animals.
The highlight of the film is a train chase, and the process shots were very well done - normally you can tell the background is a movie screen, but here it wasn't always apparent, and the chase was very exciting.
I was confused because it looks in the beginning of the film as if the detectives faked the evidence in order to say that Ruth was the long- lost daughter, but I don't think it was followed up. I guess whether she was or not, she thought she was and the father believed it.
The other thing that threw me was the disembodied voice which I thought I recognized - I won't say who I thought it was, but I spent some time thinking the murderer was someone who wasn't. In fact I'm not sure if the murderer was revealed. I was probably distracted. It reminded me of an old episode of Inspector Morse that was so confusing, I called my friend and asked whodunit. He returned my call and said, "I not only don't know whodunit, I don't know who was killed."
Georgia (Merkel) and Godfrey have a cute relationship that grows during the film.
Definitely worth seeing - Walter Brennan is one of the men at the train switch, obviously a very early role. Sterling Holloway, so familiar to Baby Boomers from TV and the voice of Winnie the Pooh, is also in the film.
MGM supposedly remade this film about ten years later - but to be honest, the description of "Grand Central Murder" doesn't sound the same, except for the train sequence. This movie is also reminiscent of a film with Lana Turner minus the train - so who knows.
I thought this B movie ended before certain things were cleared up.
According to IMDb, Mary Carlisle is still alive at 101. Wow.
A pretty switchboard operator, Ruth (Mary Carlisle) is told by detectives that she is the long-lost daughter of a wealthy man. Her coworker (Una Merkel) accompanies her in a private train car ordered for her to take her to her father. But somebody -- a disembodied voice, in fact - wants her dead -- and tells her she has only hours to live.
A man on the train, Godfrey Scott (Charles Ruggles) is on the train. He is a "deflector," one who stops crimes before they start. Ruth's long- time boyfriend is also on the train.
Soon people start being murdered, and it's obvious Ruth is in great danger.
This is an odd movie in that the story - for me, anyway, wasn't very clear. There is a circus train wreck thrown in, giving Ruggles the opportunity to interact with several animals.
The highlight of the film is a train chase, and the process shots were very well done - normally you can tell the background is a movie screen, but here it wasn't always apparent, and the chase was very exciting.
I was confused because it looks in the beginning of the film as if the detectives faked the evidence in order to say that Ruth was the long- lost daughter, but I don't think it was followed up. I guess whether she was or not, she thought she was and the father believed it.
The other thing that threw me was the disembodied voice which I thought I recognized - I won't say who I thought it was, but I spent some time thinking the murderer was someone who wasn't. In fact I'm not sure if the murderer was revealed. I was probably distracted. It reminded me of an old episode of Inspector Morse that was so confusing, I called my friend and asked whodunit. He returned my call and said, "I not only don't know whodunit, I don't know who was killed."
Georgia (Merkel) and Godfrey have a cute relationship that grows during the film.
Definitely worth seeing - Walter Brennan is one of the men at the train switch, obviously a very early role. Sterling Holloway, so familiar to Baby Boomers from TV and the voice of Winnie the Pooh, is also in the film.
MGM supposedly remade this film about ten years later - but to be honest, the description of "Grand Central Murder" doesn't sound the same, except for the train sequence. This movie is also reminiscent of a film with Lana Turner minus the train - so who knows.
I thought this B movie ended before certain things were cleared up.
According to IMDb, Mary Carlisle is still alive at 101. Wow.
"This must be field day for daffodils."
classicsoncall20 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of the most entertaining films in which nothing makes sense that you'll ever see. The entire premise of a young woman finding out she's the long-lost daughter and heiress of a railroad magnate is muddled with a pair of kidnappings, her and her boyfriend in separate incidents, but then, what looked like a ruse to make it seem her new identity was all a hoax, the story got back on track again when her father showed up! Talk about confusing! And if that wasn't enough zaniness, the passenger train Ruth Raymond Carson (Mary Carlisle) and her friend Georgia Latham (Una Merkel) were on was detained by a circus wreck! Elephants stroll in the middle of the track, and it wouldn't have been right if there wasn't a gorilla on board to escape and cause havoc! That gorilla by the way, was Ray Corrigan in a gorilla suit; the guy got tons of work in B pictures of the era by doing the big monkey routine.
All the while, Charles Ruggles is on hand as a private deflector (not detective!), hoping to prove his usefulness in 'deflecting' a crime before it happens! His use of perplexing bon mots, metaphors and non sequiturs pepper the story with humorous dialog that comes so fast and furious you almost need to pause the film to catch up. The murder of the movie's title occurs when Miss Carson's attendant Murray (Porter Hall) winds up dead, and it's only a matter of time before all the passengers are placed in jeopardy. The big reveal comes when the unseen brother of Ruth's father, Luke Carson (Berton Churchill), is heard proclaiming his revenge for being screwed out of a business deal by his brother years earlier.
The story rumbles to a frenetic, high speed, runaway train sequence that for its day must have been a very expensive production. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it was influential as the idea behind the spectacular train sequence in a movie I saw earlier today with this year's "Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One"! The only thing missing here was Charlie Ruggles parachuting into the train car!
All the while, Charles Ruggles is on hand as a private deflector (not detective!), hoping to prove his usefulness in 'deflecting' a crime before it happens! His use of perplexing bon mots, metaphors and non sequiturs pepper the story with humorous dialog that comes so fast and furious you almost need to pause the film to catch up. The murder of the movie's title occurs when Miss Carson's attendant Murray (Porter Hall) winds up dead, and it's only a matter of time before all the passengers are placed in jeopardy. The big reveal comes when the unseen brother of Ruth's father, Luke Carson (Berton Churchill), is heard proclaiming his revenge for being screwed out of a business deal by his brother years earlier.
The story rumbles to a frenetic, high speed, runaway train sequence that for its day must have been a very expensive production. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it was influential as the idea behind the spectacular train sequence in a movie I saw earlier today with this year's "Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One"! The only thing missing here was Charlie Ruggles parachuting into the train car!
Delightful trifle - even while asking "what were they thinking!?"
eschetic15 May 2007
Seldom will the words "what were they thinking?!" come to mind while enjoying a film as often as while watching this pseudo-mystery from the early days of sound at MGM - though not as early as the haphazard writing would suggest.
Enjoy it you will, however, as the odds and ends the entertainment are assembled from are largely quality remainders, borrowed from all kinds of other films than the mystery the title leads one to expect.
Who knows what the original mystery play ("The Rear Car") the film is based on was really like? It lacked sufficient merit to make it to Broadway (neither did "Everybody Comes To Rick's," but that didn't seem to hurt CASABLANCA much), but the stagy "thriller" aspects of the center part of the film suggest that the tossed in ingredients didn't hurt it any.
Chief among the "tossed in" ingredients is Charlie Ruggles' Godfrey Scott, a supposed "detective" occupied far more with the kind of bumbling burlesque comedy Ruggles had been perfecting since his movie debut back in 1914 (and would continue to mine right up until his death in 1970). By the 1930's Ruggles was a well recognized Hollywood commodity in such hits as Brandon Thomas' CHARLEY'S AUNT, THE SMILING LIEUTENANT, LOVE ME TONIGHT and ALICE IN WONDERLAND. MURDER IN THE PRIVATE CAR must have seemed a decidedly second tier assignment to the comedian, but he gave it his all . . . though the biggest laugh in the script may come in the credits - "Edgar Allan Woolf," one of the co-writers was clearly named after Edgar Allan POE, the founder of the modern mystery format with his "C. Auguste Dupin stories in the 1840's! So much for legitimate mystery credentials in this film.
The silly plot (a lost heiress found and at risk) had already been the subject of too many musicals and farces to be taken entirely seriously, and the film makers don't spend to much time seriously laying out the clues and red herrings even though the golden age of the murder mystery was near its peak. Instead, they pull out the stops with cinema-friendly special effects like runaway trains and (never explained) secret panels.
It starts and remains a supremely silly hodge podge, but fun nonetheless for all but the serious mystery fan the title seems to want to attract. Watch for Ruggles and Una Merkle, and don't worry so much about the title murder(s) and a good time is to be had.
Enjoy it you will, however, as the odds and ends the entertainment are assembled from are largely quality remainders, borrowed from all kinds of other films than the mystery the title leads one to expect.
Who knows what the original mystery play ("The Rear Car") the film is based on was really like? It lacked sufficient merit to make it to Broadway (neither did "Everybody Comes To Rick's," but that didn't seem to hurt CASABLANCA much), but the stagy "thriller" aspects of the center part of the film suggest that the tossed in ingredients didn't hurt it any.
Chief among the "tossed in" ingredients is Charlie Ruggles' Godfrey Scott, a supposed "detective" occupied far more with the kind of bumbling burlesque comedy Ruggles had been perfecting since his movie debut back in 1914 (and would continue to mine right up until his death in 1970). By the 1930's Ruggles was a well recognized Hollywood commodity in such hits as Brandon Thomas' CHARLEY'S AUNT, THE SMILING LIEUTENANT, LOVE ME TONIGHT and ALICE IN WONDERLAND. MURDER IN THE PRIVATE CAR must have seemed a decidedly second tier assignment to the comedian, but he gave it his all . . . though the biggest laugh in the script may come in the credits - "Edgar Allan Woolf," one of the co-writers was clearly named after Edgar Allan POE, the founder of the modern mystery format with his "C. Auguste Dupin stories in the 1840's! So much for legitimate mystery credentials in this film.
The silly plot (a lost heiress found and at risk) had already been the subject of too many musicals and farces to be taken entirely seriously, and the film makers don't spend to much time seriously laying out the clues and red herrings even though the golden age of the murder mystery was near its peak. Instead, they pull out the stops with cinema-friendly special effects like runaway trains and (never explained) secret panels.
It starts and remains a supremely silly hodge podge, but fun nonetheless for all but the serious mystery fan the title seems to want to attract. Watch for Ruggles and Una Merkle, and don't worry so much about the title murder(s) and a good time is to be had.
Good B thriller with a slam bang ending
MikeMagi19 May 2010
This is the sort of B thriller that made movie-going fun back in the thirties. Mary Carlisle is a hard-working telephone operator at a stock brokerage who suddenly discovers that she's the long-lost daughter of a railroad tycoon. With best pal Una Merkel in tow, she's tricked into boarding a private railway car en route to a reunion with her father. But neither the car nor her fellow passengers are what they appear to be.
Some of it is sorta' silly. There's a circus train wreck thrown in for padding. And Charlie Ruggles' as a "deflective" detective has a few too many goofy bromides. But the climactic chase sequence, as a runaway car roars down miles of twisting mountain track, is superbly directed, shot and edited. And that was back in the days before CGI when you had to film the real thing.
While "Murder in the Private Car" isn't in the same league as "The Narrow Margin" (the gold standard among railroad mysteries,) it's well worth a look. Especially for train buffs. And in just a bit over an hour, it moves along like...well...like a speeding train.
Some of it is sorta' silly. There's a circus train wreck thrown in for padding. And Charlie Ruggles' as a "deflective" detective has a few too many goofy bromides. But the climactic chase sequence, as a runaway car roars down miles of twisting mountain track, is superbly directed, shot and edited. And that was back in the days before CGI when you had to film the real thing.
While "Murder in the Private Car" isn't in the same league as "The Narrow Margin" (the gold standard among railroad mysteries,) it's well worth a look. Especially for train buffs. And in just a bit over an hour, it moves along like...well...like a speeding train.
Enjoyable if you like quirky B mysteries
michaeljhuman22 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I for one, love a quirky B mystery, but even I was taken aback by the zaniness of this movie, and the loose ends
I won't even try to explain the loose ends, because I am not sure if I missed key points in the movie, or a number of details were never explained. However, people seem to like some really confusing mystery movies, so I don't think it matters a lot. Just saying, don't expect coherence in this movie.
We have an idiot/genius deflector ( better than a detective, because he deflects the trouble before it does it's worse.) In this case, his deflecting is barely sufficient to allow for a happy ending.
We have an improbably circus train wreck, including an escaped gorilla that makes it's way onto the troublesome train.
We have dual, quirky romances
For railroad lovers, we have one of the best railroad action scenes in an old movie. Heck, if everything else fails, that should be enjoyable for fans of cliff hanger serials.
We have one rather annoying stereotyped black porter or whatever he is. Just ignore it, you are not going to build a time machine and fix problems like that in the past. Just be glad we have made some social progress.
In the end, due it being short, and due to it holding my attention while I continually either think: WTH or Really?!, and due to the very cool action train scene in the end ( I love trains,) I recommend it.
I won't even try to explain the loose ends, because I am not sure if I missed key points in the movie, or a number of details were never explained. However, people seem to like some really confusing mystery movies, so I don't think it matters a lot. Just saying, don't expect coherence in this movie.
We have an idiot/genius deflector ( better than a detective, because he deflects the trouble before it does it's worse.) In this case, his deflecting is barely sufficient to allow for a happy ending.
We have an improbably circus train wreck, including an escaped gorilla that makes it's way onto the troublesome train.
We have dual, quirky romances
For railroad lovers, we have one of the best railroad action scenes in an old movie. Heck, if everything else fails, that should be enjoyable for fans of cliff hanger serials.
We have one rather annoying stereotyped black porter or whatever he is. Just ignore it, you are not going to build a time machine and fix problems like that in the past. Just be glad we have made some social progress.
In the end, due it being short, and due to it holding my attention while I continually either think: WTH or Really?!, and due to the very cool action train scene in the end ( I love trains,) I recommend it.
"Good morning, America How are you?"
ksredhook10 December 2018
How you react to Charlie Ruggles will determine if you like the film
dbborroughs27 June 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Thankfully brief mystery about a telephone operator who is discovered to be the kidnapped daughter of a railroad tycoon. The discovery brings about an attempt on her life which is foiled by Charlie Ruggles as a "crime deflector". Things take a turn for the dangerous when everyone ends up in the title location and another attempt is made on the girls life. Your enjoyment of this film will depend upon your tolerance for Rugggles and his nonsense.I normally like Ruggles but there was something about this role that rubbed me the wrong way. Actually I think it didn't help that the mystery wasn't very good so there was nothing beyond the characters to keep you watching. yes the finale on the train was exciting but it didn't make up for everything that went before. Not worth searching out but if you stumble upon it give it a try.
The best "B" film ever made!
JohnHowardReid10 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Copyright 27 June 1934 by Metro Goldwyn Mayer Corp. No New York opening. Australian release: 5 December 1934. 7 reels. 63 minutes.
U.K. release title: MURDER ON THE RUNAWAY TRAIN.
SYNOPSIS: A telephone switchboard operator in a Los Angeles stockbroking firm is suddenly told she is the long-lost heiress of a New York railroad tycoon.
COMMENT: Weird yet wholly wonderful, "Murder in the Private Car" is undoubtedly the best "B" film M-G-M ever made. True, it was never showcased in New York. The reason for this apparent neglect was not the studio's belief that the movie lacked anything in entertainment. Rather the contrary. In fact the movie opened not as a "B", but as a main feature in Australia. The problem in New York was simply the film's lack of big-gun star power and its short running time. M-G-M had agreed to support other studios and the cinema chains in a campaign to stamp out double features, thus not only achieving cost- cutting all around but enabling city theaters to run more sessions per day. The picture-going public, however, stubbornly and steadfastly resisted this proposed change. (It was not in fact until nearly fifty years later that the studios finally achieved their desire).
Studio chiefs Mayer and Thalberg were well aware of the public's real sentiments. Not only that but Louis B. Mayer himself always had a soft spot for the "B" feature. He regarded the "B" not only as an excellent training ground for producers, directors, writers and all other creative personnel, but he also knew that a "B" feature, no matter its quality, just so long as it was completed either on or below budget, was assured of a certain profit. However, to Mayer, quality was also important because the prestige of the studio was at stake. It was always Mayer's aim to make M-G-M's "B"-movies the best in the industry. Accordingly, whilst he and Thalberg gave lip service to the industry campaign, in actual fact the studio did not curtail its "B" production units in any way at all. So what they did they did was simply to cut the number shown in New York where the industry's anti-double- feature bandwagon was at its strongest.
When I said "Murder in the Private Car" was the best, I meant not only best in sheer entertainment, but in technical and artistic quality as well. So far as entertainment was concerned, contemporary audiences much have been knocked right out of their seats. Not only is the movie super-fast-paced, densely written and ingeniously characterized, it all comes to the most stunningly extravagant climax ever devised for a "B" picture. The extraordinary location footage is so cleverly combined with the most realistic miniatures that it's absolutely impossible on one or two viewings to determine where one begins and the other ends.
Beaumont's direction is as zippily smooth as the crackerjack plot. The work of two photographers is also superbly meshed by an astute film editor, whilst the dazzling art direction and attractive costume design are miracles of "B"-movie artistry.
Mary Carlisle is one of the most sympathetic of heroines. And here she receives solid support even from the likes of Una Merkel (who in many other pictures is inclined to over-act). Charles Ruggles' impersonation may strike as a bit odd on a first viewing — and the story itself of course is the wildest flight of fantasy — but that's what movies are all about: the unusual, the fantastic, the imaginatively weird, the extravagantly bizarre.
All told, an absolute stunner.
OTHER VIEWS: Lucien Hubbard was a fascinating producer. He started off as a writer and I've no doubt he contributed to the script of his every production. He certainly did on Ebb Tide on which I worked for him. He had a wildly extravagant imagination and he used to fill his script with phrases like, "Ten thousand horsemen ride through towering cliffs into a ten-mile-long deserted canyon." The studio would be looking at a week's work and half the picture's budget to realize this shot on the screen — and then it would last for only ten seconds anyway! — Ray Milland.
For his efforts on "Murder in the Private Car" (which fully justifies Milland's description), Lucien Hubbard was rewarded with a prestige "A" for William Randolph Heart's Cosmopolitan Productions (then attached to M-G-M), "Operator 13", starring Marion Davies and Gary Cooper. Unfortunately the film was only modestly successful (mainly due to Miss Davies' waning popularity) and Hubbard soon found himself back in the "B" hive.
U.K. release title: MURDER ON THE RUNAWAY TRAIN.
SYNOPSIS: A telephone switchboard operator in a Los Angeles stockbroking firm is suddenly told she is the long-lost heiress of a New York railroad tycoon.
COMMENT: Weird yet wholly wonderful, "Murder in the Private Car" is undoubtedly the best "B" film M-G-M ever made. True, it was never showcased in New York. The reason for this apparent neglect was not the studio's belief that the movie lacked anything in entertainment. Rather the contrary. In fact the movie opened not as a "B", but as a main feature in Australia. The problem in New York was simply the film's lack of big-gun star power and its short running time. M-G-M had agreed to support other studios and the cinema chains in a campaign to stamp out double features, thus not only achieving cost- cutting all around but enabling city theaters to run more sessions per day. The picture-going public, however, stubbornly and steadfastly resisted this proposed change. (It was not in fact until nearly fifty years later that the studios finally achieved their desire).
Studio chiefs Mayer and Thalberg were well aware of the public's real sentiments. Not only that but Louis B. Mayer himself always had a soft spot for the "B" feature. He regarded the "B" not only as an excellent training ground for producers, directors, writers and all other creative personnel, but he also knew that a "B" feature, no matter its quality, just so long as it was completed either on or below budget, was assured of a certain profit. However, to Mayer, quality was also important because the prestige of the studio was at stake. It was always Mayer's aim to make M-G-M's "B"-movies the best in the industry. Accordingly, whilst he and Thalberg gave lip service to the industry campaign, in actual fact the studio did not curtail its "B" production units in any way at all. So what they did they did was simply to cut the number shown in New York where the industry's anti-double- feature bandwagon was at its strongest.
When I said "Murder in the Private Car" was the best, I meant not only best in sheer entertainment, but in technical and artistic quality as well. So far as entertainment was concerned, contemporary audiences much have been knocked right out of their seats. Not only is the movie super-fast-paced, densely written and ingeniously characterized, it all comes to the most stunningly extravagant climax ever devised for a "B" picture. The extraordinary location footage is so cleverly combined with the most realistic miniatures that it's absolutely impossible on one or two viewings to determine where one begins and the other ends.
Beaumont's direction is as zippily smooth as the crackerjack plot. The work of two photographers is also superbly meshed by an astute film editor, whilst the dazzling art direction and attractive costume design are miracles of "B"-movie artistry.
Mary Carlisle is one of the most sympathetic of heroines. And here she receives solid support even from the likes of Una Merkel (who in many other pictures is inclined to over-act). Charles Ruggles' impersonation may strike as a bit odd on a first viewing — and the story itself of course is the wildest flight of fantasy — but that's what movies are all about: the unusual, the fantastic, the imaginatively weird, the extravagantly bizarre.
All told, an absolute stunner.
OTHER VIEWS: Lucien Hubbard was a fascinating producer. He started off as a writer and I've no doubt he contributed to the script of his every production. He certainly did on Ebb Tide on which I worked for him. He had a wildly extravagant imagination and he used to fill his script with phrases like, "Ten thousand horsemen ride through towering cliffs into a ten-mile-long deserted canyon." The studio would be looking at a week's work and half the picture's budget to realize this shot on the screen — and then it would last for only ten seconds anyway! — Ray Milland.
For his efforts on "Murder in the Private Car" (which fully justifies Milland's description), Lucien Hubbard was rewarded with a prestige "A" for William Randolph Heart's Cosmopolitan Productions (then attached to M-G-M), "Operator 13", starring Marion Davies and Gary Cooper. Unfortunately the film was only modestly successful (mainly due to Miss Davies' waning popularity) and Hubbard soon found himself back in the "B" hive.
crime deflector
SnoopyStyle25 June 2023
Ruth Raymond (Mary Carlisle) is a switchboard operator in an office building. Nosy investigator Alden Murray shows up and reveals that she is actually Ruth Carson. She was kidnapped as a child by her uncle and is the heir to a railroad fortune. She suddenly becomes one of the richest girls in the world and a target of more kidnappers. Godfrey D. Scott (Charles Ruggles) is a crime deflector. He deflects crimes before they happen.
Crime deflector is an interesting premise. It could be funny or thrilling or both. This seems to be trying for both. It's such an odd premise that the movie should really lead with it. It should open the movie with Scott deflecting various crimes. They could have made a series out of this. I could do without Titus, but that's the standard comedic black character of the day. There is an uniquely funny concept here if it could have better execution. Instead, they are doing the gorilla suit comedy bit. As for the big train caper, Scott should be more instrumental in finding and solving the issue. He does get in front for the final jump. He should do that for the whole thing.
Crime deflector is an interesting premise. It could be funny or thrilling or both. This seems to be trying for both. It's such an odd premise that the movie should really lead with it. It should open the movie with Scott deflecting various crimes. They could have made a series out of this. I could do without Titus, but that's the standard comedic black character of the day. There is an uniquely funny concept here if it could have better execution. Instead, they are doing the gorilla suit comedy bit. As for the big train caper, Scott should be more instrumental in finding and solving the issue. He does get in front for the final jump. He should do that for the whole thing.
Murder mystery + escaped gorilla = bad movie
TomInSanFrancisco6 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I watched this one mostly to see Charlie Ruggles and Una Merkel, two of my favorites.
The plot has many a twist and turn -- it's not bad as a straight mystery aboard a train.
But why throw in a circus train wreck and an escaped gorilla? I can mention this without it being a "spoiler" because the circus train wreck and the gorilla have nothing to do with the intricate mystery plot.
The bad person trying to kill the good people has many tricks up his sleeve, but the circus train wreck was purely coincidental. It allows for a single scene with a menacing gorilla, but then it's back to the murder mystery!
The plot has many a twist and turn -- it's not bad as a straight mystery aboard a train.
But why throw in a circus train wreck and an escaped gorilla? I can mention this without it being a "spoiler" because the circus train wreck and the gorilla have nothing to do with the intricate mystery plot.
The bad person trying to kill the good people has many tricks up his sleeve, but the circus train wreck was purely coincidental. It allows for a single scene with a menacing gorilla, but then it's back to the murder mystery!
Hard to Rate a Movie Like This
dougdoepke3 November 2017
Silly mystery that almost compensates with a white-knuckle finale. Ruggles plays an addled "deflector" who can't seem to get his sayings right—"The early worm gets the bird"! All in all, he's an imaginative twist on the usual sleuth in that he bumbles his way before getting moments of brilliance. Sort of like a mix of Sherlock Holmes and Inspector Clouseau. Too bad his shtick is not funnier. At the same time, the incoherent mystery part is submerged beneath Ruggles and two loud blondes Merkel and Carlisle who keep the decibel level peaking. They're cute, of course, and understandably get most of the screen time. Overall, I'm not sure what MGM was reaching for, but the parts don't blend that well. Still, the bang-up finale is worth the price, with scares galore and no models for the runaway trains. I'm not sure how they did it with real locomotives and passenger cars, but it comes as a stunning surprise after 50-or-so minutes of blah. Anyway, much of the cast—Ruggles, Merkel--thankfully went on to better material. Meanwhile, no more trains for me, I'll be taking air travel from now on, for sure.
Charles Ruggles Makes this Movie
masercot13 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I was expecting a quick murder mystery set on a train. Instead, I got to see Charles Ruggles as a romantic lead. For those who don't know the man, he was Major Applegate in the farce Bringing up Baby.
But, in this movie, he was a little less formal, but with the same halting delivery. He spends the better part of this movie successfully seducing one of the women. And, why not? Mild-mannered people have to reproduce as well.
Plot-wise, this movie is kind of confusing. I got the impression that the movie just kind of stopped because they ran out of film or one of the actors had to go on vacation or something. It definitely wasn't bad.
And, it definitely wasn't great, either.
But, in this movie, he was a little less formal, but with the same halting delivery. He spends the better part of this movie successfully seducing one of the women. And, why not? Mild-mannered people have to reproduce as well.
Plot-wise, this movie is kind of confusing. I got the impression that the movie just kind of stopped because they ran out of film or one of the actors had to go on vacation or something. It definitely wasn't bad.
And, it definitely wasn't great, either.
Well,...it IS different.
planktonrules2 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
In the 1930s-40s, Hollywood made approximately 3045203540 B-detective films (give or take 1 or 2). And, as I have apparently seen most of them, they all start to blend together after a while. Because of this I was actually pretty relieved to see that this one is different--not necessarily that great but at least different.
The film itself is about two ladies who are on a train to go see one of the women's father--who she has never met. Apparently she's a long-lost heiress and doesn't know it. Unfortunately, she is also unknowingly being used as bait to get to the millionaire--as some crazy person wants to kill him. And, being crazy AND histrionic, he's come up with a very complicated and strange way to exact revenge.
The first really odd thing is the detective. Charlie Ruggles is about as unlike the typical detective as you find--small, a bit git goofy, and possibly a bit crazy. So, when he DOES act, it comes as a surprise--especially when he becomes a bit of an action hero! Second, although it's pretty obvious they were using a lot of camera tricks, the end of the film is unusually action-packed for a mystery. Third, the plot is a lot like what you might find in an over the top movie serial--especially with such gimmicks as the sliding steel plates and voice of doom when the killer confronts the millionaire--it's goofy but highly entertaining In fact, it's easy to admit that the film is pretty silly but somehow different enough to keep your interest.
By the way, talk about dehumanizing! Fred Toones (a black actor) is simply listed here as 'Snowflake' in the credits--as he was often credited in films. This appellation is a sad commentary on the times in which the film was made.
The film itself is about two ladies who are on a train to go see one of the women's father--who she has never met. Apparently she's a long-lost heiress and doesn't know it. Unfortunately, she is also unknowingly being used as bait to get to the millionaire--as some crazy person wants to kill him. And, being crazy AND histrionic, he's come up with a very complicated and strange way to exact revenge.
The first really odd thing is the detective. Charlie Ruggles is about as unlike the typical detective as you find--small, a bit git goofy, and possibly a bit crazy. So, when he DOES act, it comes as a surprise--especially when he becomes a bit of an action hero! Second, although it's pretty obvious they were using a lot of camera tricks, the end of the film is unusually action-packed for a mystery. Third, the plot is a lot like what you might find in an over the top movie serial--especially with such gimmicks as the sliding steel plates and voice of doom when the killer confronts the millionaire--it's goofy but highly entertaining In fact, it's easy to admit that the film is pretty silly but somehow different enough to keep your interest.
By the way, talk about dehumanizing! Fred Toones (a black actor) is simply listed here as 'Snowflake' in the credits--as he was often credited in films. This appellation is a sad commentary on the times in which the film was made.
Weak mystery, weak comedy, spectacular action!
gridoon202412 May 2012
Warning: Spoilers
"Murder In The Private Car" tries to combine three different genres: mystery, comedy, and action. It succeeds only at one - action. The last 10 minutes are a pretty spectacular ride on a runaway train car. On the other hand, the mystery never really builds any interest, and the comedy never really brings any laughs. Charlie Ruggles tries hard, but his lines are simply not funny. Una Merkel is a sheer joy to watch, but she is also sabotaged by the script. Even an escaped gorilla drops in, all for naught. And the less said about the humiliating role of the black comic relief guy, the better. On the whole, a weak film whose only part really worth seeing are the last 10 minutes. ** out of 4.
Ruggles & Merkel Spark Mystery Thriller
Ron Oliver15 May 2004
An amateur crime deflector' finds his skills put to the test aboard a transcontinental train when there's MURDER IN THE PRIVATE CAR.
All of the much-loved elements of the Old Dark House spook films can be found in this regrettably obscure little thriller -- damsels in distress, mysterious legacies, strange disappearances, hairy clutching hands, sudden death, terrible menace (and, for a few delicious moments, a rampaging gorilla)-- except here it all takes place in the fancy carriage car of a swiftly moving train. The plot moves just as quickly, catapulting the viewer along, with the climax especially fast & furious.
The delightfully quixotic humor of comic actor Charles Ruggles is highlighted as his offbeat character relentlessly pursues the solution of the mystery. His bemused encounter with the denizens of a smashed circus train--camel, kangaroo and MGM's Leo the Lion--is especially funny. The teaming of Ruggles with pert & perky Una Merkel is inspired. Her sarcastic wisecracks, uttered in that wonderful Southern drawl, are the perfect counterpoint to Ruggles' wry utterances.
The rest of the cast offers good support: Mary Carlisle as a terribly endangered rich girl; Russell Hardie as her stalwart boyfriend; Berton Churchill as a slightly stuffy millionaire who's about to face enormous peril; Porter Hall as a protective lawyer; and Fred Snowflake' Toones as a terrified train porter.
Movie mavens will recognize Sterling Holloway as a gossipy office boy and Walter Brennan as a train yard switchman, both uncredited.
All of the much-loved elements of the Old Dark House spook films can be found in this regrettably obscure little thriller -- damsels in distress, mysterious legacies, strange disappearances, hairy clutching hands, sudden death, terrible menace (and, for a few delicious moments, a rampaging gorilla)-- except here it all takes place in the fancy carriage car of a swiftly moving train. The plot moves just as quickly, catapulting the viewer along, with the climax especially fast & furious.
The delightfully quixotic humor of comic actor Charles Ruggles is highlighted as his offbeat character relentlessly pursues the solution of the mystery. His bemused encounter with the denizens of a smashed circus train--camel, kangaroo and MGM's Leo the Lion--is especially funny. The teaming of Ruggles with pert & perky Una Merkel is inspired. Her sarcastic wisecracks, uttered in that wonderful Southern drawl, are the perfect counterpoint to Ruggles' wry utterances.
The rest of the cast offers good support: Mary Carlisle as a terribly endangered rich girl; Russell Hardie as her stalwart boyfriend; Berton Churchill as a slightly stuffy millionaire who's about to face enormous peril; Porter Hall as a protective lawyer; and Fred Snowflake' Toones as a terrified train porter.
Movie mavens will recognize Sterling Holloway as a gossipy office boy and Walter Brennan as a train yard switchman, both uncredited.
no comedy and no suspense
writtenbymkm-583-90209725 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
No comedy and no suspense make Jack a dull boy. Or, in this case, make this a dull movie. Charlie Ruggles is flat-out embarrassing as a would-be detective who calls himself a deflective. I usually like Una Merkel but in this movie she mostly just screams. Other reviewers appear to think the runaway train at the end was exciting, but for me it was just something tossed in to make the movie longer, or possibly to make up for the fact that the mystery itself was so uninteresting. I can just hear the producers saying, "Hey, let's add the old runaway train bit, so the audience will feel like they got their money's worth." Well, I just found it annoying. I expected a fun and humorous mystery, not some slapstick mess with a circus gorilla.
DON'T MISS THIS TRAIN RIDE!
tcchelsey22 June 2023
I agree with the last reviewer, this is one goofy film, and produced by MGM's B unit on a slim budget. It's also has to be one of the best comedy slash mysteries of the 30s, well directed by veteran Harry Beaumont, who began a long career in silent films. Beaumont got what he wanted from this crew and it shows, lead by hilarious Charlie Ruggles, the master of one-liners. It's a lost heiress story, and just right for Depression era audiences, as over-worked and presumably underpaid switchboard operator Mary Carlisle is the long missing daughter of a multi-millionaire. The luck we all dream about, right? Her co-worker and best friend is none other than kooky Una Merkel, and you have to admit, who else better to become her boyfriend than Ruggles. What a couple they make.
The first half of the story is rather predictable as Carlisle is "discovered" via fingerprints, and finally meeting her businessman father, played by wise, old Burtin Chruchill, who was cast in so many of these type of roles. Then the fun really begins. Beaumont throws everything into this mad adventure as the gang becomes stranded in a passenger car, which is cleverly cut loose from the rest of a speeding train bound for New York City. Comes a creepy, mysterious voice, claiming the car is loaded with explosives and its just a matter of time before the end! This you have to see as the car winds the tracks, burning through a train station, all the while another train attempts to catch up to them. Extremely well produced for a low budget film, even with stock footage, turning out to be one heck of a roller coaster ride. NO kidding. And before all the madness, there's a stop-over where a gorilla gets loose from a circus and hops on board? The gorilla is obviously not real, but it's a funny gag sequence thrown in for kicks, remininiscent of the comedy schtick of the 20s and 30s. Why not?
Filmed partly at the train station in the small northern California town of Dunsmuir, close to the Oregon border. Why this particular spot was chosen (so far from Hollywood) remains a mystery, but its campy fun nevertheless. The on location scouts must have had an unlimited budget. Jittery hero Charlie Ruggles and Una Merkel are the whole show, premier scene stealers, even from the gorilla. By the way, the supporting cast is excellent, all the familiar character actors of the time, including stone face Porter Hall.
Thanks to TCM for re-running this little gem, and it's out on dvd in a neat box with some additional features and cartoons thrown in for good measure.
We all miss Charlie Ruggles, a real well meaning stooge if there ever was one.
The first half of the story is rather predictable as Carlisle is "discovered" via fingerprints, and finally meeting her businessman father, played by wise, old Burtin Chruchill, who was cast in so many of these type of roles. Then the fun really begins. Beaumont throws everything into this mad adventure as the gang becomes stranded in a passenger car, which is cleverly cut loose from the rest of a speeding train bound for New York City. Comes a creepy, mysterious voice, claiming the car is loaded with explosives and its just a matter of time before the end! This you have to see as the car winds the tracks, burning through a train station, all the while another train attempts to catch up to them. Extremely well produced for a low budget film, even with stock footage, turning out to be one heck of a roller coaster ride. NO kidding. And before all the madness, there's a stop-over where a gorilla gets loose from a circus and hops on board? The gorilla is obviously not real, but it's a funny gag sequence thrown in for kicks, remininiscent of the comedy schtick of the 20s and 30s. Why not?
Filmed partly at the train station in the small northern California town of Dunsmuir, close to the Oregon border. Why this particular spot was chosen (so far from Hollywood) remains a mystery, but its campy fun nevertheless. The on location scouts must have had an unlimited budget. Jittery hero Charlie Ruggles and Una Merkel are the whole show, premier scene stealers, even from the gorilla. By the way, the supporting cast is excellent, all the familiar character actors of the time, including stone face Porter Hall.
Thanks to TCM for re-running this little gem, and it's out on dvd in a neat box with some additional features and cartoons thrown in for good measure.
We all miss Charlie Ruggles, a real well meaning stooge if there ever was one.
Painfully unfunny, foolish murder mystery/comedy is hard to take...
Doylenf11 May 2010
The years haven't been kind to this sort of material, a fragile murder mystery dependent on flat one-liners from leading man CHARLES RUGGLES and a script that ends with a Keystone Cops sort of train chase that only manages to liven up the proceedings for the final fifteen minutes.
The runaway car sequence is full of process shots that only add to the tangled mess of a plot involving a bit of murder and mayhem. UNA MERKEL gives her standard flighty interpretation of a dull role, as does MARY CARLISLE. The broadest comedy relief comes from the train porter, played by a black man billed as "Snowflake." Today's viewers would find his interpretation of a comically frightened coward as offensive as can be.
Getting to that train chase ending is almost unbearable. Charles Ruggles has a thankless role and is unable to deliver a single believable line. His detective character is not only annoying but obnoxious--not the actor's fault but the poor script gives him no opportunity to be anything but foolish and boorish in behavior.
Only those who love to wallow in '30s-style comedies, whether good, bad or indifferent, will be able to tolerate this one.
My advice is to let it pass. Mercifully, it's a short feature film.
The runaway car sequence is full of process shots that only add to the tangled mess of a plot involving a bit of murder and mayhem. UNA MERKEL gives her standard flighty interpretation of a dull role, as does MARY CARLISLE. The broadest comedy relief comes from the train porter, played by a black man billed as "Snowflake." Today's viewers would find his interpretation of a comically frightened coward as offensive as can be.
Getting to that train chase ending is almost unbearable. Charles Ruggles has a thankless role and is unable to deliver a single believable line. His detective character is not only annoying but obnoxious--not the actor's fault but the poor script gives him no opportunity to be anything but foolish and boorish in behavior.
Only those who love to wallow in '30s-style comedies, whether good, bad or indifferent, will be able to tolerate this one.
My advice is to let it pass. Mercifully, it's a short feature film.
Average
Michael_Elliott24 May 2008
Murder in the Private Car (1934)
** (out of 4)
MGM murder/mystery has Una Merkel playing a woman who is identified as a baby who was kidnapped fourteen years earlier. Now, as an adult, her father has paid for her to come home to him so she gets on a train where a stranger tells her she only has eight hours to live. Charles Ruggles plays a small-time detective who tries to keep the girl alive long enough to meet her father. Only God is certain on how many of these mysteries I've seen over the years and they are all mostly average with a few that manage to be quite good movies. This one here thankfully just runs 63-minutes but it's pretty lifeless through each of those minutes. The biggest problem is that the film goes for far too many laughs, which wouldn't be a problem if they were actually funny. Since they are all unfunny it really drags the film down and makes all the characters quite annoying. Ruggles just doesn't work as the leading man as his humor is very annoying and he really can't keep the film moving. Merkel is good in her role, although it's certainly not written too well. And yes, there's a gorilla who shows up to scare everyone. I'm still trying to figure out why all of these mysteries from the silent era to the 1940s featured a gorilla.
** (out of 4)
MGM murder/mystery has Una Merkel playing a woman who is identified as a baby who was kidnapped fourteen years earlier. Now, as an adult, her father has paid for her to come home to him so she gets on a train where a stranger tells her she only has eight hours to live. Charles Ruggles plays a small-time detective who tries to keep the girl alive long enough to meet her father. Only God is certain on how many of these mysteries I've seen over the years and they are all mostly average with a few that manage to be quite good movies. This one here thankfully just runs 63-minutes but it's pretty lifeless through each of those minutes. The biggest problem is that the film goes for far too many laughs, which wouldn't be a problem if they were actually funny. Since they are all unfunny it really drags the film down and makes all the characters quite annoying. Ruggles just doesn't work as the leading man as his humor is very annoying and he really can't keep the film moving. Merkel is good in her role, although it's certainly not written too well. And yes, there's a gorilla who shows up to scare everyone. I'm still trying to figure out why all of these mysteries from the silent era to the 1940s featured a gorilla.
A "Deflector" on the Case
view_and_review22 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
There's nothing like putting "murder" in the title to make sure the viewers know what's going to happen: "Murder on the Orient Express," "The Canary Murder," "Murder on the Blackboard," and on and on and on.
Sooooo, now we have "Murder in the Private Car." I don't think I have to tell you what happens. I will mention, however, that the private car here is a Pullman car on a railroad train.
A switchboard operator for a company called Allen & Co. Was told that she won the heritage sweepstakes. Ruthie Raymond (Mary Carlisle) found out that she was the long lost daughter of a multi-millionaire named Luke Carson (Berton Churchill). It turns out that she was kidnapped by her uncle when she was a toddler and taken to Los Angeles. After years of searching, Mr. Carson had finally found her. Per his instructions, his lawyer, Alden Murray (Porter Hall), was to escort her back east where she could unite with her father.
Strangely, yet fortuitously, a man named Godfrey D. Scott (Charles Ruggles) began following her. He called himself a "deflector." A "deflector," unlike a detective, prevents crime from happening. He knew that a woman who just came into a lot of wealth would need a "deflector."
It turns out that Ruth needed a deflector and divine intervention to stay alive. Someone wanted her dead and they were bumping off those in her vicinity to get to her.
"Murder in the Private Car" was a comedic murder mystery. Godfrey was a bumbling, stammering "deflector" who couldn't be taken seriously even if he did stumble upon important evidence. Between Charles Ruggles and Fred 'Snowflake' Toones (the scared Black man), I didn't find this movie the least bit entertaining. The only part that I would consider entertaining was the runaway train car at the end. Maybe the director also knew the movie needed a shot in the arm and threw it in.
Free on Odnoklassniki.
Sooooo, now we have "Murder in the Private Car." I don't think I have to tell you what happens. I will mention, however, that the private car here is a Pullman car on a railroad train.
A switchboard operator for a company called Allen & Co. Was told that she won the heritage sweepstakes. Ruthie Raymond (Mary Carlisle) found out that she was the long lost daughter of a multi-millionaire named Luke Carson (Berton Churchill). It turns out that she was kidnapped by her uncle when she was a toddler and taken to Los Angeles. After years of searching, Mr. Carson had finally found her. Per his instructions, his lawyer, Alden Murray (Porter Hall), was to escort her back east where she could unite with her father.
Strangely, yet fortuitously, a man named Godfrey D. Scott (Charles Ruggles) began following her. He called himself a "deflector." A "deflector," unlike a detective, prevents crime from happening. He knew that a woman who just came into a lot of wealth would need a "deflector."
It turns out that Ruth needed a deflector and divine intervention to stay alive. Someone wanted her dead and they were bumping off those in her vicinity to get to her.
"Murder in the Private Car" was a comedic murder mystery. Godfrey was a bumbling, stammering "deflector" who couldn't be taken seriously even if he did stumble upon important evidence. Between Charles Ruggles and Fred 'Snowflake' Toones (the scared Black man), I didn't find this movie the least bit entertaining. The only part that I would consider entertaining was the runaway train car at the end. Maybe the director also knew the movie needed a shot in the arm and threw it in.
Free on Odnoklassniki.
The end is the best
bethkrav24 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The witty dialogue in this film keeps up the fast pace. The detective played by Charlie Ruggles lights up the screen with his humor and one liners. Theres terror and laughter all rolled up into one in this film. Murder cases on a train are classic and this movie makes all the stops. No pun intended.
It's really the ending that sucks you into the film completely. Watch as the caboose/private car is unlocked and seperated from the train (orchestrated by the murderer) and the train goes completely out of control. The amazing filmography of how this train (full of explosives mind you) narrowly escapes in such a high speed chase is so exciting.
Note: Some of plot seemed off and unnecessary. There are far fetched ideas presented, like one of the female characters being the "long lost daughter of a railroad tycoon?".
Note: There are negative racial depictions presented in this film.
It's really the ending that sucks you into the film completely. Watch as the caboose/private car is unlocked and seperated from the train (orchestrated by the murderer) and the train goes completely out of control. The amazing filmography of how this train (full of explosives mind you) narrowly escapes in such a high speed chase is so exciting.
Note: Some of plot seemed off and unnecessary. There are far fetched ideas presented, like one of the female characters being the "long lost daughter of a railroad tycoon?".
Note: There are negative racial depictions presented in this film.
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