After Hildegarde proves that the accidental riding death on a Central Park bridle path is really murder, she's faced with a plethora of red herrings and a real killer.After Hildegarde proves that the accidental riding death on a Central Park bridle path is really murder, she's faced with a plethora of red herrings and a real killer.After Hildegarde proves that the accidental riding death on a Central Park bridle path is really murder, she's faced with a plethora of red herrings and a real killer.
- Taxi Driver
- (uncredited)
- Pipe Expert
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAlthough this is the first and only time Helen Broderick played Hildegarde Withers in the six picture series, James Gleason did play Inspector Oscar Piper in all of them.
- GoofsWhen Hildegard is looking through the telescope, the field of view follows the horse running around the track, yet she doesn't move the telescope.
- Quotes
Hildegarde Withers: How long have you worked around here?
'High-Pockets': About three months, Ma'am... not countin' the week I was in jail.
Hildegarde Withers: What were you doing in jail?
'High-Pockets': Shootin' craps.
Hildegarde Withers: No, I mean what did they put you in jail for?
'High-Pockets': Shootin' craps.
- ConnectionsFollowed by The Plot Thickens (1936)
The idea to replace the perfect Withers, the arch and tightly corseted Edna May Oliver with the sophisticated, spiritually if not literally uncorseted Broderick would seem to have been grounded in the wonderful wise cracking relationship Withers had with James Gleason's much put-upon Inspector Oscar Piper, and to that extent it works.
Broderick, the beloved sophisticate of the Fred Astaire films TOP HAT and SWING TIME, gets off some good ones ("Oh, I have some influence with Inspector Piper; we used to room together in college!"), but it's hard to picture her as the prim school teacher that Palmer's Miss Withers says she is.
The film has the further drawback for some modern audiences in incorporating some of the racist stereotypes of the era in Willie "High Pockets" Best's excellent performance as the slow but steadfast stable boy who may be near the center of the mystery. In 42 films from 1934 to 1947 (just to consider the ones reviewed in the New York Times - some, like HIGH SIERRA and CABIN IN THE SKY, genuine classics), Best took the work Hollywood offered and made his characters shine - whatever limitations Hollywood may have placed on the casting of black actors.
MURDER ON A BRIDLE PATH has a good cast all around (among the series regulars, James Gleason's Piper, James Donlan's comic detective and Gustav Von Seyffertitz's police doctor are some of their best performances), and boasts an excellent mystery at the core. The OBSERVANT viewer even has an honest chance to beat Withers and Piper to the solution despite some delicious red herrings along the way.
Radio Pictures had clearly moved the series to a back burner when Oliver left (no more "name" producers and even Max Steiner's musical contributions went uncredited this time), but at least with Broderick finding the clues and lending a major hand with the comedy, the quality stayed high.
Later in the year, the studio would turn to Zasu Pitts for two final "Miss Withers" films, and while she would return the unsophisticated primness to the character and (in small doses) Pitt could be a brilliant diffident comedienne, the quality of the writing and the chemistry between Hildegarde and Oscar never regained the level it had maintained with Edna May Oliver and Helen Broderick.
It's a pity, because the franchise was one of the more enjoyable creations of the 30's when the "cozy" mystery was at its peak and every studio seemed to be trying their hand at popularizing distinctive detectives from Philo Vance and Nick & Nora Charles to Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto. Miss Withers is missed.
- eschetic
- Aug 11, 2005
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- The Puzzle of the Briar Pipe
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 6 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1