Curtain at Eight (1933)

★★★★ · Dorothy Mackaill Does Well In "Curtain at Eight" · porterville · 2011-05-22

Dorothy Mackaill does very well in this movie from the early 1930's. She is one of the few who are in the first half of the film and then in the final scene. Paul Cavanagh is in the first half of the film, giving a good performance as a stage actor. C Aubrey Smith, in the part of a detective, and Sam Hardy, in the role of the captain of detectives, appear half way through this 60 minute film. Many suspects have to be investigated to find the killer.

★★★ · A Few Murders Need Solving · Poohbah70 · 2019-09-18

An entertaining hour of who-done-it - although it starts a bit slowly while setting up the murders. After that, there are more than enough suspects including a chimpanzee, who was a very good actor. Al the acting is good - even in a way, Sam Hardy, who plays a buffoon of a police inspector - what the script asked him to do, he did well - blame the scriptwriters for the unnecessary silliness. A nice twist or two, particularly at the end.

★★★ · Backstage monkey business · picfixer · 2011-05-23

A conscienceless lothario gets it, and the result is another showbiz who-done-it with a host of suspects, including a chimp who significantly out-acts several cast members. The plot is complex for a one-hour mystery, and keeping track of who did what will keep you on your toes. This is an okay quickie with a mostly good cast and an unusual conclusion. My one problem with it is the miscasting of C. Aubrey Smith as the slow-moving hayseed of a detective Jim Hanvey, though fine actor that he was, he managed to pull it off. An entertaining second feature. Worn but watchable print.