The Benson Murder Case is a 1930 American pre-Code crime film directed by Frank Tuttle and written by S. S. Van Dine and Bartlett Cormack. The film stars William Powell, William "Stage" Boyd, Eugene Pallette, Paul Lukas, Natalie Moorhead, Richard Tucker and May Beatty. The film was released on April 13, 1930, by Paramount Pictures.[1] The film was based on the 1926 novel of the same name by S. S. Van Dine.[2] The film had initial copyright notice, and it was renewed in 1957.[3][4] Under the terms of Title 17 of the U.S. Code, the film will enter the public domain in 2026.
The Benson Murder Case | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Frank Tuttle |
Screenplay by | Bartlett Cormack |
Based on | The Benson Murder Case 1926 novel by S. S. Van Dine |
Produced by | Adolph Zukor Jesse L. Lasky |
Starring | William Powell William "Stage" Boyd Eugene Pallette Paul Lukas Natalie Moorhead Richard Tucker May Beatty |
Cinematography | Archie Stout |
Edited by | Doris Drought |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 65 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Plot
editA ruthless, crooked stockbroker is murdered at his luxurious country estate, and detective Philo Vance just happens to be there; he decides to find out who killed him. When a ruthless and crooked stockbroker named Anthony Benson is murdered at his luxurious country estate, Vance decides to investigate the case and works alongside District Attorney Markham and the police to gather clues and interview suspects. Through a careful analysis of the evidence and his own powers of deduction.
Cast
edit- William Powell as Philo Vance
- William "Stage" Boyd as Harry Gray
- Eugene Pallette as Sgt. Ernest Heath
- Paul Lukas as Adolph Mohler
- Natalie Moorhead as Fanny Del Roy
- Richard Tucker as Anthony Benson
- May Beatty as Mrs. Paula Banning
- E.H. Calvert as Dist. Atty. John F.X. Markham
- Mischa Auer as Albert Brecker (uncredited)
- Guy Oliver as Captain Hagedorn (uncredited)
References
edit- ^ Hal Erickson (2014). "The-Benson-Murder-Case - Trailer - Cast". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
- ^ "The Benson Murder Case". prod-www.tcm.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ Catalogue of Title Entries of Books and Other Articles Entered in the Office of the Register of Copyrights, Library of Congress, at Washington, D.C. Library of Congress. 1930. p. 152. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ Catalog of copyright entries. Ser.3 pt.12-13 v.9-12 1955-1958 Motion Pictures. Library of Congress. 1957. p. 47. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
External links
edit- The Benson Murder Case at IMDb
- The Benson Murder Case at AllMovie
- The Benson Murder Case at the TCM Movie Database
- The Benson Murder Case at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Stills from the Spanish-language version of the film. El cuerpo del delito, WalterFilm Poster and Photo Museum