Noel Madison who is a professional ventriloquist and also something of an international man of mystery is given a fortune in jewels to take from China to New York. The money from the sail is to provide war relief for the starving Chinese people. But complications do ensue.
When Madison disappears his daughter Ann Doran seeks out her friend Margaret Lindsay. In the only reference to a previous Queen film that I've seen so far she compliments her on assisting Ellery Queen in the John Braun death from Ellery Queen Master Detective.
With such a flattering reference how could Ralph Bellamy resist a call for assistance. Bellamy finds the dead Mr. Madison stuffed in a trunk about to be shipped to Chicago.
Bellamy has a nice collection of suspects including the mysterious Anna May Wong, business manager Russell Hicks, another man of mystery Eduardo Ciannelli to name three. Eventually the murder is solved and quite frankly I guessed who it was, but the motive came out of left field.
Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery was the second of four with Ralph Bellamy, dare I say it, the best of the movie Queens.
