La sfinge

Interesting that even a minor studio like Monagram would put out a film like The Sphinx in 1933 which had as its premise the murder of several stockbrokers. In the midst of the Depression some would consider that a public service. Also unusual that an actor with the rich speaking voice of Lionel Atwill would consent to a role where he has to be a mute.

In fact Atwill is a known philanthropist and few can believe that of all people this man could be a serial killer. Those that find out his secret meet with a demise themselves.

Atwill did some great films and some truly trashy ones, but he's always interesting to watch and listen to. Next to Atwill the one in the cast you'll remember is Luis Alberni. He has a wonderful comic role as a witness to one of the killings and his interrogation by the police and the press is also memorable.

Definitely for fans of Lionel Atwill.

There is something chilling about Lionel Atwill in this movie. With out saying nary a word he manages to make you want to crawl out of your skin. The plot of a mute man on trial for a murder committed by a killer who spoke is filled with pitfalls and possibilities. The film avoids most of the former while finding many of the latter in telling a very good story.

But above it all is Atwill who manages to keep you in suspense to the very end, milking the fact that he can't use that magnificent voice of his for any effects what so ever. Its like stripping a great singer of their voice and then still having them convey the emotion of the music by gestures alone.

No its not perfect, there are bits that have dated slightly, for example the sign language is silly, but its still a good thriller with a great performance at its center.

7 out of 10

"The Sphinx" is a very good and very old mystery from the Poverty Row's Monogram studio. To be sure, it shows its age at times but it is a step up from the Poverty Row norm in that the performances and the screenplay are uniformly good. Production values are better than could be expected - in fact, the only foreseeable objection to the film would be the deus ex machina needed to pull off the twist ending.

1933 is a long time ago. Todays audiences are perhaps too (pseudo)sophisticated to buy the denouement, but there always has to be a first time a plot device was employed. Probably audiences of the '30's were greatly impressed, as they may not have seen it before.

I found it riveting right up until the end, which I chalked up to age, and laid aside my aforementioned seasoned-veteran-worldliness for 62 minutes.

Jerome Breen (Lionel Atwill) is accused of murder after being identified by an eye witness. However, the witness says Breen spoke. At the trial, Breen's attorney proves he is a deaf mute and the witness' testimony falls apart. So now the police must figure out if Breen really is guilty or being framed.

This is a fun little quickie from poverty row studio Monogram. It's best if you don't overthink it or look at it exclusively through a modern lens. It was made on the cheap in the early 1930s. Yes, the sign language Atwill uses is just meaningless hand gestures. This was back in the days when the public was probably largely unaware of sign language and it was highly unlikely a studio, especially one like Monogram, would expect its actors to learn some just for a part. Just enjoy it for what it is: a fun but cheap little mystery thriller with the always-great Lionel Atwill starring.

The bad guy in this is so much better than all the other characters combined. This is odd because he barely speaks a word. Lionel Atwill's expressions and posturing are pretty remarkable. He is killing off stockbrokers who wouldn't go along with his wishes. In the process, he must cover his tracks. By speaking to someone at the crime scenes, he confuses the law enforcement people. The plot is basically a young writer trying to prove that Breen (Atwill) is the guilty party. His love interest, a reporter, is doing a series of stories on this benevolent deaf mute. She is in constant danger and is too bullheaded to listen to anyone's advice. This movie kept me guessing throughout and was a lot of fun. There are some stereotypically incompetent police there to poke fun at. They have allowed these stock brokers to get killed and can't seem to figure anything out. But it comes to a nice boil with some surprises, and keeps the audience guessing, even if the ending is a bit unsatisfying.