User reviews

This is a fast-paced, standard mystery from the Philo Vance catalog. I just picked up the first three with William Powell and this was probably just slightly the best of that original trio. 'The Canary Murder Case was mostly of interest due to the presence of Louise Brooks, who was so poorly dubbed, one can only treasure some nice shots of her beautiful face. The Greene Murder Case was nearly as static, but had more atmosphere than Canary or even this one. The problem with those two more than their innate stiffness, is that the mysteries are so poor and immediately predictable that they may be the worst mysteries I have seen from early Hollywood.

The Benson Murder Case has similar faults, but by 1930 the sound technology had improved enough that it moves much better than the previous two. The mystery is more of a challenge for Philo Vance and he proves that he is not only up to the challenge, but he hammers it all home in a satisfying finale. Frank Tuttle, a veteran of the previous two, directed this one and does a competent, but unremarkable job. It has less atmosphere than Greene, but thankfully is a more interesting mystery. Also, Distict Attorney Markham is strangely very angry for most of this film. Eugene Palette is his usual, boisterous self as Sergeant Heath.

Paramount stopped making Vance movies after this one, but had prepared S.S. Van Dine's "The Scarab Murder Case" for William Powell. They even created an advance poster for this film that was sadly not made. Had Powell not made another Vance film after this, his legacy as a great screen detective would remain intact, but he came back one more time to play Vance in Warner's The Kennel Murder Case in 1933, which would easily trump all his previous efforts, and ultimately be the best Philo Vance film. But, if you crave William Powell as a screen detective, add this rarity to your list - It's a solid, workman-like picture, lacking in style, but ample in entertainment for the classic mystery fan.

Being an avid William Powell and Philo Vance devotee, I was pleased to find that all four of Powell's forays as the effete detective are available on DVD. But beware if you are not a fan of either of the above or of early sound films since you might find this a little too static for your tastes. If you are a fan, then read on.

Powell made four Vance films which got better as they progressed. This one, made in 1930, is still a bit on the stagy side although the acting was improving as the players were becoming more adept at "talkies". It's basically a one set film, taking place in a hunting lodge where a murder takes place and all the suspects are gathered. Powell, as usual, is very debonair and unruffled and Eugene Palette returns in the role of Sergeant Heath. I miss Eteinne Girardot, who played Dr. Doremus, in the later "Kennel Murder Case". He added humor to the story which was less heavy-handed than that of Palette. Watch for Mischa Auer, a mainstay of films in the 30s and 40s, as the butler.

Since this was before the Code, Natalie Moorehead doesn't make a secret of her "profession" but is let off easy in the end by a sympathetic Vance.

This film makes a good addition to the William Powell/Philo Vance series and is certainly worth the watch for the fan. I will not comment on any Vance films made without Powell (except those with Basil Rathbone) as they are not worthy of comment.

The Benson Murder Case is the best of the three Philo Vance movies that Powell made at Paramount. That was partly because of advances in sound technology and partly because this script is more complex and the characters are more fleshed out.

Anthony Benson is a stock broker - and he does not seem to be a crooked one as the synopsis states, though he is a bit of a rogue. The day is that of the great stock market crash, October 1929. As so many brokers did, those investors that had their stocks bought on margin were sold out when they could not cover those margins, and many lost everything.

Add to this the complication of several people who have personal grudges against Benson that have nothing to do with the crash - two of which break into Benson's mansion that night - and you have a large number of suspects and a rather complex plot. Philo Vance (William Powell) comes calling on Benson that night and is having a discussion with dapper gangster Harry Gray (William Stage Boyd) about how Vance has only been able to solve the murders he has because the perpetrators were not professionals. At just about that time a shot rings out and Benson - minus the toupee he always wore if he was in the presence of anyone - rolls down the stairs, dead at Vance's feet.

So here Vance has a house full of people who are glad to see Benson dead, yet they all seem to have alibis, and you have some proof (the missing toupee) that Benson must have been alone when he died, yet he did not commit suicide! What a mystery Vance must unravel, but he does.

This one will keep you guessing as it is not quite so easy to figure out as the others. Also, there are a couple of other mysteries that Vance figures out but keeps mum about because they have nothing to do with the murder and because he is such a gentleman.

I'd say watch this one, but watch it carefully, because there is quite a bit going on. Thus the plot is good and it is another fine chance for William Powell and Eugene Palette, as Vance's police detective friend, to show off their acting abilities.

Stockbroker Richard Tucker is the victim in The Benson Murder Case. In 1930 a lot of people would like to have murdered their stockbrokers. But in the Great Depression, Tucker is living high on the hog even after the Stock Market Crash.

The Benson Murder Case is not a whodunit as much as it plays like a Columbo mystery. In this film, the perpetrator is practically daring William Powell to solve this one correctly. But you do really enjoy the film when Powell actually does.

The film is a typical closed ring of suspects murder mystery as many people who would dearly like to have seen Tucker done in for calling in their stock margins before they were given a chance to make good. They all show up at Tucker's Westchester county estate, but unfortunately the District Attorney E.H. Calvert has the place next door and he's invited Philo Vance for the weekend.

The Benson Murder Case keeps up the high standard of Vance film that Powell did. S.S. Van Dine and later his estate sold the various Vance novels to many studios one at a time which is why there were so many Philo Vances out there. Powell's next Vance film would be for Warner Brothers while he had a brief sojourn there before moving to MGM and The Thin Man.

The Benson Murder Case was the last Philo Vance film that Powell did for Paramount and it was a good one.

1930's "The Benson Murder Case" marked William Powell's third outing as debonair Philo Vance, following "The Canary Murder Case" and "The Greene Murder Case," with E. H. Calvert's District Attorney Markham, and Eugene Palette's Sgt. Ernest Heath also returning. The target for murder is ruthless stockbroker Anthony Benson (Richard Tucker), and it's certainly a happy coincidence that all of his jilted victims conveniently turn up in time for that fatal shot, his lifeless body tumbling down the steps. This time Vance is already present, challenged to solve this case by Harry Gray (William 'Stage' Boyd), who believes that no truly clever murderer would ever be caught by Vance. The paucity of suspects reduce the story from a 'whodunit' to a 'howdunit,' with future Philo Vance Paul Lukas and his Hungarian accent particularly difficult to decipher, playing a spineless, charisma-free gigolo. It's nice to find Powell's future "Thin Man" co-star (as Julia Wolf) Natalie Moorhead, playing a distinctively pre-code independent woman. Palette is again a delight, and Powell himself has even more to do than before, his meticulous recreation of the crime finally wearing down his devious foe. This was Paramount's final Philo Vance feature, following the release of MGM's "The Bishop Murder Case," which headlined another former villain, Basil Rathbone, in the title role. It would be three years before Vance would return to the screen, played for a fourth and last time by Powell, again joined (this time at Warners) by Eugene Palette, with Robert McWade playing Markham.

"The Benson Murder Case" would have been another unexceptional, run-of-the-mill murder film. Worth watching but largely stagebound and with a primitive sound system (the players' voices fade in and out as they get closer or further from the mike). The deus-ex-machina is outrageously contrived to the point of unfairness, like some of Agatha Christies' stories. It starts off on a dark and stormy night, all suspects at the country estate of a hated stock broker, and, guess what? He gets bumped off. So far, pretty routine.

Enter William Powell as Philo Vance and the picture immediately goes from a rating of 4 up to a 6. Dapper and sophisticated and with his inimitable off-handed cocksuredness, Powell rescues the film just by coming in the front door. This was his milieu and in these circumstances he was the best ever.

Also on hand is Eugene Palette as the dense Police Lieutenant. and Richard Tucker as the corpse-to-be. Mischa Auer appears as a suspicious manservant and Paul Lukas as a mendacious gigolo. If it comes on it is worth a watch as a whodunit (you won't guess) and as a very early example of a new sound film.

The third Philo Vance movie starring William Powell. It's adapted from the first Vance novel, itself based on the real life "locked room" murder of famous bridge player Joseph Bowne Elwell. The mystery here has a neat resolution. Powell is always aces and he has fun support from Eugene Pallette. Paul Lukas gives a nervous turn that gets a little grating. Lukas would later play Vance himself. The only real downsides are the usual complaint about early talkies, namely the pacing and that they have a lot of stiff joints. I'm an avid fan of classic films so it doesn't bother me much. But your mileage may vary.

Philo Vance (William Powell) is back for a third time solving murders of his choosing. This time he had to be involved because the murder occurred while he was present at the scene of the crime.

The victim, Tony Benson (Richard Tucker), was a broker who owned a brokerage firm. When the stock market crashed in 1929 he had to "sell out" many of his clients. Undoubtedly, after such a huge crash, many people would be furious with their stock brokers. In other words, many people had a motive to kill Tony. In this case, only a handful of people with motives had the second element of a murder: opportunity.

At Tony Benson's property, uninvited, were Fanny Del Roy (Natalie Moorhead), Mrs. Paula Banning (May Beatty), Adolph Mohler (Paul Lukas), and Albert Brecker (Mischa Auer). The only one there by invitation was Harry Gray (William 'Stage' Boyd). Dropping by also were District Attorney Markham (E. H. Calvert) and Philo Vance.

Fanny wanted a pearl case in Tony's possession. Adolph had to settle a debt with Benson. Paula was chasing down her husband Adolph, trying her best to keep him though she was now broke. And Adolph Brecker came by to bring a bag to Harry Gray.

Tony Benson was murdered in a full house. A shot was heard then he toppled downstairs. Downstairs at the time were Philo Vance, Harry Gray, and Markham. So, then, who was the murderer?

"The Benson Murder Case" was a bit more elaborate than I would've liked. All good murder mysteries have a little bit of misdirection and multiple suspects. "The Benson Murder Case" was no different, it's just that once we found our answer and how it was done, I wasn't too enthused.

Still, I like William Powell as a part time detective rather than a "Ladies Man" and "Man of the World."

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Tend to stay huddled together in shots

1930 was not that long after they began making talking pictures. Because of this, the picture suffers a lot compared to a film made just a year or two later. Too often, due to primitive sound technology, the actors tend to stand around in small huddles...most likely so that the hidden microphones will pick them up properly. This is why the actors DON'T move around very much....they hadn't really perfected this using sound. In addition, may of the actors tend to sound more like they are new to sound pictures and their deliveries are often rather stale. I cannot blame the movie for this...just the era in which it was made.

As far as the story goes, it isn't bad despite everything....though it is very talky. There is a sleazy stockbroker, Benson, who is killed...and considering how many people he cheated, it's difficult to determine who did the deed...as many could have done it.

For a better film, try watching some of William Powell's other murder mysteries--particularly"The Kennel Murder Case" in which he once again plays Philo Vance but the film is simply more enjoyable to watch and not so static.

Most people consider Kennel Murder Case to be the best of the Vances, but for me it is Benson.,This is really a "Cat and mouse" between Vance ( William Powell) and the killer. What Vance has to do is not only identify the killer, but as it turns out, how and when it was actually done. Vance really shows just how he brilliant of a detective he is ( especially unlike Greene). I will not spoil the ending and identify the culprit, but you can find a good showing online. For those who know Powell only as Nick Charles, check him out as Philo Vance, it is like a dress rehearsal for The Thin Man. Start here ( or Kennel), then Canary followed by Greene. I give you t 10/10 stars. Only surpassed by The Thin Man as Powell Detective movies.

Amateur Detective Philo Vance investigates the murder of a heartless financier. William Powell's third outing as Vance is a fast-paced mystery full of the usual red herrings and false confessions. The identity of the murderer is rarely in doubt but the brisk 65 minute running time means it maintains its impetus until Vance can gather all the suspects together for the big reveal. The method of murder - or rather the attempt by the killer to deflect suspicion from himself - is about as elaborate as you're likely to see in a movie from any era.

No, Robby Benson hasnt been murdered. However, the script for this film was. Every hackneyed phrase and situation in the detective genre was used in this turkey. However, William Powell raises the film from terrible to possibly watchable status with his portrayal of Soupy Sales' hero, Philo Vance. Yes, this is the same Philo Vance that Soupy used to harpoon on his show. Powell give it his best shot, but cannot save the silly plot. Talk about motive for killing someone who cheated you and stole your money. Duh. People talk a lot, but there is very little action. Early talkie with lots of flaws.

My problems were several-fold. First, not a great print, secondly, the pacing was not good, as is typical for these very early films.

The movie takes place after the stock market crash of 1929, and an evil stockbroker (Richard Tucker) has sold off his clients, leaving them broke.

He is holding a Pearl necklace as collateral for a gigolo (Paul Lukas) who has taken it from his wife. She wants them back. Apparently he made a gift of them to the older women he was seeing and she let him use them.

On a dark and stormy night, Benson goes to his lavish country home and everyone, including Philo Vance (William Powell) show up. Benson is murdered.

William Powell is always wonderful, and Eugene Pallette as well. Had a tough time seeing the other people. The denouement was off the wall.