It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

This remake of "The Kennel Murder Case" (the bulk of the film) and "Private Detective 62" (all the introductory sequences) offers quite passable entertainment for those of us who haven't yet had the pleasure of seeing William Powell in both these wonderful films directed by Michael Curtiz. This one is directed efficiently but somewhat less effectively by William Clemens. The best thing about it is Jimmy Conlin who does more amusingly by Doctor Doremus than did Etienne Girardot in the original adaptation of the S.S. Van Dine thriller. Edward Brophy is also a joy. On the other hand, James Stephenson who gave such a great performance opposite Bette Davis in "The Letter" (1940) makes a very disappointing Philo Vance. In fact, he was miscast. His accent is all wrong for a start, a problem that Stephenson himself seems acutely aware of. Instead of making Vance a debonair detective (William Powell style), he turns him into a stuffed shirt. Both his expressionless facial activity and his reading of his lines signally lack charisma. But at least you can hear him clearly. He doesn't mumble like many present-day leads, but a stuffed-shirt hero is also a deadly dull hero.

The Kennel Murder Case was the highlight of the Philo Vance movie series. This film is a remake of that, updated to fit World War II with an espionage theme. James Stephenson makes a poor Philo Vance. He talks through his nose the whole time, which I found annoying. Supporting cast isn't bad. Includes great character actors Edward Brophy and Henry O'Neill. There is one scene where Brophy is supposed to knock open a door. He bumps into it with his shoulder twice with no result. Then he kicks it and his foot awkwardly knocks out a part of the door without actually kicking it open. Whether this was intentional or not I do not know but it sure looked like a goof. A cheapie like this wouldn't have done multiple takes if they could help it. Margot Stevenson plays the part Mary Astor played in the original. She speaks breathlessly and acts weakly. The best thing about the film for me are the Warner sets and backlot. It's a watchable film. Not a patch on the original and very flawed, but passable.

Calling Philo Vance (1940) * 1/2 (out of 4) In this entry, Philo Vance (James Stephenson) is working with the U.S. Government trying to determine if a man sold war plans to a foreign agent. I guess it was natural for this series to enter the foreign agent storyline since it was released during WW2 but it still makes for a pretty poor film. Stephenson is pretty bland in the role and sleepwalks throughout most of the film. The supporting cast doesn't fair any better but to their credit the screenplay doesn't give them much to work with. There are a couple of dogs in the film and they probably give the best performances.

Spoilers herein.There are two kinds of films: those that simply talk to you, and those that have an engaging conversation of some type. There are an amazing number and variety of the second type, with the prototype being the detective story. In its pure form it is an intimate wrestling match for control over what happens next in your imagination. This is interesting because it is something in between. The detective story is very clever in the situation it presents. But it is not given as a game, instead all we can do and watch as the story surprises us with its various confabulations. Its titillating being on the edge.Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.