Absolutely the worst movie.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Murder on the Blackboard (1934) *** (out of 4) The second of six films in RKO's Hildegarde Withers (Edna May Oliver) series has the wannabe detective working at a school when a music teacher is shot dead. Inspector Oscar Piper (James Gleason) is soon helping on the case, which features the usual suspects including one played by Bruce Cabot. I've got the first film in the series, Penguin Pool Murder, recorded but haven't watched it yet so this is the first film from the series that I've actually watched. There's nothing overly special about this film but it does stand apart from the countless other mystery films of the decade. For one, Edna May Oliver plays her role pretty well and while it's somewhat over the top she never goes way past that line to where the character becomes obnoxious. She manages to bring a few laughs to the film and keeps the film going throughout. The actual mystery is also done pretty well with some nice atmosphere trapped in the small school.

Edna May Oliver, (Hildegarde Withers) was a fantastic actress and her supporting actor was also a great actor, James Gleason, (Inspector Oscar Piper). In this film Hildegarde investigates a murder in a New York City School which involved a very pretty young teacher who was involved in some very dark secrets. There is a blackboard that plays a very important role in this murder mystery which was musical notes placed on a C staff which reveal an important clue to the person who committed this murder. Edna May Oliver and James Gleason give an outstanding performance with very quick wit of words between each other and it is also very comical and funny to watch two great veterans doing what just comes very natural for both of them. Don't miss this great film Classic from 1934.

There were many, many B-detective series films through the 1930s and 40s--ranging from Sherlock Holmes to Ellery Queen to Charlie Chan to The Falcon--and many, many more. Despite the wide variety, these film are quite similar and the plots are rather interchangeable. However, I always look forward to a Hildegarde Withers film starring Edna May Oliver, as her films, regardless of the plot, have a lot more going for them than the rest of the pack. That's because Ms. Oliver was simply a delight to watch--as her detective was given the snappiest and most sarcastic dialog and her delivery was always wonderful. While she appeared at first much like a Jessica Fletcher-style character, you soon discovered she wasn't so cuddly or sweet and was more of a "dame" in the best sense of the word.This particular film is about a dead body that is discovered but then disappears at a school. Later, the body is found in the most grisly fashion and it's up to Miss Withers and her sidekick, the Inspector (James Gleason) to solve the crime. The film isn't quite as good as their previous film, THE PENGUIN POOL MURDER and interestingly enough they actually refer back to that case--something you don't often see in these films. Watch it--it's exciting, funny and different.Sadly, despite the higher than usual quality of these films, Ms. Oliver only made three and the studio tried replacing her with Helen Broderick and Zasu Pitts--pale imitations of the original.

In this, the second of the three Hildegard Withers - Oscar Piper comedy murder stories (based on Stuart Palmer's novels), Edna Mae Oliver is in her natural milieu. Hildegard is a teacher, and the murder (of a pretty music teacher in her school) means that the killer is possibly connected to the school. Is it one of the teachers (Tully Marshall, Gertrude Michaels, Bruce Cabot), or the janitor? And what was the reason for the murder? Stuart Palmer's novels are pretty well set in their own time. One of the selling points of the third Hildegard Withers film with Oliver and Gleason (MURDER ON THE HONEYMOON) was the early passenger plane that is the scene of that killing: few people flew in 1933-36. It was a sign of the future for the audience. Here the plot is restricted to the school's staff. Today (unlike the Depression) with our knowledge of juvenile delinquents one of the suspects would have been a gang member. Not so in it's day.The dialog is good, if not up to the first's film. My favorite moment in it deals with dumb cop Edgar Kennedy. In the first film he was just a policeman, but somehow he has been promoted to detective. He gets knocked out while searching the school's basement. For most of the film his character is as physically unconscious as his character is mentally unconscious. But at the conclusion, Kennedy regains consciousness, and starts revealing the moment he was attacked. He, melodramatically acts out the attack and screams the name of the perpetrator. Unfortunately for Kennedy, the killer has already confessed after being confronted by Oliver and Gleason. An irritated Oliver looks at Kennedy and asks, "Now that you have identified the killer here, please tell us who shot Lincoln!" Kennedy's slow burn ends the film.