not horrible nor great

An Exercise In Nonsense

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

Unexciting entry in the Philo Vance series. Before we get to the obvious casting issues, the plot is relatively dull and uninteresting. Considering the previous entries in the Philo Vance series had interesting plots, this one is a big step down on that front. Now, on to the cast. Paul Lukas plays Philo and, as you might expect, is woefully miscast. It's more than just his thick accent. I've been critical of Philo Vance films before because the character doesn't seem to have distinct personality traits all his own like most of the other great movie detectives of the '30s and '40s. Apparently he does in the original books but in the films his personality changes to match whatever actor is playing him that time. Vance was played by many actors so the series lacked consistency on his characterization. That is never more evident than here with Lukas. At no point did I get into the film or root for Vance and that was in large part due to Lukas' disconnected performance.There are problems with the rest of the cast, as well. Rosalind Russell seems to be trying to channel Myrna Loy but it doesn't work. She had yet to craft her own screen persona. Also, her chemistry with Lukas is nonexistent. Eric Blore's butler shtick has worked much better in other films than it does here. Ted Healy's Sgt. Heath is no substitute for Eugene Palette. Also missing is Etienne Girardot, who played coroner Dr. Doremus and provided great laughs in the last two Vance films before this. Here he is replaced by Charles Sellon, who delivers lines that are supposed to be funny with the utmost seriousness. Just not a great cast or film. This is probably the worst in the Vance series.

Rosalind Russell saves this movie from being just another '30s mystery out of the mystery machine. Paul Lukas, despite his panache is not a good Philo Vance because of his accent. This is more of a romantic "screwball comedy" type of film than a mystery, but taken in that aspect, it's pretty good. The auction scenes and Alison Skipworth are wonderful. The chemistry between the unflappable Russell and Mr. Lukas is really neat, although in the novels romance never got in the way of a good murder. Whether played by Ted Healy or Eugene Palette, poor Sgt. Ernest Heath never got a fair shake. In the books he was never quite the boob portrayed on the screen. The Casino Murder Case is worth viewing if for nothing but to watch Rosalind Russell on top of her game.

With a traditional murder-mystery detective plot, clearly written as a pulp novel before being transferred to the screen, this film abounds with idiosyncratic characters and overly dramatic actors. The framing of this mass-consumption plot occasionally leads to heaps of interesting shots, with the traditional benefits of black and white. Intensely-orchestrated scenes of overdone surprise and intruding butlers and maids make the film enjoyable from one moment to the next. Not to mention a delectable performance by Rosalind Russell.The factors all come together for this film, and if you take it for its backdated surface value, you won't be wasting your time. The trees of this film, so to speak, make a great forest.

In the wake of the success of The Thin Man, the studios began to churn out scads of little mystery movies that are really more like screwball comedies than problems in deduction or thrillers. This is a pretty good sample of the type, with Rosalind Russell showing a flair for the genre that would be exploited in His Girl Friday. It even takes about 15 minutes or so before anyone gets murdered.Paul Luckas is fine as the sleuth in the picture. Any resemblance between him and the Philo Vance depicted in the series of novels by S.S. Van Dine is a coincidence. This Philo is charming, polite, and doesn't mind when Roz complains that his mystery stories are wordy and complicated. And shouldn't come as a surprise that this Philo is more seems more interested in Roz than the mystery at hand. The actual crime is mildly intriguing, but the solution is mildly ridiculous.Treat this as a pleasant way to spend a little more than an hour, and look at cool 30s cars, clothes and decor. Don't look for great art here.