Louise Brooks and William Powell.     Photograph: courtesy Harvard Film Archive.

Cast: William Powell [Philo Vance], James Hall [Jimmy Spotswoode], Louise Brooks [Margaret O’Dell], Jean Arthur [Alys La Fosse], Gustav von Seyffertitz [Doctor Ambrose Lindquist], Charles Lane [Charles Spotswoode], Eugene Pallette [Ernest Heath], Lawrence Grant [Charles Cleaver], Ned Sparks [Tony Skeel], Louis John Bartels [Louis Mannix], E.H. Calvert [Markham], George Y. Harvey, Oscar Smith, Tim Adair, Margaret Livingston [the voice of Margaret O’Dell]

Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation production; distributed by Paramount Pictures Corporation. / Scenario by Florence Ryerson, with dialogue by S.S. Van Dine, from the adaptation by Florence Ryerson and Albert Shelby LeVino of the novel The Canary Murder Case by S.S. Van Dine (Willard Huntington Wright). Cinematography by Harry Fischbeck + [Clifford Blackstone]. Intertitles by Herman J. Mankiewicz. Edited by William Shea. / © 15 February 1929 by Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation [LP126]. Released 16 February 1929. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.37:1 format. Western Electric Movietone sound-on-film sound system. / The production was shot from 11 September through 12 October 1928, with sound version retakes shot on 19 December 1928. The silent film version was directed by St. Clair; the sound film retakes were directed by Tuttle. Brooks’ voice was dubbed by Livingston when Brooks refused to return to America from Germany for sound retakes. The film was also released in a silent version at 6554 feet. Powell’s 36th film. / Full-sound film.

Drama: Crime.

Survival Status: Print exists in the International Museum of Photography and Film at George Eastman House film archive (sound version only).

Keywords: Art Deco - Characters: Philo Vance - Police: Detectives - Synchronized sound film

Listing updated: 8 January 2008.

References: Baer-Film p. 39; Everson-Detective pp. 51, 87; Maltin-Guide p. 182; Mandelbaum-Screen p. 155; Paris-Brooks p. 559; Quirk-Powell pp. 22, 94, 95, 96; Skretvedt-LaurelHardy p. 445; Steinbrunner-Encyclopedia p. 400; Sweeney-Coming pp. 135, 141 : Website-AFI.

Home video: DVD.