The Dragon Murder Case (Warner Bros.) (1934)

Warren William is Honored By Los Angeles Police Force Warren William, noted screen player, star of “The Dragon Murder Case,” conferring with Captain H. H. Hagen of the Los Angeles police department and an aide before being made a member of the city’s detective force. Mat No. 9—20c Warren William, who portrays Philo Vance, super sleuth of S. S. Van Dine’s famous fiction stories, has been signally honored by the police department of Los Angeles. During the screening of the First National mystery thriller “The Dragon Murder Case,” which will Opelsatatve teu... Theatre on Aer te ceaetaenaureeee , William was not only made an honorary member of the Protective Order of Police of Los Angeles County, but a special detective on the regular city force. William, who is the third screen star to take the role of Philo Vance, is said to be the author’s ideal of this suave but slightly cynical detective whose powers of deduction and ability to re-create a murder scene, make the work of the regular force seem slightly foolish. Fiction detectives almost invariably have to work against the police as well as the criminals in order to bring the guilty to justice and prevent innocent people from being “framed.” Philo Vance, however, was always welcomed by the police department even though he usually has to tread on the toes of its operatives. Warren William the actor, may have to ‘“show-up” his coworkers occasionally, but William the detective and member of the police association, numbers among his choicest possessions the gold star that makes him a member of the regular detective force. Philo Vance Takes Place of Old Sherlock Holmes Warren William Has Role in “The Dragon Murder Case”’ Pres VANCE is rapidly replacing Sherlock Holmes in the national consciousness. For many years, it was Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective hero who automatically came to mind whenever one referred to mystery thrillers. Sherlock Holmes was the embodiment of all that was brilliant in the way of sleuthing. But now S. S. Van Dine has come along with his more modern detective, Philo Vance, the erudite collector of fine jade and prints, who solves baffling mysteries purely as a side-line. And Sherlock Holmes is practically forgotten. The newest Philo Vance thriller, “The Dragon Murder Case,” First National picture, comes to the Soe aie MineatnesOle. ssc 6 with Warren William making his debut in the role of the suave sleuth. While “to do a Sherlock” automatically means to do a bit of sleuthing, S. S. Van Dine can gloat, if he wants to, over the fact that “Philo Vance” is rapidly becoming part of the national idiom. The August “Congressional Record,” no less, reports that one indignant Solon inquired caustically of. another if he “thought he was Philo Vance himself?” S. S. Van Dine, creator of Philo Vance, is one of the most intriguing figures of the modern literary world. He has been compared, not unreasonably, to his own literary character. His real name is Willard Huntington Wright, and was originally an art and book critic on New York and Los Angeles newspapers. A physical collapse forced him to his bed several years ago, and while recuperating, he happened to read a popular mystery tale. “T can do better than this,” he thought to himself, and promptly set to work making good his boast. “Philo Vance” was introduced in “The Benson Murder Case,” and since that time has retained his high position through a distinguished list of “Case” novels— “The Canary Murder Case,” “The Green Murder Case,” “The Kennel Murder Case” and several others. All of the Philo Vance novels have been made into talking pictures, with great success. William Powell has generally had the role of the clever detective, but in “The Dragon Murder Case” filmgoers will see the popular Warren William in the part. “The Dragon Murder Case” has been hailed by critics as one of the author’s more baffling tales. It has as its central situation the strange disappearance of a _ house party guest who dives into the mysterious Dragon Pool, alleged lair of a prehistoric monster, and who never comes up—nor is his body ever discovered. Philo Vance steps into the picture at the crucial moment, and solves the case in his own inimitable fashion. Others in the case of “The Dragon Murder Case” supporting Warren William include Margaret Lindsay, Lyle Talbot, Dorothy “Tree, Eugene Pallette, Robert Bar rat and Helen Lowell. Margaret Lindsay Is Back on Screen Margaret Lindsay’s first screen role in several months is the lead opposite Warren William in the First National “The Dragon Murder Case,’ which comes to the ANEAtre:OD) 3525S eects The brunette beauty was off the screen for several months following a severe appendicitis operation. "Prop Men" Had to Swim in Drama “Prop men” on “The Dragon Murder Case,” First National thriller starring Warren William in the famous role of Philo Vance, which Gomes to the wigsaciseusas Theatre Oller saheeeeer ee cilia eran , were chosen largely because of their swimming ability. Much of the action of the picture takes place in and around the sinister Dragon Pool invented in the novel by S. S. Van Dine and reproduced at the studios, and the “props” had to be good swimmers in order to attend to their regular duties of shifting “parallels” and other equipment in and around the pool. Eugene Pallette Is Famous As Cook Eugene Pallette, who once more plays the role of Sergeant Heath in the newest filmization of an S. S. Van Dine mystery, “The Dragon Murder Case,” which comes to the eM Ciel ad (Wheatve son =.0.c = 5 is known to the initiated Hollywood few as one of the best cooks in the colony. Invitations to his dinner-parties are received eagerly by connoisseurs of good food, who will admit that if Pallette wanted to give up his acting career, he would become a great chef in his own right. Helen Lowell With Theatre 50 Years Helen Lowell, the brilliant character actress who has one of the leading roles with Warren William in First National’s, “The Dragon Murder Case,” which comes to the Se evens THEAEENONM...00)...600' has been associated with the theatre nearly five decades. She ran away from convent at the age of 12 and joined a touring musical company ! Gigantic Mystery Pool Built for Murder Thriller Scene of Strange Crimes in Picture, ‘“The Dragon Murder Case”’ ghee Dragon Pool, as S. S. Van Dine described it, was a per fect place for a murder. That was oniy natural, for it was the scene of one of the most baffling crimes in all the Philo Vance mysteries, “The Dragon Murder ‘Case, now showing at the .)...0000..4.. cei Theatre. So when that novel was bought by First National, it was necessary to reconstruct, in the Van Dine spirit, the entire Dragon Pool, just as described in the book. That it was a successful attempt will be apparent when “The Dragon Murder Case,” with Warren William making his debut in the famous role of Philo Vance, is seen on the screen. Few will realize the effort and work that went into the construction of the sinister pool, because it looks like anything but the interior of a studio sound stage. In the first place, the Dragon Pool, as described by the mystery writer, was on the back grounds of a huge country estate near New York City. Not only the pool had to be shown, but the elaborate home of the owner. Therefore, it was necessary to utilize an entire sound stage on the burbank lot—a stage nearly two blocks long by a block-and-a-half wide. The Pool is the important part of the set. It is a sinister spot, even under the bright lights. At one end of the pool is a high precipice of rock, or rather, the studio equivalent of rock. Across the other end, where a creek is supposed to run in, to form the pond, is a strange looking filter— and all around are mournful pine trees, whispering witnesses of the strange doings that make up the plot of the Van Dine thriller. “The Dragon Murder Case” begins with the mysterious disappearance of a house-party guest, who dives into the pool and never comes up. When drained, no trace of his body can be found, and it was seemingly impossible for it to be removed. Further complications enter when the half-mad old matriarch of the home insists that a mythical dragon inhabits the pool, and is responsible for the disappearance. H. Bruce Humberstone directed the S. S. Van Dine thriller, and others in the cast include Margaret Lindsay, Lyle Talbot, Dorothy Tree, Eugene Pallette, Robert McWade, Helen Lowell, Etienne Girardot, Robert Barrat and Robert Warwick. The screen play is by F. Hugh Herbert and Robert N. Lee, dramatized from an adaptation by Rian James. Aquarium Used in Mystery Thriller The greater part of a Los Angeles aquarium was transported to the First National studios for one sequence of “The Dragon Murder Case,” the S. S. Van Dine thriller which comes ‘to the .......03......:4. Theatre) Onesies ake se secs Myriads of brightly-hued fish will be seen in the picture, which presents Warren William in the famous role of Philo Vance, detective extraordinary. Robert Barrat plays the ichthyologist who has collected these finny denizens of the deep, and Margaret Lindsay is his beautiful sister. Brunette Wears Blonde Wig in Pictures Dorothy Tree is the wig-makers delight at the First National studios. The clever young actress who is currently appearing with Warren William in “The Dragon Murder Case,” which comes to the eed. Wiheatre: Onset has worn wigs in all but one of her productions. Although she is a brunette, studio officials think that Dorothy has a blonde soul, or something — because she generally wears a blonde or Titian wig. In her new picture she wears an elaborately curled blonde headdress and looks stunning. There’s Murder in the Air At least it seems that way, judging by the expressions on Dorothy Tree, Warren William and Margaret Lindsay. They appear in S. S. Van Dine’s “The Dragon Murder Case,” First National picture opening next W ednesday at the Strand. Lyle Talbot, Eugene Pallette and Robert Barrat are in the cast. Mat No. 11—30e Page Thirteen