The Kennel Murder Case (1933)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Excellent but underrated film

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Routine whodunit of the time. Despite presence of Powell, he's given no chance to demonstrate his special personality skills-- that would come later with Nick and Nora Charles. Too bad, because the narrative could use more character color, aside from a droll Palette as police inspector. As a murder mystery, the film's nothing special. There's the old brain-teaser of murder in a locked room, but that's cleared up too soon. Too bad the collection of suspects are all men with only two women in the cast. Then too, headliner Mary Astor gets little screen time and is largely wasted. From that gender standpoint, the movie remains something of an oddity. Nonetheless, the storyline is smoothly directed by the canny Mike Curtiz. At the same time, I like the use of flashbacks to clear up the convoluted murders, which otherwise are pretty much beyond viewer solution. Anyway, it's good to know that Powell would soon take Asta and go on to the Thin Man series, which is more entertaining than this mediocre effort.

. . . or actress Myrna Loy, THE KENNEL MURDER CASE could be better titled as THE BROKEN VASE CASE. Though this picture does begin at a dog show, the kennel is an afterthought by the time corpses start cropping up. William Powell's character, amateur detective Philo Vance, is more asexual here than Sherlock Holmes--a total cypher, as far as romantic interests are concerned. What love connections there are in THE KENNEL MURDER CASE generally fall flat; the doggy romances in THE LADY AND THE TRAMP are much more convincing than anything here. The plot of THE KENNEL MURDER CASE is constructed along the lines of an Agatha Christie mystery, complete with an amateur detective (Vance) staging a "big reveal" in a drawing room climax. THE KENNEL MURDER CASE is a great bedtime movie; if you fall asleep before it ends, you can't really miss very much.

The Kennel Murder Case is one of those rare films that show everyone involved at the best of their craft, and working well together to give a good show. It is well worth watching for story, characters, and an odd nostalgia that comes from reflecting on the police procedural drama, from then and today. From the threat of physical violence from the lead police officer, to a district attorney being directly involved in a criminal investigation, you can add to the fun of a good movie by asking yourself "What could they do now, and what did they do wrong in the picture?" Again I love this film and have watched in many times, but some of the little anachronisms are like wonderful Easter Eggs.Little things spring up SPOILER ALERT throughout the film. Despite a mob of police, nobody searches the house which is the scene of the crime. Suspects are allowed to live in the house which is the scene of two murders, a possible burglary, and an ongoing investigation. Vance is allowed to take over a police investigation without any more authority than being a friend of the District attorney. There are architectural models made in what seems like hours that have an extraordinary level of detail; in fact they are probably the models used for some of the incredible camera shots throughout the film.Speaking of the camera work, it is inspired. With all the murder mysteries filmed at this time based on stage plays, with a resulting flat camera work, this movie makes the camera almost a character in itself. I wish someone would spend the money and restore this film. I can think of at least three films of Powel's that should be cleaned up for this generation.However you chose to watch this film, as a story, acting, cinema photography, or just as a good whodunit, you won't go wrong by watching this pleasing picture.

William Powell is Philo Vance in "The Kennel Murder Case," a 1933 film also starring Mary Astor, Paul Cavanagh, Eugene Palette, Helen Vinson and Ralph Morgan. A dog show in which Philo has entered his Scottish terrier Captain serves as the background for a locked room mystery with too many suspects. The mystery is very clever and the denouement both complicated and interesting. Since the talkies are still quite young, the camera work is a little static, but Michael Curtiz does a good job directing the action.The supporting cast is excellent; the entire cast brings the film up a notch. Lots of actors have played Philo Vance, including Paul Lukas, Basil Rathbone, Wilford Hyde-White, Edmund Lowe, James Stephenson, Alan Curtis, Warren William and others. Powell played it the most (five times) and is the best fit for the role - very relaxed but serious at the same time. This was made before "The Thin Man" catapulted him to big stardom - he had spent about 12 years in film by then, beginning his career on stage in 1912 at the age of 20. A remarkable man, a remarkable screen presence and a remarkable actor who lived to be nearly 92. We're so lucky to have his films available on DVD and on TCM today. "The Kennel Murder Case" is a great story and a fun film - don't miss it.