The Benson Murder Case (1930)

On a dark and stormy night, the home of a ruthless stockbroker (Richard Tucker) is visited by several persons, all of who have reason to hate him. So when he's murdered, there is no shortage of suspects. Fortunately, the amateur detective Philo Vance (William Powell) is also at the house the night of the murder and is on the case. Based on the novel by S.S. Van Dine and directed by Frank Tuttle (THIS GUN FOR HIRE). I enjoyed this pre code murder mystery. It's tight and the mystery is clever and with its plethora of suspects, it was fun trying to deduce the murderer's identity. Visually, the film is static and director Frank Tuttle seems allergic to close ups but this being an early sound film, the movie is played out in medium or wide shots as if you were watching a play. Mystery fans should enjoy this modest entry. With Paul Lukas, Eugene Pallette, Natalie Moorhead, Mischa Auer, William Boyd (no, not the actor who played Hopalong Cassidy) and May Beatty.