Michael Shayne, Private Detective (1940)

A private detective (Lloyd Nolan) is hired by a rich friend (Clarence Kolb) to watch his high spirited daughter (Marjorie Weaver) and keep her out of trouble when he's out of town. Instead, the detective finds himself up to his ears in murder, blackmail and corruption. Based on the novel THE PRIVATE PRACTICE OF MICHAEL SHAYNE by Brett Halliday and directed by Eugene Forde (CHARLIE CHAN'S MURDER CRUISE). The first entry in a four movie franchise starring Lloyd Nolan as detective Michael Shayne. This B programmer moves fast which is both its saving grace and its biggest flaw. It moves so quickly that we don't have much time to put two and two together or grasp the characters connection to each other. It doesn't help that Nolan's irritating and smug smarty pants detective is unlikable. The movie's most likeable character is Elizabeth Patterson as Weaver's dotty Aunt who has a penchant for murder mysteries. With Walter Abel, Douglass Dumbrille, Joan Valerie and Donald MacBride.