January 6, 2024

I reckon that this is my favourite of these Warner Baxter outings as the sleuthing psychiatrist "Ordway". A man posing as a waiter at an swanky dinner accuses their host of being a wife-murderer. Not just one wife, mind - but two. Anyway he retires to his study where he seemingly commits suicide. "Ordway" is drafted in to investigate at the behest of the puzzled "Capt. Birch" (Emory Parnell) and is soon caught up with the antics of a cabaret act … read the rest.

I reckon that this is my favourite of these Warner Baxter outings as the sleuthing psychiatrist "Ordway". A man posing as a waiter at an swanky dinner accuses their host of being a wife-murderer. Not just one wife, mind - but two. Anyway he retires to his study where he seemingly commits suicide. "Ordway" is drafted in to investigate at the behest of the puzzled "Capt. Birch" (Emory Parnell) and is soon caught up with the antics of a cabaret act whom people are gradually beginning to believe are three hundred year old vampires! Of course there's no such thing - but the act are never seen in the dark and have papers signed in Madrid by none other than King Philip IV in the 1640s! The doc is bamboozled, but we just know he will use science and common sense to unravel the mystery and that there is a common sense - most likely venal - reason behind it all. There's quite a fun dynamic between Parnell and Baxter and a solid contribution from Hillary Brooke's "Kathleen" as well as a few rope-spinning performances from the seemingly immortal "Bragga" magicians. It's even got it's own butler - and does raise a smile now and again.

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