The Benson Murder Case (film)
The Benson Murder Case is a 1930 American pre-Code crime film directed by Frank Tuttle and written by S. S. Van Dine and Bartlett Cormack. The film stars William Powell, William "Stage" Boyd, Eugene Pallette, Paul Lukas, Natalie Moorhead, Richard Tucker and May Beatty. The film was released on April 13, 1930, by Paramount Pictures.[1][2]
| The Benson Murder Case | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Frank Tuttle |
| Screenplay by | S. S. Van Dine Bartlett Cormack |
| Starring | William Powell William "Stage" Boyd Eugene Pallette Paul Lukas Natalie Moorhead Richard Tucker May Beatty |
| Cinematography | Archie Stout |
| Edited by | Doris Drought |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 65 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
A ruthless, crooked stockbroker is murdered at his luxurious country estate, and detective Philo Vance just happens to be there; he decides to find out who killed him. When a ruthless and crooked stockbroker named Ebenezer Benson is murdered at his luxurious country estate, Vance decides to investigate the case and works alongside District Attorney Markham and the police to gather clues and interview suspects. Through a careful analysis of the evidence and his own powers of deduction, Vance ultimately discovers that the murderer is Benson's business partner, Adolph Mohler. Mohler had been embezzling money from their firm and feared that Benson would discover his fraudulent activities, so he murdered Benson to cover up his crimes. Vance is able to convince Mohler to confess to the murder, and he is arrested and brought to justice.[3]
Cast
- William Powell as Philo Vance
- William "Stage" Boyd as Harry Gray
- Eugene Pallette as Sgt. Ernest Heath
- Paul Lukas as Adolph Mohler
- Natalie Moorhead as Fanny Del Roy
- Richard Tucker as Anthony Benson
- May Beatty as Mrs. Paula Banning
- E.H. Calvert as Dist. Atty. John F.X. Markham
- Mischa Auer as Albert Brecker (uncredited)
- Guy Oliver as Captain Hagedorn (uncredited)
References
- Hal Erickson (2014). "The-Benson-Murder-Case - Trailer - Cast". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
- "The Benson Murder Case (1930) - Overview". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
- IMDB
External links
- The Benson Murder Case at IMDb
- Stills from the Spanish-language version of the film. El cuerpo del delito, WalterFilm Poster and Photo Museum