''I'll Name the Murderer'' is a 1936 American

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

produced by C.C. Burr for Puritan Pictures, directed by

Raymond K. Johnson Raymond K. Johnson (1901–1999) was an American cinematographer and film director.Pitts p.367 He directed more than twenty films, mainly low budget westerns, for Poverty Row studios such as Monogram Pictures. After service in World War II Johnso ...

and starring

Ralph Forbes Ralph Forbes (born Ralph Forbes Taylor; 30 September 1904 – 31 March 1951) was an English film and stage actor active in Britain and the United States. Early life Forbes was born in Wandsworth, London, the son of Ernest John "E.J." and Ethe ...

Marion Shilling Marion Helen Schilling (December 3, 1910 – November 6, 2004) was an American stage and film actress. She was one of the most famous " B" leading ladies of the 1930s. Biography Marion Helen Schilling was born in Denver, Colorado in 1910. He ...

and

Malcolm McGregor Malcolm McGregor (October 13, 1892 – April 29, 1945) was an American actor of the silent era. McGregor appeared in more than 50 films between 1922 and 1936. He was born in Newark, New Jersey and died in Hollywood, California. A cross bet ...

. The story and screenplay was written by

Phil Dunham Phil Dunham (1885 - 1972) was an American actor and screenwriter. Biography Born in London, England, Dunham had a career that spanned silent films and "talkies". His screenplays include several films with African American casts. He had leading ...

with special dialogue by Edwin K. O'Brien, and the film was released January 27, 1936. This was Schilling's last film.

Plot

250px , right , Malcolm McGregor in I'll Name the Murderer It is the opening night of Luigi’s (Harry Semels) nightclub, gossip columnist Tommy Tilton (Ralph Forbes) is at the nightclub with his photographer, Smitty (Marion Schilling). Tilton runs into his college friend Ted Benson (Malcom McGregor) who is engaged to Vi Van Ostrum (Charlotte Barr-Smith). Behind the scenes one of the dancers, Valerie Delroy, and the nightclub’s featured singer, Nadia Renee, have an argument which results in Luigi firing Valerie and her dance partner Walton (Gayne Kinsey). Benson is being blackmailed by Nadia for love letters that he had written her before his engagement to Vi. Tilton agrees to talk Nadia into relinquishing the letters, which she agrees to, but after seeing Benson she changes her mind. Benson is angry at the double cross and picks up a

stiletto A stiletto () is a knife or dagger with a long slender blade and needle-like point, primarily intended as a stabbing weapon.Limburg, Peter R., ''What's In The Names Of Antique Weapons'', Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, , (1973), pp. 77-78 The stile ...

and tries to attack her just as she turns out the light. Meanwhile, Luigi rehires Valerie and Walton. Tilton goes to Nadia’s dressing in an effort to find Benson, but finds Nadia dead instead. He retrieves the letters, locks her door and calls the police. After the police arrive, the cook for the nightclub states that he saw a well dressed man leaving the back way. After questioning everyone involved, Police Captain Flynn (John Cowell) wants Benson brought in for questioning. Tilton is certain Benson is not the guilty party and promises to discover who the murderer is using his newspaper column. Later, Benson turns up at Tilton’s apartment. Valerie reads Tilton’s column the next day and arranges a meeting with Tilton, but is murdered before she has a chance to talk to him. Tilton visits Vi Van Ostrum and her father, Hugo Van Ostrum (William Bailey). Tilton shows him a receipt for a $15,000 diamond bracelet that he found in Nadia’s dressing room, indicating Van Ostrum has his own motive. Now that Valerie is dead, Tilton talks Benson into turning himself in for his own safety, which he does. Tilton discovers that Nadia used to work for a nightclub in Chicago called Rossi, and that Luigi, then known as Rossi, used to own that nightclub. It also comes to light that Nadia has blackmailed before. Luigi is ruled out as the murderer however, as he has an airtight alibi. Meanwhile, Tilton promises to name the murderer the next day, which makes himself a target that flushes out the murderer.

Cast

as Tommy Tilton *

as 'Smitty', newspaper photographer *

as Ted Benson *

James Guilfoyle James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

as Lou Baron, Private Investigator * John Cowell as Police Captain 'Pop' Flynn * William Bailey as William Hugo Van Ostrum, Vi's father *

Agnes Anderson Agnes or Agness may refer to: People *Agnes (name), the given name, and a list of people named Agnes or Agness * Wilfrid Marcel Agnès (1920–2008), Canadian diplomat Places * Agnes, Georgia, United States, a ghost town *Agnes, Missouri, United ...

as Nadia Renee, aka Marina Farina *

Claire Rochelle Claire Rochelle (1908–1981) was an American film actress. She played the female lead A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer ...

as Valerie Delroy, aka Maragert O'Brien *

Gayne Kinsey {{unreferenced, date=August 2011 An explosive booster is a sensitive explosive charge that acts as a bridge between a (relatively weak) conventional detonator and a low-sensitivity (but typically high-energy) explosive such as TNT. By itself, the i ...

as Walton, Valerie's Dance Partner *

Harry Semels Harry Semels (November 20, 1887 – March 2, 1946) was an American film actor. He appeared in over 315 film between 1917 and 1946. Career Semels appeared in his first film in 1917. He began to achieve fame after arriving at Columbia Pictu ...

as Luigi, Club Owner *

Al Klein AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media * Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera * Al (''Fullmetal ...

as Club Waiter

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:I'll Name The Murderer 1936 films 1936 crime drama films American black-and-white films American crime drama films Films directed by Raymond K. Johnson 1930s English-language films 1930s American films