''Moonlight Murder'' 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 ...
directed by
Edwin L. Marin
Edwin L. Marin (February 21, 1899 – May 2, 1951) was an American film director who directed 58 films between 1932 and 1951, working with Randolph Scott, Anna May Wong, John Wayne, Peter Lorre, George Raft, Bela Lugosi, Judy Garland, E ...
and written by
Florence Ryerson
Florence Ryerson (September 20, 1892 – June 8, 1965) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and co-author of the script for the 1939 film ''The Wizard of Oz''.'' Between 1915 and 1927 she published more than 30 short stories and then join ...
and
Edgar Allan Woolf
Edgar Allan Woolf (April 25, 1881 – December 9, 1943) was an American lyricist, playwright, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-author of the script for the 1939 film '' The Wizard of Oz''.
Early years and education
Woolf was the son ...
. The film stars
Chester Morris
John Chester Brooks Morris (February 16, 1901 – September 11, 1970) was an American stage, film, television, and radio actor. He had some prestigious film roles early in his career, and received an Academy Award nomination for ''Alibi'' ( ...
,
Madge Evans
Madge Evans (born Margherita Evans; July 1, 1909 – April 26, 1981) was an American stage and film actress.Obituary ''Variety'', April 29, 1981. She began her career as a child performer and model.
Biography
Child model and stage actress
B ...
,
Leo Carrillo
Leopoldo Antonio Carrillo (; August 6, 1880 – September 10, 1961), known professionally as Leo Carrillo, was an American actor, vaudevillian, political cartoonist, and conservationist.
He was best known for playing Pancho in the television ...
,
Frank McHugh
Francis Curry McHugh (May 23, 1898 – September 11, 1981) was an American stage, radio, film and television actor.
Early years
Born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, of Irish descent, McHugh came from a theatrical family. His parents, Edward A. ...
,
Benita Hume
Benita Hume (14 October 1907 – 1 November 1967) was an English theatre and film actress. She appeared in more than 40 films between 1925 and 1955.
Life and career
She was married to film actor Ronald Colman from 1938 to his death in 1958 ...
,
Grant Mitchell,
Katharine Alexander
Katharine Alexander (September 22, 1898 - February 10, 1981) was an American actress on stage and screen. She appeared in 44 films between 1930 and 1951. Her first name was sometimes spelled Katherine in billing.
Biography
Alexander was born ...
and
J. Carrol Naish
Joseph Patrick Carrol Naish (January 21, 1896 – January 24, 1973) was an American actor. He appeared in over 200 credits during the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Naish received two Oscar nominations for his supporting roles in the films '' Sahara ...
. The film was released on March 27, 1936, by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
.
Plot
An
amateur detective gets a chance to test his sleuthing skills when an opera singer is murdered at the
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018.
The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...
.
Cast
*
Chester Morris
John Chester Brooks Morris (February 16, 1901 – September 11, 1970) was an American stage, film, television, and radio actor. He had some prestigious film roles early in his career, and received an Academy Award nomination for ''Alibi'' ( ...
as Steve Farrell
*
Madge Evans
Madge Evans (born Margherita Evans; July 1, 1909 – April 26, 1981) was an American stage and film actress.Obituary ''Variety'', April 29, 1981. She began her career as a child performer and model.
Biography
Child model and stage actress
B ...
as Toni Adams
*
Leo Carrillo
Leopoldo Antonio Carrillo (; August 6, 1880 – September 10, 1961), known professionally as Leo Carrillo, was an American actor, vaudevillian, political cartoonist, and conservationist.
He was best known for playing Pancho in the television ...
as Gino D'Acosta
*
Frank McHugh
Francis Curry McHugh (May 23, 1898 – September 11, 1981) was an American stage, radio, film and television actor.
Early years
Born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, of Irish descent, McHugh came from a theatrical family. His parents, Edward A. ...
as William
*
Benita Hume
Benita Hume (14 October 1907 – 1 November 1967) was an English theatre and film actress. She appeared in more than 40 films between 1925 and 1955.
Life and career
She was married to film actor Ronald Colman from 1938 to his death in 1958 ...
as Diana
*
Grant Mitchell as Dr. Adams
*
Katharine Alexander
Katharine Alexander (September 22, 1898 - February 10, 1981) was an American actress on stage and screen. She appeared in 44 films between 1930 and 1951. Her first name was sometimes spelled Katherine in billing.
Biography
Alexander was born ...
as Louisa Chiltern
*
J. Carrol Naish
Joseph Patrick Carrol Naish (January 21, 1896 – January 24, 1973) was an American actor. He appeared in over 200 credits during the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Naish received two Oscar nominations for his supporting roles in the films '' Sahara ...
as Bejac
*
H. B. Warner
Henry Byron Warner (born Henry Byron Lickfold, 26 October 1876 – 21 December 1958) was an English film and theatre actor. He was popular during the silent era and played Jesus Christ in '' The King of Kings''. In later years, he successfu ...
as Godfrey Chiltern ...
*
Duncan Renaldo
Renault Renaldo Duncan (April 23, 1904 – September 3, 1980), better known as Duncan Renaldo, was a Romanian-born American actor best remembered for his portrayal of The Cisco Kid in films and on the 1950–1956 American TV series ''The Cisco K ...
as Pedro
*Leonard Ceeley as Ivan Bosloff
*
Robert McWade
Robert McWade (January 25, 1872 – January 19, 1938), was an American stage and film actor.
McWade was born in Buffalo, New York. He was the third actor named Robert McWade, after his father and grandfather.
In 1902, McWade debuted on stag ...
as Police Chief Quinlan
*
Pedro de Cordoba as Swami
*
Charles Trowbridge
Charles Silas Richard Trowbridge (January 10, 1882 – October 30, 1967) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 230 films between 1915 and 1958.
Biography
Trowbridge was born in Veracruz, Mexico, where his father served in the ...
as Stage Manager
References
External links
*
1936 films
1930s English-language films
American crime films
1936 crime films
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
Films directed by Edwin L. Marin
American black-and-white films
Films scored by Herbert Stothart
Films with screenplays by Florence Ryerson
Films with screenplays by Edgar Allan Woolf
Films scored by Edward Ward (composer)
1930s American films
Films set in Los Angeles
{{1930s-crime-film-stub