''Philo Vance's Secret Mission'' is a 1947 American

mystery film A mystery film is a film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, ...

directed by

Reginald Le Borg Reginald LeBorg (born Harry Gröbel; 11 December 1902 – 25 March 1989) was an Austrian-American film director. He directed 68 films between 1936 and 1974. Film career In 1934, he moved to Hollywood, California to seek employment as a scre ...

and starring Alan Curtis,

Sheila Ryan Sheila Ryan (born Katherine Elizabeth McLaughlin, June 8, 1921 – November 4, 1975) was an American actress who appeared in more than 60 movies. Career Born in Topeka, Kansas, Ryan went to Hollywood in 1939 at the age of 18. Her acting career b ...

and

Tala Birell Tala Birell (born Natalie Bierle; 10 September 1907 – 17 February 1958) was a Romanian-bornThe reference book ''Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins'' identifies Birell as a Polish-Austrian actress.A feature about Bi ...

. It was part of a series of films featuring the detective

Philo Vance Philo Vance is a fictional amateur detective originally featured in 12 crime novels by S. S. Van Dine in the 1920s and '30s. During that time, Vance was immensely popular in books, films, and radio. He was portrayed as a stylish—even foppish� ...

made during the 1930s and 1940s.

Plot

Philo Vance is approached by the head of a publishing company to become an advisor on a series of crime novels they are releasing. Before long he is embroiled in a case about the mysterious killing of one of the partners in the company.

Cast

* Alan Curtis as Philo Vance *

as Mona Bannister *

as Mrs. Elizabeth Phillips *

Frank Jenks Frank Jenks (November 4, 1902 – May 13, 1962) was an American actor and vaudevillian. Biography Early years Jenks was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and his mother gave him a trombone when he was 9 years old. By his late teens he was playing ...

as Ernie Clark * James Bell as Sheriff Harry Madison * Frank Fenton as Paul Morgan *

Paul Maxey Paul Regan Maxey (March 15, 1907 – June 3, 1963) was an American actor. Biography Born in Wheaton, Illinois, the rotund Maxey played character roles in films from 1937, notably as the composer Victor Herbert in ''Till the Clouds Roll ...

as Martin Jamison * Kenneth Farrell as Joe, the Photographer * Toni Todd as Louise Roberts aka Mrs. Paul Morgan * David Leonard as Carl Wilson * William Newell as Deputy * Tom Quinn as Haddon Phillips *

Harry Strang Harry Strang (December 13, 1892 – April 10, 1972) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 500 films and television shows between 1929 and 1965. On Broadway, Strang appeared in ''The Girl in the Train'' (1910). Primarily a characte ...

as Ship's Purser *

Frank Wilcox Frank Reppy Wilcox (March 13, 1907 – March 3, 1974) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films and television series, as well as Broadway plays. Background Wilcox was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roger V. Wilcox. He was born in De Soto ...

as Thaddius Carter

Production

''Philo Vance’s Secret Mission'' was director LaBorg’s only picture for

Producers Releasing Corporation Producers Releasing Corporation (generally known as PRC) was the smallest and least prestigious of the 11 Hollywood film companies of the 1940s. It was considered a prime example of what was called " Poverty Row": a low-rent stretch of Gower St ...

(PRC), and filmed at the

Samuel Goldwyn Studio Samuel Goldwyn Studio was the name that Samuel Goldwyn used to refer to the lot located on the corner of Formosa Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, California, as well as the offices and stages that his company, Samuel Goldw ...

. According to director Reginald LeBorg, PRC was a low budget outfit, and acknowledged that some films were shot in two or three days, incorporating stock footage. Though PRC executives were satisfied with his efficient handling of the production, LeBorg declined to make another film for them. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

s Edward C. Jewell and Perry Smith.

Retrospective appraisal

Of the three films in the Vance series produced by PRC, ''Philo Vance’s Secret Mission'' “is perhaps the most accomplished,” according to critic Wheeler W. Dixon.Dixon, 1992 p. 28 Director LeBorg departed PRC and returned to Columbia Pictures. Dixon makes this observation regarding PRC:

Notes

References

* Dixon, Wheeler Winston. 1992. ''The Films of Reginald LeBorg: Interviews, Essays, and Filmography.'' Filmmakers No. 31 ''

The Scarecrow Press Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an American independent academic publishing company founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns t ...

'', Metuchen, New Jersey.

Bibliography

* Backer, Ron. ''Mystery Movie Series of 1930s Hollywood''. McFarland, 2012.

External links

* * * {{Reginald Le Borg 1947 films 1947 mystery films American mystery films Films directed by Reginald Le Borg Producers Releasing Corporation films Eagle-Lion Films films American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films Philo Vance films English-language mystery films