''While the Patient Slept'' is a 1935 comedy murder mystery film directed by Ray Enright starring Aline MacMahon as a nurse/crime sleuth and

Guy Kibbee Guy Bridges Kibbee (March 6, 1882 – May 24, 1956) was an American stage and film actor. Early years Kibbee was born in El Paso, Texas. His father was editor of the ''El Paso Herald-Post'' newspaper, and Kibbee learned how to set type at age ...

as her boyfriend and police detective. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Mignon G. Eberhart.

Plot

A comedic murder mystery involving a nurse who is assigned to the at-home care of a man who recently had a stroke. While he is unconscious, on a

dark and stormy night ''Dark and Stormy Night'' is a 2009 independent film spoofing the haunted house and murder mystery films produced by Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s. Larry Blamire directed and acted in the film and wrote the screenplay. The film also include ...

, a murder takes place in his bedroom. With family members and potential heirs confined to the house for several days, additional murders occur while the nurse and a police detective work on solving the case.

Cast

* Aline MacMahon as Nurse Sarah Keate *

as Detective Lt. Lance O'Leary *

Lyle Talbot Lyle Florenz Talbot (born Lisle Henderson, also credited Lysle Talbot; February 8, 1902 – March 2, 1996) was an American stage, screen and television actor. His career in films spanned three decades, from 1931 to 1960, and he performed on ...

as Ross Lonergan *

Patricia Ellis Patricia Ellis (born Patricia Gene O'Brien; died March 26, 1970) was an American film actress of the 1930s. Early years Born in Birmingham, Michigan, most likely in 1915 (although she gave her year of birth to the Social Security Administration ...

as March Federie * Allen Jenkins as Police Sgt. Jim Jackson *

Robert Barrat Robert Harriot Barrat (July 10, 1891 – January 7, 1970) was an American stage, motion picture, and television character actor. Early years Barratt was born on July 10, 1891, in New York City and was educated in the public schools there. He ...

as Adolphe Federie *

Hobart Cavanaugh Hobart Cavanaugh (September 22, 1886 – April 26, 1950 ) was an American character actor in films and on stage. Biography He was born in Virginia City, Nevada on September 22, 1886. Cavanaugh attended the University of California. He worked in ...

as Eustace Federie *

Dorothy Tree Dorothy Tree (born Dorothy Estelle Triebitz, May 21, 1906 – February 13, 1992) was an American actress, voice teacher and writer. She appeared in a wide range of character roles in at least 49 films between 1927 and 1951. Her roles includ ...

as Mittie Federie * Henry O'Neill as Elihu Dimuck * Russell Hicks as Dr. Jay *

Helen Flint Helen Flint (January 14, 1898 – September 9, 1967) was an American actress. Flint debuted as a member of the chorus in the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' when she was 17. Her work on Broadway included more than 20 productions between 1921 and 1946. Fl ...

as Isobel Federie * Brandon Hurst as Grondal * Eddie Shubert as Detective Muldoon * Walter Walker as Richard Federie * George Chandler as Evening Bulletin Reporter

Marketing

Warner Brothers marketed 12 mystery films as components of the "Clue Club", movies tied to ''Black Mask'', a pulp magazine, aimed at increasing audiences attending WB mystery movies. There were twelve titles bearing the Warner Brothers "Clue Club" label released from 1935 to 1938. Clue Club #1: ''

The White Cockatoo ''The White Cockatoo'' is a 1935 American mystery film directed by Alan Crosland and starring Jean Muir, Ricardo Cortez and Ruth Donnelly. It was based on the 1933 novel of the same name by Mignon G. Eberhart. A print is preserved in the Library ...

'' (1935) Clue Club #2: ''While the Patient Slept'' (1935) Clue Club #3: ''

The Florentine Dagger ''The Florentine Dagger '' is a 1935 American film noir mystery film directed by Robert Florey. The film numbers among the first Hollywood movies in which psychoanalysis is a significant factor in the story.Smith, Richard Harland"The Florentin ...

'' (1935) Clue Club #4: '' The Case of the Curious Bride'' (1935) Clue Club #5: ''

The Case of the Lucky Legs ''The Case of the Lucky Legs'' is a 1935 mystery film, the third in a series of Perry Mason films starring Warren William as the famed lawyer. Plot Margie Clune wins the "Lucky Legs" beauty contest concocted by Frank Patton, but has trouble ...

'' (1935) Clue Club #6: ''

The Murder of Dr. Harrigan ''The Murder of Dr. Harrigan'' is a 1936 American mystery film directed by Frank McDonald and written by Peter Milne and Sy Bartlett. The film stars Ricardo Cortez, Kay Linaker, John Eldredge, Mary Astor, Joseph Crehan and Frank Reicher. The f ...

'' (1936) Clue Club #7: ''

Murder by an Aristocrat ''Murder by an Aristocrat'' is a 1936 American mystery film directed by Frank McDonald and starring Lyle Talbot, Marguerite Churchill and Claire Dodd.Backer p.248 The film was based on a 1932 novel of the same title by Mignon G. Eberhart, wit ...

'' (1936) Clue Club #8: ''

The Case of the Velvet Claws ''The Case of the Velvet Claws'' is a 1936 mystery film, based on the first Perry Mason novel (1933) by Erle Stanley Gardner and featuring the fourth and final appearance of Warren William as defense attorney Mason. Plot summary Mason finally ...

'' (1936) Clue Club #9: ''

The Case of the Black Cat ''The Case of the Black Cat'' is a 1936 American mystery film directed by William C. McGann and an uncredited Alan Crosland, based on the 1935 Perry Mason novel '' The Case of the Caretaker's Cat'' by Erle Stanley Gardner. The film stars Ricardo ...

'' (1936) Clue Club #10: ''

The Case of the Stuttering Bishop ''The Case of the Stuttering Bishop'' is a 1937 drama film directed by William Clemens. It stars Donald Woods as Perry Mason and Ann Dvorak as Della Street, his secretary. Edward McWade plays the role of stuttering Bishop William Mallory. It i ...

'' (1937) Clue Club #11: '' The Patient in Room 18'' (1938) Clue Club #12: ''

Mystery House ''Mystery House'' is an adventure game released by On-Line Systems in 1980. It was designed, written and illustrated by Roberta Williams, and programmed by Ken Williams for the Apple II. ''Mystery House'' is the first graphical adventure ga ...

'' (1938)

Reception

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' reviewer was unimpressed: "Mr. Kibbie and Miss MacMahon finally break the case ... but the solution is not altogether satisfactory. Neither, for that matter, is the picture. Come right down to it, it's quite unsatisfactory." Later critics also had reservations about the film, as being a lesser version of the prize-winning book: "Unfortunately, the film producers, modeling the Eberhart mystery film versions on others of the day, sought to extend humorous quips between characters and eliminate significant elements of the plot that involved clues, no doubt in hopes of attracting a broader audience."Rick Cypert, James G. McManaway. ''America's Agatha Christie: Mignon Good Eberhart, Her Life and Works.'' Susquehanna University Press, 2005. p. 90.

References

External links

* * * * {{Ray Enright American comedy mystery films American black-and-white films Films based on American novels Films directed by Ray Enright 1930s comedy mystery films Warner Bros. films 1935 comedy films 1935 mystery films 1935 films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films Films scored by Bernhard Kaun Films about nurses