Mister Dynamite
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Alan Crosland
Edmund Lowe
Jean Dixon
Victor Varconi
Esther Ralston
Verna Hillie
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
At the end of his tour, pianist Jarl Dvorjak invites Mona Lewis, an attractive young woman, to his home in San Francisco to hear him play for a few friends. Dvorjak is married to Charmian, who is more than happy to stay out of his way as long as he keeps her supplied with money. Charmian is on her way to a house party in Carmel which Dvorjak politely refuses to attend. After Charmian leaves, Dvorjak, who has a gambling habit, goes to the casino owned by Mona's father Clark, where he meets a young man, D. H. Matthews, leaving the casino with his sizeable winnings. The two men exchange angry words, but later, when Matthews is murdered in a faked car accident, Dvorjak denies knowing him. Because of the murder, the police close Lewis' casino. When private detective T. N. Thompson, better known as Dynamite, hears about the murder he leaves immediately for San Francisco, despite the misgivings of his assistant Lynn Marlo. Dynamite meets with Lewis, who is eager to find Matthews' killer. Having lost a lot of money, Dvorjak accuses Lewis of running a crooked gambling establishment. At home, he keeps Mona waiting while he accuses his manager, Carey Williams, of holding back some of the profits of the tour. Williams responds that the money he took is a small price to pay for his silence. The two men agree to meet the following day, but Dvorjak is killed by a gun while he plays the organ for Mona. Dynamite, who is watching outside Dvorjak's window, sees Mona in the room, but does not see the murderer. The following day, he questions Mona, who denies having committed the murder. Meanwhile, the police have learned that the murdered man was using a pseudonym. Dynamite examines his possessions and finds among them a pair of unused tickets to Dvorjak's last concert. Learning that the police intend to arrest Mona, Dynamite phones her to meet him at his hotel. Williams calls Dynamite with some information but before he can pass it on, he is shot. Tracing the call, Dynamite learns it came from Dvorjak's home. When the police find a sheet of music in Matthews' room that is identical to the music Dvorjak was playing when he died, Dynamite figures out the solution. Gathering all the suspects at Dvorjak's house, he explains that a gun was set to go off when certain notes were played on the organ. Charmian explains that Matthews was really Boris Dvorjak, Dvorjak's son from an earlier marriage. Dynamite prepares to open Dvorjak's safe, causing Charmian to run away. During the following chase, she drives her car over a cliff. Charmian had been in partnership with Matthews whom she killed. She also killed Williams, who was drawing up divorce papers. Realizing that Dynamite is interested in Mona, Lynn asks the police to kick him out of town and the two leave together on the train.
Director
Alan Crosland
Cast
Edmund Lowe
Jean Dixon
Victor Varconi
Esther Ralston
Verna Hillie
Minor Watson
Robert Glecker
Jameson Thomas
Greta Meyers
Frank Lyman
G. Pat Collins
Bradley Page
James Burtis
Matt Mchugh
Ferdinand Munier
Huntly Gordon
Mary Wallace
Joyce Compton
Richard Elliott
Grace Hayle
Olaf Hytten
Richard Tucker
Knute Erickson
Harry Tyler
Gay Seabrook
Eric Wilton
Augusta Andrews
Sam Flint
Anne Darling
Connie Lamont
Al Hill
Lillian Smith
Ed Berger
Billy West
Nenette Lafayette
Harry Semels
Ann Darcy
Earl Eby
Jack Hatfield
Matty Roubert
Lee Phelps
Jack Cheatham
Don Roberts
Lee Shumway
Hans Joby
Albert "curley" Dresden
Joseph Remington
Chet Bartosch
Idolyn Dupre
Grace Goodall
Billy Sullivan
Monte Montague
Crew
E. M. Asher
Archie Buchanan
Harry Clork
Connie Earl
John P. Fulton
Dashiell Hammett
Gilbert Kurland
Carl Laemmle
Robert Littlefield
Doris Malloy
Maurice Pivar
George Robinson
Murray Seldeen
Harold Smith
Joe Torillo
Peggy Vaughn
Harrison Wiley
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Dashiell Hammett's screen story was entitled "On the Make." The Motion Picture Herald "In the Cutting Room" column includes Joyce Compton and Mary Wallace in the cast, but their participation in the final film has not been confirmed.
