Heartaches
Cast & Crew
Basil Wrangell
Sheila Ryan
Edward Norris
Chill Wills
Ken Farrell
James Seay
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Actor Vic Morton, a star at Majestic studios in Hollywood, became famous in his first film role as a crooner, but cannot sing a note. His film voice is provided by his pianist, Boagey Mann, whom Vic used to accompany on saxophone when they were in a band together. Vic's publicity agent, Toni Wentworth, is engaged to newspaper reporter Jimmy McDonald, who soon learns that Vic is a phony. As production begins on Vic's second picture, he starts to receive death threats in the mail, and is nearly killed when a prop gun loaded with real bullets goes off onstage. The studio prop man is arrested by police lieutenant Danny Armstrong, but as his record is clean, Armstrong releases him. Meanwhile, Toni has made Jimmy promise not to expose Vic's secret. One day, a radio agent named Bill Powers offers Vic a generous radio contract, but he turns it down. Bill, suspicious of Vic's motives, searches the office of Vic's agent, Mike Connelly, and is shot dead. Vic's alibi involves Mike's wife Anne, but he refuses to name her. Later, Vic refuses to continue shooting the picture because of jittery nerves, and he and Mike have an argument over his contract. When Mike, too, is found murdered, Toni acts as Vic's alibi in order to protect him. Meanwhile, the police catch the studio prop man mailing a letter to Vic, and he confesses that he sent the threats to rattle Vic's nerves because he was "mean" to the crew. Jimmy, who is suspicious of Vic, believes he is having an affair with Anne, but she swears that her meeting with Vic on the night her husband was murdered was completely innocent. Jimmy then visits Boagey and learns that he was the star of his and Vic's old act and that movie producer Pete Schilling picked Vic for motion pictures because he was handsome. Because Vic once saved Boagey's life, he could not turn down Vic's request that Boagey sing in his place. Acting on a hunch that Boagey is the killer, Jimmy puts blanks in his gun and arranges a meeting between him and Vic. While Armstrong and Toni wait outside with a policeman, Jimmy gets Boagey, who is armed, to confess to murdering Bill because he believed he was Mike. After Mike and Vic argued, Boagey thought he could pin Mike's murder on Vic. Jimmy goads Boagey fearlessly, unaware that he has replaced the blanks with bullets and now means to kill him and Vic. Armstrong enters in time, however, and Boagey is arrested. Then, as the cuckoo clock strikes, Jimmy nervously shoots the bird, but Toni tells him he is brave, and they kiss.
Director
Basil Wrangell
Cast
Sheila Ryan
Edward Norris
Chill Wills
Ken Farrell
James Seay
Frank Orth
Chili Williams
Charles Mitchell
Al Larue
Ann Staunton
Phyllis Planchard
Crew
George Bricker
Emil Cadkin
Monte F. Collins
Alfred Degaetano
Dorothy Drake
Eunice
Irving Friedman
Kim Gannon
Jack Greenhalgh
Charles Gross Jr.
J. N. A. Hawkins
Al Hoffman
Edward C. Jewell
Walter Kent
John Klenner
Armor Marlowe
Julian I. Peyser
Benny Rubin
Marvin D. Stahl
Ben Stoloff
George J. Teague
Perce Townsend
Ern Westmore
Allen Wood
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working titles of this film were Silent Voice and Can't Get That Gal. A Hollywood Reporter news item adds Ray Happer to the cast, but his participation in the final film has not been confirmed.
