Partners in Crime


1h 2m 1937

Film Details

Also Known As
Murder Goes to Jail, Murder Goes to the Races
Genre
Crime
Drama
Release Date
Oct 8, 1937
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Paramount Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
Paramount Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the novel Murder Goes to College by Kurt Steel (Indianapolis, 1936).

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 2m
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7 reels

Synopsis

Detective Hank Hyer and reporter Sim Perkins of The Star are nearly evicted from Twitchell Arms apartments. Hank then needles Silas Wagon, who is running for mayor, into hiring him to help him defeat incumbent Callaghan, a grafter, who is running a crooked campaign. Next, Odette La Vin checks into Twitchell Arms with ex-con Nick Mazaney in order to blackmail Wagon with a bigamy scandal by claiming she is his daughter. However, Callaghan, who hired Mazaney to get rid of Wagon, realizes Mazaney might get a higher price from Wagon by letting him win the election and has him arrested. Odette goes ahead with her scheme, however, and gives Wagon one day to come up with $10,000. Hank then gets Sim drunk to land him in jail with Mazaney and interview him. Odette makes her move during a campaign speech, calling Wagon "father" and getting her story in the newspapers. Callaghan is confused because he knows Odette is not on the payroll. Hank then makes a speech to Wagon's constituents about the cause being "greater than any individual," making a case for Sim to run for mayor on the laurels of his editorials, which have been criticizing Callaghan and his grafters. In jail, meanwhile, Sim offers his cold medicine to Mazaney, who apparently falls dead. Sim is accused of murder until Hank discovers a poisoned cigarette butt in the cell, which was delivered by a messenger to Mazaney. The messenger identifies Wagon as the murderer, but Hank proves the cigarettes came from Odette. Mazaney then recovers and the police arrest Odette for a string of crimes perpetrated across the country. Sim runs for mayor against Callaghan and wins, but, much to Sim's relief, Callaghan reveals that Sim is a Canadian citizen and kicks Hank out of town.

Cast

Lynne Overman

Hank Hyer

Roscoe Karns

Sim Perkins

Muriel Hutchison

Odette La Vin

Anthony Quinn

Nicholas Mazaney

Inez Courtney

Lilian Tate

Lucien Littlefield

Mr. Twitchell

Charles Halton

Silas Wagon

Charles Wilson

Inspector Simpson

June Brewster

Mabel

Esther Howard

Mrs. Wagon

Nora Cecil

Housekeeper

Russell Hicks

Mayor Callaghan

Don Brodie

Reporter

Archie Twitchell

Photographer

Arthur Hoyt

Callaghan's secretary

Howard Mitchell

Plainclothesman

Dick Rush

Plainclothesman

Bill Gould

Callaghan's henchman

Duke York

Cab driver

Dutch Hendrian

Cab driver

George Lloyd

Policeman

William Burress

Policeman

Jack Cheatham

Policeman

Robert Homans

Policeman

Evelyn Dockson

Committee woman

Ottola Nesmith

Committee woman

Sarah Edwards

Committee woman

Jane K. Loofbourrow

Committee woman

Genevieve Bell

Committee woman

John Ivan

Committee man

Hooper Atchley

Committee man

William Jeffrey

Committee man

Harry C. Bradley

Committee man

Sydney De Grey

Committee man

Ray Stewart

Committee man

Wheaton Chambers

Committee man

Charles Sherlock

Reporter

Russell Coller

Reporter

Harry Strang

Reporter

Eddie Fetherston

Reporter

Lester Dorr

Reporter

Jerry Storm

Photographer

Ruth Warren

Miss Brown, secretary

Rollo Lloyd

Ex-convict

Charles Williams

Messenger

Lucille Ward

Maid

Jack Daley

Detective

Lee Shumway

Detective

Jack Green

Detective

Charles Lane

Druggist

Robert Strange

Jail doctor

Bill Franey

Jail clerk

Howard Brooks

Manager delivery service

Nick Copeland

Jail guard

Francis H. Sayles

Jail guard

C. L. Sherwood

Jail guard

Harry Bowen

Stretcher bearer

Art Rowlands

Ticket seller

Ben Taggart

First G-man

Hal Price

Second G-man

Davison Clark

Desk sergeant

Harry Semels

Off-stage bit

Arthur Shank

Radio announcer

Dell Henderson

Campaign orator

Jack Raymond

Ethel Clayton

Elsa Connor

Gloria Williams

Helaine Moler

Ricca Allen

Dorothy White

Film Details

Also Known As
Murder Goes to Jail, Murder Goes to the Races
Genre
Crime
Drama
Release Date
Oct 8, 1937
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Paramount Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
Paramount Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the novel Murder Goes to College by Kurt Steel (Indianapolis, 1936).

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 2m
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7 reels

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

A working title for this film was Murder Goes to Jail. According to a February 19, 1937 Hollywood Reporter news item, Paramount planned to develop a series based on Kurt Steel's characters. In March 1937, Paramount released Murder Goes to College, also based on Steel's novel. The second film in the series was announced as Murder Goes to the Races. It is not known if Murder Goes to the Races was a working title for Partners in Crime, or if it was a separate story that was never filmed. Lynne Overman, as "Detective Hank Hyer," and Roscoe Karns, as reporter "Sim Perkins," appear in both Murder Goes to College and Partners in Crime, although no other films based on their characters were made. According to a July 13, 1937 news item in Hollywood Reporter, Porter Hall, originally cast as Silas Wagon, left the set to attend the funeral of his mother and was replaced by Charles Halton. All of Hall's scenes were reshot.

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States 1937

Released in United States 1937