The Crooked Circle
Cast & Crew
H. Bruce Humberstone
Zasu Pitts
James Gleason
Ben Lyon
Irene Purcell
C. Henry Gordon
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Wealthy Brand Osborne resigns from an amateur sleuth group called the Sphinx Club, which has just caused the arrest of a famous thief who is a member of the club's counter-organization, the Crooked Circle. Brand's fiancée, Thelma Parker, whom he has only known for a week, requested he resign. His successor is a Hindu named Yoganda, who warns that Colonel Wolters is in danger because Wolters received a threatening note from the Crooked Circle. Wolters, Yoganda, Brand and another member, Harry Carter, head for Melody Manor, Wolters' recently acquired home on Long Island. There they find Wolters' housekeeper, Nora Rafferty, who has been frightened by Old Dan, an elderly caretaker, who told her the house is haunted by a murderous ghost who plays the violin for his lost love. Motorcycle policeman Crimmer follows Brand to the house to give him a speeding ticket, but refrains when he discovers Brand's affiliation with the police department. Brand finds out that Thelma is coming to the manor, although he cannot imagine why. Unknown to everyone, however, it appears that Thelma is working with Yoganda. The haunting sound of a violin and Wolters' mysterious disappearance scatters everyone in the house, until Crimmer finds Wolters behind a secret panel, apparently strangled with the string from a violin. Everyone searches the house, unintentionally slipping in and out of secret panels, doors and hallways. A man who previously held up Brand in his apartment suddenly appears along with Brand's servant, Rankin, who knocks Brand out. After Brand recovers, he, Crimmer, Harry and Nora confront Yoganda, whose actions overall seem suspicious. He promises them that if they resist arresting him, he will lead them to Thelma and the Crooked Circle. Through a secret passage extending from a grave, Yoganda leads them to the hooded and cloaked members of the Circle. Their leader is revealed to be Rankin, and the only female member is Thelma. When Yoganda and Thelma arrest the Circle, however, Yoganda reveals himself to be a Secret Service agent, and Thelma, his trusted assistant. Wolters returns very much alive, and Yoganda informs him that he had put him in a trance to appear dead so that the Circle would not harm him. Nora, terrified from all the activity, vows to marry the first man she meets, who turns out to be Crimmer.
Director
H. Bruce Humberstone
Cast
Zasu Pitts
James Gleason
Ben Lyon
Irene Purcell
C. Henry Gordon
Raymond Hatton
Roscoe Karns
Burton Churchill
Spencer Charters
Robert Frazer
Ethel Clayton
Frank Reicher
Christian Rub
Tom Kennedy
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
The first television showing of this film was on Tuesday night, June 18, 1940 in NYC over NBC's W2XBS station.
Notes
A modern source includes Paul Panzer in the cast and credits Val Burton as music director. Although modern sources list the film as a Fox Film release, no contemporary source confirms the assertion.
