The Crosby Case
Cast & Crew
Edward L. Marin
Wynne Gibson
Onslow Stevens
Warren Hymer
John Wray
Edward Van Sloan
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
When Dr. Crosby is murdered, the suspects include Lynn Ashton, Crosby's mistress; Scotty Gordon, who is discovered to have owned the murder weapon some time before; Franz Lubeck, a half-blind researcher who was the last person to see the doctor alive; Willie, a police informer who has an unexplained amount of cash on him; and Sam Collins, the cab driver who hit Crosby's body. Although Crosby was already dead when Collins hit him, he is held as a witness. Lubeck is found by means of a prescription the doctor wrote shortly before his death. He tells the police that another man was entering the apartment as he left. The police suspect Scotty because his gun was the murder weapon, and Lubeck confirms their suspicions when he identifies first a photograph of Scotty and then Scotty himself, as the man he saw. What the police do not know is that Lubeck's eyes are so bad that he cannot really see Scotty. Scotty claims he was with two friends at the time of the murder only to learn that his friends have been killed in an airplane crash during the night. By placing Lynn and Scotty in the same room, the police learn that they were once in love. Scotty was arrested for theft, and too embarrassed to tell her he was in jail, he let her believe that he had abandoned her. Not knowing his whereabouts, Lynn got involved with Crosby. Scotty suggests that they start over again, but the police believe that Crosby's relationship with Lynn gives Scotty a motive for the murder. Costello, the apartment house doorman, confirms Lubeck's identification of Scotty. Lynn believes that Scotty is innocent. Suspecting that Lubeck cannot see clearly, she begs him to tell the police that he did not recognize Scotty. She learns that he is afraid to admit his failing eyesight because it was responsible for the death of one of his co-workers. Lynn promises to keep that fact a secret if he will help her clear Scotty's name. Meanwhile, Inspector Thomas discovers some black powder in the wardrobe of Costello's room. Lynn tells the police about Lubeck's failing eyesight and Thomas agrees to release Scotty, having learned that Costello is the real murderer. Thomas began to suspect him when he wondered why Crosby had run into the street for help when he could have gotten help from the doorman. The black powder in Costello's room comes from steel filings that remained when he removed the serial number from the gun. Costello's bankbook reveals that he was blackmailing some of Crosby's patients, and when Crosby found out, Costello murdered him.
Director
Edward L. Marin
Cast
Wynne Gibson
Onslow Stevens
Warren Hymer
John Wray
Edward Van Sloan
"skeets" Gallagher
Alan Dinehart
J. Farrell Macdonald
William Collier Sr.
Barbara Weeks
Harold Huber
Harry Seymour
Leon Waycoff
Misha Auer
Doris Canfield
Wade Boteler
Harry Woods
James Flavin
Arthur Hoyt
Charles Wilson
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The pre-release title of this film was Special Investigator. A production still for the film included actor Walter Brennan, as a ship's pursur, in one scene of the film, but he was not in the viewed print and his role May have been cut from the released film.
