Fifteen Wives
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Frank R. Strayer
Conway Tearle
Noel Francis
Raymond Hatton
Natalie Moorhead
John Wray
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In a New York hotel, the body of Steven Humbolt is discovered, and Chief Inspector Decker Dawes is called to investigate. After a brief inspection of Humbolt's belongings, Dawes and Sergeant Meed determine that Humbolt had fifteen wives, three of whom--Sybilla Crum, a well-known reformer, wealthy Carol Arnold, and Ruby Cotton--live in New York. Dawes first questions the still devoted Sybilla, then quizzes Jason Getty, a florist who had sent Humbolt a funeral wreath hours before his death was discovered. While Meed checks out Getty's lead that the wreath was ordered in Philadelphia, Dawes interrogates Carol Arnold. Carol tells Dawes that Humbolt had robbed and deserted her after three weeks of marriage, and that a year later, she had received a letter from South America informing her of his demise. Just after Carol had married wealthy Gregory Arnold, Humbolt contacted her with blackmail demands, but according to Carol, she never saw him before his murder. Although Dawes doubts Carol's story, he leaves her to talk to a chemist about a broken glass globe that was found near Humbolt's body. The chemist reveals that the globe, a Helmholtz Resonator, contained a lethal dose of hydrocynanic acid gas that was released when the glass was broken. Once Dawes determines that the globe came from Philadelphia, he demonstrates how a radio performer known as The Electric Voice, whose fiancée is Ruby Cotton, could have broken the globe during a broadcast. Dawes arrests The Voice and Ruby, but returns to question Carol, who he discovers is hiding a child she had by Humbolt. Then, Dawes receives a message from Sybilla about a clue she unearthed at Humbolt's funeral. While at Sybilla's home, Dawes discovers that florist Getty is impersonating the reformer and that he is wearing a pair of gloves similar to a pair Humbolt was wearing in his coffin. Suspicious, Dawes orders Humbolt's coffin exhumed, which causes Getty, who needed the gloves to hide his amputated fingers, to panic and confess that he killed Sybilla and had used The Electric Voice's broadcast to kill Humbolt out of revenge for stealing his wife in Australia. After thwarting Getty's escape attempt, Dawes telephones Carol, who is divorcing Arnold, and proposes that they leave for Europe together.
Director
Frank R. Strayer
Cast
Conway Tearle
Noel Francis
Raymond Hatton
Natalie Moorhead
John Wray
Oscar Apfel
Robert Frazer
Margaret Dumont
Harry Bradley
Ralf Harolde
Lew Kelly
Clarence Brown
Alex Pollet
Almeda Fowler
Slickem
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Modern sources add the following information: Fifteen Wives was filmed using the RCA Victor Sound System. Additional production credits include Assistant Director, Melville Shyer and Art Director, Edward C. Jewell. Cast members include John Elliott (Doctor Howard), Sidney Bracy (Butler)), Dickie Jones (Peter Manning), Hal Price (Detective) and Lynton Brent (Reporter). In addition, modern sources complete the above cast information as follows: Clarence Brown (Head porter), Alex Pollette (Thompson), Alameda Fowler (Nurse) and Slickem (Porter).
