Private Scandal
Cast & Crew
Ralph Murphy
Zasu Pitts
Phillips Holmes
Mary Brian
Ned Sparks
Lew Cody
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
B.J. Somers is a land developer who invested his customers' deposits in the stock market, only to lose the money in the crash. Desperate, he decides to kill himself, telling only his chief architect, Cliff Barry, who is also his daughter's fiancé. Out for the evening with Fran Somers, Cliff calls B.J. begging him not to commit suicide, but B.J. only asks him to clean up the evidence so that it will not look like a suicide and his customers can receive the insurance money. Cliff rushes to the office. In the meantime, B.J.'s lover Deborah Lane visits him in the office and also begs him not to kill himself. Cliff arrives to hear a gunshot, and finds B.J. dead at his desk, an apparent suicide. He cleans up the evidence and leaves, and is seen by the nightwatchman. The next morning the office staff believe B.J. is in conference until Fran arrives, distraught that he did not come home the previous night, and discovers his body. Police detective Riordan and his assistant arrive to investigate a telegram they received saying that B.J. was "...struck down by the hand of God." Every employee lies about their whereabouts that morning because they were all doing things they feel guilty about, and say that there was a stranger in conference with B.J. The coroner informs Riordan that B.J. has been dead for twelve hours, and all clues point to Cliff as the murder suspect, since the gun has not been found. When the nightwatchman arrives, he confirms that Cliff was there at night. Deborah arrives and is shocked to find B.J. dead, since he had promised her before she left that he would not commit suicide. Insurance agent Lane, who appeared in the office in the morning, recognizes Deborah as his wife, and asks to speak to her alone after hearing her admission that she was having an affair with B.J. He confesses to her that he murdered B.J. and then shoots her. Lane tries to escape in his car, but is shot by police and dies. Cliff is cleared of all suspicion, and he and Fran embrace.
Director
Ralph Murphy
Cast
Zasu Pitts
Phillips Holmes
Mary Brian
Ned Sparks
Lew Cody
June Brewster
Harold Waldridge
Jed Prouty
Charles Sellon
Rollo Lloyd
Olive Tell
Olin Howland
Charles B. Middleton
John M. Qualen
Hans Joby
Hale Hamilton
Shirley Chambers
Greta Meyer
Christian Rub
Robert E. Homans
Billy Franey
Frederic Howard
Charles Williams
James P. Burtis
David Callis
James Mack
Crew
Harry Joe Brown
Vera Caspary
Emanuel Cohen
Garrett Fort
Dave Garber
Irving Glassberg
Harry Hallenberger
Milton Krasner
Bruce Manning
Raoul Pagel
Charles R. Rogers
A. W. Singley
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Vera Caspary and Bruce Manning's unpublished story was titled "In Conference," which was also the working title of the film. According to copyright records, Ralph Murphy used a special 3-D technique in the film.
