Movie spotlight
Millionaire sportsman Hiram Brighton hires gumshoe Michael Shayne to keep his spoiled daughter Phyllis away from racetrack betting windows and roulette wheels. After Phyllis slips away and continues her compulsive gambling, Shayne fakes the murder of her gambler boyfriend, who is also romancing the daughter of casino owner Benny Gordon, in order to frighten her. When the tout really ends up murdered, Shayne and Phyllis' Aunt Olivia, an avid reader of murder mysteries, both try to find the identity of the killer.
Private detective Michael Shayne is hired to investigate the murder of a wealthy businessman. As Shayne delves deeper into the case, he uncovers a complex web of deceit, blackmail, and betrayal involving the victim's family and associates. Shayne must navigate dangerous encounters and outwit a killer who will stop at nothing to conceal their crimes.
The film was a modest success, praised for its fast pacing and intriguing plot, though some critics found the character of Michael Shayne to be somewhat generic. It established a formula that would be followed in subsequent adaptations.
A competent, if uninspired, entry in the detective genre.
Lloyd Nolan capably portrays the tough-talking private eye.
The plot offers enough twists to keep audiences engaged.
Google audience: Audience reviews for this film are scarce, making it difficult to ascertain specific points of like or dislike.
This film was the first of seven Michael Shayne films produced by 20th Century Fox, with Lloyd Nolan reprising his role in five of them.
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For some reason, this starts with and features a slightly Scottish lilt to the score throughout, as we follow the slightly zany investigations of the eponymous down-at-heel PI (Lloyd Nolan) as he tries to wade his way through the murky worl...