Movie spotlight
Murder on the Roof
This primarily two-set programmer has a has-been criminal lawyer, Anthony Sommers (William V. Mong) wrongly accused of murder and follows the efforts of his daughter, Molly Sommers (Dorothy Revier), a nightclub singer and two newspapers reporters, Ted Palmer (David Newell) and the inaptly-named Drinkwater (Raymond Hatton), posing as a drunk, to clear him.
Insights
Plot Summary
A group of people gather on a rooftop during a party when a murder occurs. The detective must then piece together the clues and interrogate the guests to find the killer amongst them. The story unfolds with typical whodunit elements and red herrings.
Critical Reception
As an early sound film, 'Murder on the Roof' was generally seen as a competent, albeit unremarkable, entry in the mystery genre. It likely received a mixed to positive reception for its straightforward plotting and performances, typical of the era's B-movie mysteries.
What Reviewers Say
A functional early sound mystery.
Features a standard whodunit plot.
Performances are adequate for the genre.
Google audience: Information on Google user reviews for this specific 1930 film is not readily available.
Fun Fact
This film was one of the early sound features produced by Paramount Pictures, utilizing the new Vitaphone sound-on-disc system.
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