Simply A Masterpiece

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Tony Woolrish (Dave O'Brien) is a theater critic thrust into the role of crime reporter. At first he resists, but as the bodies pile up, he realizes the theater is the common thread behind a series of murders. With the help of his trusted cab-driving friend Romeo (Frank Jenks), he sets out to unmask a killer.Recently, I've watched a good number of low-budget mysteries from the 30s and 40s. The Phantom of 42nd Street is easily (and it's not even close) the worst of the bunch. While there are a few elements of the plot that appealed to me, the movie has way too many problems. The direction is terribly uninspired, leading to an overall dull movie. The sets have that cheap look I associate with the worst of the Poverty Row films. Lighting is non-existent. The acting is hit or miss at best. O'Brien is actually pretty good in the lead role. But at the other end of the acting spectrum, Edythe Elliott gives one of the worst performances I've seen lately. Her delivery is just so stilted and unnatural. Finally, I have an issue with the movie's finale. Agreeing with another comment on IMDb, I've gone back and watched the ending twice and I still can't tell you whodunit. It's a very poor ending to a very unappealing movie. A 3/10 from me.

The Phantom Of 42nd Street from PRC is a not too bad murder mystery of a group of people connected to a theatrical company. Theater critic Dave O'Brien is on the job reviewing a play when the first murder is committed. He gets drafted into the job of covering this and the other murders as they are committed. The ultimate target seems to be Alan Mowbray who is the actor/manager of the company and his daughter Kay Aldridge.It all goes back to some dirt done the murderer many years ago by many members of the company both in front of and backstage. The culprit has gone quite nuts about it, no doubt fixating for many years on how he would do the job. It is a he, I'll give that much away.Having a critic be a detective is an intriguing plot premise. Surprisingly the cops seem to warm up quickly to the outside help they're getting unlike in so many of these mysteries.At a major studio this might have been a minor classic with a lot of the holes in the plot not existing. Still for a PRC film it's far from the worst I've seen.

After watching this poverty row mystery -- and re-running the climactic scene three or four times -- there's no need for a spoiler alert. I still have no idea who committed the murders nor why. Which sorta' takes the wind out of watching Dave O'Brien as the drama critic for the New York Record playing amateur sleuth, probing the slayings that are decimating the cast of a New York repertory theater. Then again, why was the film called "Phantom of 42nd Street" when live theater had long given way to grind movie houses on 42 Street by the time it was made in the 1940s? That's easy. While "Phantom of 47th Street Between Seventh and Eighth Avenues" would have been more accurate, it wouldn't have had nearly the cache. And fitting it on marquees -- especially at theaters that played PRC releases -- would have been a challenge.

Dave O'Brien is the surprise lead in this mystery - made in between his roles of "Mr Everyman" in the Pete Smith Specialities series. He plays drama critic, Tony Woolrich, who has reluctantly gone to review a new play starring Claudia Moore (Kay Aldridge) in her stage debut. Alan Mowbray, with his perfect diction and superior air is ideal casting as Cecil Moore, Claudia's renowned father. After the performance her uncle is murdered and Tony is sent to interview the Moores.Another murder is discovered - a nightwatchman and the killer leaves a note that seems to imply that he is connected with the stage. Tony thinks someone is trying to kill Cecil and traces the clues back to a play "Captain Kidd" (the nightwatchman had originally been a stage electrician in Cecil Moore's old repertory company. The star back then was Doris Hill, who under an assumed name now runs a boarding house. Tony thinks she knows something and she does - Claudia Moore is her daughter but Claudia doesn't know who her mother is!!! Doris knows other things too and is able to help Tony piece together the mystery.There is obviously a few minutes cut out at the start - but it is still easy to follow. I figured out the killer long before Tony!!!Beautiful Kay Aldridge was given a rare leading role in this, her last film. Although she had been around since the late 30s, usually playing decorative roles, her main claim to fame was as Nyoka, the Jungle Girl. She took over the role in the serial, when the original Nyoka (Frances Gifford) went on to bigger things.Recommended.