Calling Philo Vance (1940)

Approved   |    |  Crime, Mystery, Thriller

Calling Philo Vance (1940) Poster

Despite an exclusive contract with the U.S. government, designer Archer Coe's design is being bid on by German, Japanese, and Italian agents - until he's murdered.

5.9/10
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  • Edward Brophy and James Stephenson in Calling Philo Vance (1940)
  • Sheila Bromley and Edward Brophy in Calling Philo Vance (1940)
  • Sheila Bromley and James Stephenson in Calling Philo Vance (1940)
  • James Stephenson in Calling Philo Vance (1940)
  • Calling Philo Vance (1940)
  • Jimmy Conlin and Henry O'Neill in Calling Philo Vance (1940)

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Reviews & Commentary

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User Reviews
3 June 2005 | bkoganbing
5
| Making it timely
Warner Brothers probably of all the studios loved remaking its films. I guess Jack Warner thought it saved on buying new properties. Calling Philo Vance after a brief prologue updating the story to have Vance working for the State Department investigating the theft of airplane designs, it becomes almost a word for word remake of The Kennel Murder Case. Even the character names remain the same. Whole bits of dialog from the original are reused in this one.

Too bad they couldn't have gotten William Powell as well. But he was over at MGM keeping Nora and Asta in line. So James Stephenson became the latest in a long line of Vances. Philo Vance would soon fade from the screen.

Stephenson is serviceable, but lacks Powell's unique debonair charm. And of course we've seen it all before.

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Did You Know?

Trivia

This film's earliest documented telecasts took place in Tucson Friday 5 October 1956 on KDWI (Channel 9) and in Albuquerque Friday 12 October 1956 on KOAT (Channel 7); it first aired in Bloomington IN Monday 5 November 1956 on WTTV (Channel 4), in Salt Lake City Saturday 17 November 1956 on KUTV (Channel 2), in San Francisco Friday 7 December 1956 on KPIX (Channel 5), and in Honolulu Friday 10 May 1957 on KHVH (Channel 13).

Quotes

Philo Vance: This complicates things a bit.
Ryan: Hunh?
Philo Vance: You still think it was suicide?
Ryan: It's clear he couldn't have slugged, shot, and stabbed himself... particularly in the back.

Goofs

Ralph Forbes is credited onscreen as "Tom MacDonald," but throughout the film, he is called Taylor MacDonald.

Soundtracks

An der schönen, blauen Donau (On the Beautiful Blue Danube), Op.314
(1867) (uncredited)
Music by Johann Strauss
Whistled by Edward Brophy

Storyline

Plot Summary

Genres

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Details

Release Date:

3 February 1940

Language

English, German

Country of Origin

USA

Filming Locations

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

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