Wed 20 May 2015
DEATH FLIES EAST. Columbia Pictures, 1935. Conrad Nagel, Florence Rice, Raymond Walburn, Geneva Mitchell, Robert Allen, Oscar Apfel, Miki Morita. Based on a story by Philip Wylie (American Magazine, July 1934). Director: Phil Rosen.
A neat if not overly sophisticated murder mystery that takes place on an airplane heading for New York City from California. Dead is a police detective, found slumped in his seat, poisoned. Most of the passengers appear to be ordinary businessmen, plus one deaf woman who is on board primary for comic relief — she can’t hear a word anyone says.
But also on board is Evelyn Vail (Florence Rice), a nurse and a recent parolee from prison — convicted of complicity in another poisoning case. But she has a definite reason for being on the plane: a convict on death row at Sing Sing can confess to the killing, if only she can get there in time.
More. A gentle suave gentleman (Conrad Nagel) who sits across the aisle from her and assist her is taking a secret formula to Washington, and he takes the small briefcase he is carrying it in everywhere he goes.
Everyone appears innocent enough until the murder occurs. Then everyone begins to look suspicious, thanks to some decent writing and even better camera work. A minor film, but an enjoyable one. I only wish I had a better copy, but who restores old, unknown movies like this one?
May 20th, 2015 at 3:12 pm
The Wylie story was in an anthology of novellas from AMERICAN MAGAZINE that included Kelly Roos and others, and this doesn’t sound terribly close to it as the sleuth in the book is the pilot.
Still Rosen is a good director at this level, and the cast seems good enough. It’s been twenty years or more since I read the story so my memory may not be entirely accurate.
All in all though it sounds like a pleasant little B time killer and some of those were better than the feature.
May 20th, 2015 at 5:09 pm
Thanks for reminding me about the book the Wylie story was published in, David. It’s title is American Murders, 11 Rediscovered Short Novels from the American Magazine (1934-1954), and it was edited by Jon L. Breen & Rita A. Breen. I’ve dipped into it from time to time, but the Wylie story hasn’t been one I’ve read, so far.