WITH THIS SHORT subject we have yet another example of how diverse and all encompassing the field of the film short really was at one time. With the coming of Television and the accompaniment of the Post War Baby Boomer generation, the short was thought to be only comedies. The very plentiful and quite frequent occasions where the likes of LAUREL & HARDY, THE 3 STOOGES, OUR GANG and the PETE SMITH SPECIALTIES in so many markets via local stations stands a a testimony to this. Of course, there are many other shorts series that appeared so often, but even those were usually of the belly-laugh variety (or attempted).
ALTHOUGH THIS FILM maintains a light tone and definite leaning toward the whimsical, it is deep down a Detective Story. Much in the same manner as the very popular Radio feature called MINUTE MYSTERIES, this movie presents the crime, all the facts and even shows us how the forensic investigation is conducted.
AS ONE MIGHT EXPECT, there was no "Cast of Thousands" here. We have Donald Meek (Dr. Crabtree), future "Chief" of the Daily Planet on Superman TV Series, John Hamilton (Inspector Carr), Frances Dale (Dorothy Paige a prime suspect) and Hobart Cavanaugh ( Martin Hill-also suspected). The cast was rounded out by an actress who portrayed an Irish cleaning woman and a Black comic actor as the elevator operator.
ANYWAY, WE DID enjoy seeing how this little forerunner of these forensic and crime scene investigator series of today. There is a distinct interaction between Messers. Meek and Hamilton in which one was the straight man and the other the stooge As is so commonplace in film of his era, the Doctor solves the case; because everybody's smarter than the Police, right ?