Producers Releasing Corporation released The Phantom of 42nd Street throughout the United States on 2 May 1945.
It is a mystery. And it’s something of noir. And it is a romance. At just under an hour, it has something for everyone without staying past its welcome.
Dave O’Brien plays a theater critic. He gets drawn into an investigation when there is a murder at a play he is reviewing. Soon, the murderer kills two more people and has his sights set on the first victim’s brother. The critic works with his taxi driver friend and the police lieutenant to solve the case.
The Phantom of 42nd Street would have worked great for a pilot for a 1970s TV detective show: a theater critic who solves murders. Sounds a lot like Murder She Wrote! And unlike a lot of older mysteries, this one is reasonably clever. Kay Aldridge plays the romantic lead in her final film role. She was married the year the film came out. And she had been making the equivalent of a million dollars per year for the previous few years. So she didn’t need to work.
O’Brien worked a lot as an actor. But he also wrote a lot. And starting in the late 1950s, he wrote almost exclusively. Frank Jenks played his sidekick. He also worked a lot.
The Phantom of 42nd Street is a perfectly enjoyable film. But I wouldn’t normally highlight it. But today really sucked for anniversaries. And one good thing: the film is in the public domain. So enjoy!
Other 2 May Anniversaries
Filmmakers:
- John Neville (1925-2011): Actor known for The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
- Don Marshall (1936-2016): Actor on the TV show Land of the Giants.
- David Suchet (1946-): Actor best known as Poirot but was also in Terry Pratchett’s Going Postal.
- Elizabeth Berridge (1962-): Actor known for Amadeus but here for The Funhouse.
- Ari Lehman (1965-): The first Jason Voorhees.
- Dwayne Johnson (1972-): Actor in Walking Tall, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and more.
Films:
- The Return of Dr Fu Manchu (1930): The villain gets revenge for what happened to his family.
- Night Key (1937): Karloff is kidnapped by criminals who want to use his invention to steal.
- The Black Cat (1941): Cat lady is murdered by one of her heirs.
- Devil Girl From Mars (1954): Mars needs men! Featuring Hazel Court.
- The Beast Of Yucca Flats (1961): Tor Johnson gets irradiated.
- Bloodsucking Pharaohs in Pittsburgh (1991): Two cops chase serial killer in this silly horror comedy.
- X2: X-Men United (2003): The second X-Men film.
- Grave Tales (2004): Poe-inspired horror anthology featuring Joe Estevez.
- Iron Man (2008): Minor Marvel character film that caused everyone to go crazy.
DVD cover of The Phantom of 42nd Street via Wikipedia under Fair Use.
