A whodunit is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus. The reader or viewer is provided with the clues to the case, from which the identity of the perpetrator may be deduced before the story provides the revelation itself at its climax. The investigation is usually conducted by an eccentric, amateur, or semi-professional detective.
Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1928 by the American detective fiction writers Frederic Dannay (1905–1982) and Manfred Bennington Lee (1905–1971). It is also the name of their main fictional detective, a mystery writer in New York City who helps his police inspector father solve baffling murder cases. From 1929 to 1971, Dannay and Lee wrote around forty novels and short story collections in which Ellery Queen appears as a character.
The Streets of San Francisco is an American television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television.
The police procedural, police show, or police crime drama is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of police officers, police detectives, or law enforcement agencies as the protagonists, as contrasted with other genres that focus on non-police investigators such as private investigators.
Lady on a Train is a 1945 American light-hearted comedy crime film noir directed by Charles David and starring Deanna Durbin, Ralph Bellamy, and David Bruce.
The Gorilla is an American 1927 silent mystery film directed by Alfred Santell based on the play The Gorilla by Ralph Spence. It stars Charles Murray, Fred Kelsey, and Walter Pidgeon.
Claude Benton Gillingwater was an American stage and screen actor. He first appeared on the stage then in more than 90 films between 1918 and 1939, including the Academy Award-nominated A Tale of Two Cities (1935) and Conquest (1937). He appeared in several films starring Shirley Temple, beginning with Poor Little Rich Girl (1936).
Behind That Curtain is a 1929 American Pre-Code mystery film directed by Irving Cummings and starring Warner Baxter, Lois Moran and Gilbert Emery. It was the first Charlie Chan film to be made at Fox Studios. It was based on the 1928 novel of the same name. Charlie Chan, who is played by Korean-American actor E. L. Park, gets one mention early in the film, then makes a few momentary appearances after 75 minutes. Producer William Fox chose this film to open the palatial Fox Theatre in San Francisco on June 28, 1929. It was a sound film.
Footsteps in the Dark is a 1941 American comedy mystery film directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall and Ralph Bellamy. It was produced and distributed by Warner Brothers. Flynn plays a novelist and amateur detective investigating a murder. It takes its title from the 1935 play Footsteps in the Dark by Ladislas Fodor and also used material from the 1937 play Blondie White by Jeffrey Dell.
The Mandarin Mystery is a 1936 American mystery crime film directed by Ralph Staub, loosely based on The Chinese Orange Mystery, a novel featuring detective character Ellery Queen.
Green Eyes is a 1934 American Pre-Code Chesterfield Pictures film directed by Richard Thorpe.
Circumstantial Evidence is a 1952 British crime film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Rona Anderson, Patrick Holt and Frederick Leister. It was made as a supporting feature.
Murder Over New York is a 1940 American mystery film directed by Harry Lachman and starring Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan. The cast also features Marjorie Weaver, Robert Lowery and Ricardo Cortez. Chan must solve a murder mystery while attending a police convention. Shemp Howard plays "Shorty McCoy" in an uncredited appearance.
The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date is a 1940 American mystery crime film directed by Sidney Salkow and starring Warren William, Frances Robinson, Bruce Bennett and Eric Blore. It is the sixth Lone Wolf film produced by Columbia Pictures. It features William in his fourth appearance as the title character and Edward Gargan, Lester Matthews and Don Beddoe as the film's antagonists. The screenplay was written by Salkow and Earl Felton.
The Crime of Helen Stanley is a 1934 American pre-Code crime film directed by D. Ross Lederman and starring Ralph Bellamy, Shirley Grey and Gail Patrick. The film is also known as Murder in the Studio. It was the third in a series of four films featuring Bellamy as Inspector Trent of the NYPD following on from Before Midnight and One Is Guilty. The final film Girl in Danger in the sequence was released later in the year.
Girl in Danger is a 1934 American crime film directed by D. Ross Lederman and starring Ralph Bellamy, Shirley Grey and Arthur Hohl. Produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures, it was the fourth and final entry in a series featuring Bellamy as NYPD Inspector Steve Trent. The three previous films were Before Midnight, One Is Guilty and The Crime of Helen Stanley.
Playback is a 1962 British crime film directed by Quentin Lawrence and starring Margit Saad, Barry Foster and Nigel Green. It was based on a short story by Edgar Wallace Part of the Edgar Wallace Mysteries film series made at Merton Park Studios, the film's sets were designed by the art director Peter Mullins.
One Is Guilty is a 1934 American pre-Code mystery crime film directed by Lambert Hillyer and starring Ralph Bellamy, Shirley Grey and Rita La Roy. It is the second in a series of four films featuring Bellamy as Inspector Steve Trent following Before Midnight. Two further films The Crime of Helen Stanley and Girl in Danger were released later in the year.
Unknown Blonde is a 1934 American pre-Code crime drama film directed by Hobart Henley and starring Edward Arnold, Barbara Barondess and Dorothy Revier. It was released by the independent Majestic Pictures. It was based on the 1932 novel Collusion by Theodore D. Irwin. The film's sets were designed by the art director Ralph Oberg.
