Philo Vance's Secret Mission (1947)

Tiny PRC Studio made three Philo Vance films in 1947. While "Philo Vance's Secret Mission" was the first one they made, it was the final one they released. I'm not sure why, but I can only assume because it's by far the worst of the three movies. It's obvious and quite cliched...and is pretty much what you'd expect from PRC!The film begins with a newspaper publisher hiring Vance as a technical advisor for a series of crime articles. Now here's where it gets dumb...the publisher lets folks know that he's got information which will solve a long unsolved crime. In mystery films, this MEANS the publisher will soon assume room temperature--before he has a chance to divulge this information!! What follows are some obvious plot elements, cliches and the like...and the film was simply disappointing. It's a shame, as the other two films in the series are quite nice...particularly "Philo Vance Returns".

1947's "Philo Vance's Secret Mission" began the short 3 film series of Vance films produced by Poverty Row's PRC (Producers Releasing Corporation), which would soon be absorbed into Eagle-Lion Films. All three had been completed by January 1947, with this initial entry issued last (Aug 30 '47)- number 2 "Philo Vance's Gamble" came out first (Apr 13), number 3 "Philo Vance Returns" released second (June 19), making for odd continuity as it starred William Wright in the title role rather than Alan Curtis, who had played Vance in the first two. This was the final screen incarnation of Philo Vance, nothing like the sophisticated investigator first played by William Powell, who based his deductions on the psychology behind the crimes (there is a mention of District Attorney Markham in "Philo Vance's Gamble"). They must have correctly assumed "Secret Mission" to be the best, saving it for last (shot late Sept-early Oct 1946): the Alan Curtis Vance is burdened with a sometimes helpful, mostly unfunny sidekick in Frank Jenks' Ernie Clark, basically repeating his own Doc Williams character from Universal's Crime Club trio of Bill Crane mysteries, "The Westland Case," "The Lady in the Morgue," and "The Last Warning." Curtis is neither suave nor urbane, but provides what the script required, a hard bitten gumshoe more typical of the 40s, in the style of The Falcon, with the same predilection to help out damsels in distress. A pulp magazine publisher, Martin Jamison (Paul Maxey), calls in Vance to help him solve the murder of his partner seven years earlier, an unsolved mystery due to the swift disappearance of the corpse. Sheila Ryan plays a model who quickly attaches herself to Vance (either him or Ernie!), and when they later arrive at Jamison's home a gunshot is heard. Imagine their surprise when the body is found in the trunk of Vance's car, putting him in the position of having to clear himself. Some very interesting turns succeed in making this one head and shoulders above the two that followed. As the still grieving widow, lovely Tala Birell enjoys a more substantial role than she would have in the next, "Philo Vance's Gamble," while Toni Todd, who survives here, would not survive the next. James Bell plays the unorthodox sheriff, less obtrusive than Frank Jenks, whose 'detecketive' work leaves much to be desired.

For the most part, this is a standard entry in the long-running (the first film was made in 1929!) detective series. All the main characters are formulaically (is that a word?) conceived. But the production values are less static than expected - there is even a car chase followed by a fight in the woods. And in the best genre tradition, the most essential clue that enables Philo Vance to solve the case is found in a simple photograph. I was surprised at how well the pieces of the script come together. Alan Curtis makes an adequate Vance, while Sheila Ryan is not only stunningly beautiful, but can handle comedy and drama as well. **1/2 out of 4.

OK, I am crazy but I really like these PRC Philo Vance mysteries. In fact they could be the best films PRC ever made. These Vance mysteries are well written, have a good cast and Curtis is excellent as Vance. But fair warning here, if one is expecting the Vance from the S. S. Van Dine novels, one will be greatly disappointed. Philo Vance is not the urbane genius of the books, but a standard 1940's handsome wise-cracking rascal.In this film, Vance is hired by a publisher to write a true unsolved mystery. Many years before, the publisher's partner disappeared and the publisher believes he has found the solution to the mystery. Before he can explain all to Vance the publisher is found murdered. There are many suspects who all work at the publishing house and have reasons for keeping the mystery unsolved. Vance's probe reveals a very clever twist that had this veteran of movie mysteries fooled.