Dressed to Kill (1941 film)

Dressed to Kill
Original film poster
Directed by	Eugene J. Forde
Produced by	Sol M. Wurtzel
Written by	Novel: Richard Burke "Death Takes no Bows" Screenplay: Brett Halliday Manning O'Conner Stanley Ruth
Starring	Lloyd Nolan Mary Beth Hughes Sheila Ryan William Demarest
Music by	Cyril J. Mockridge
Cinematography	Glen MacWilliams
Editing by	Fred Allen
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date(s)	August 8, 1941 (1941-08-08)
Running time	80 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Dressed to Kill is a 1941 crime mystery starring Lloyd Nolan, Mary Beth Hughes & Sheila Ryan. The film was based on Death Takes No Bows, a mystery novel by Richard Burke.

Synopsis

Detective Michael Shayne is trying to convince girlfriend Joanne he is ready for marriage when they hear shots from a nearby hotel. He rushes to the hotel and finds two dead actors, in a suite with the door open, sitting at a dining table. The actors are dressed in costumes they wore 25 years before in a musical comedy at a theatre located next to the hotel. Michael is suddenly drawn into one of the strangest murder mysteries of his career.

Production

This was the fourth in a series of Michael Shayne detective films. The first seven were made by 20th Century Fox and starred Lloyd Nolan. The final five were made by Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC) and starred Hugh Beaumont. There were also three radio shows (1944–1953) and a television series (1960–1961) based on the Michael Shayne character.

Critical reaction to DVD release

When the film was released on DVD in 2005, DVD Beaver called the film "one of the most enjoyable 'B' movies I've ever seen." Hal Erickson writing for Allmovie writes the film "benefits from a powerhouse supporting cast and the effectively moody cinematography of Glenn MacWilliams."

External links

• Dressed to Kill at the Internet Movie Database
• Dressed to Kill at AllRovi