Murder on a Honeymoon
| Murder on a Honeymoon | |
|---|---|
theatrical poster
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| Directed by | Lloyd Corrigan |
| Produced by | Kenneth Macgowan |
| Screenplay by |
Seton I. Miller Robert Benchley |
| Based on |
The Puzzle of the Pepper Tree by Stuart Palmer |
| Starring |
Edna May Oliver James Gleason |
| Music by |
Alberto Colombo (musical director) |
| Cinematography | Nick Musuraca |
| Edited by | William Morgan |
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Production
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| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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74 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Murder on a Honeymoon is an American 1935 mystery film starring Edna May Oliver and James Gleason. This was the third and last time Oliver portrayed astute schoolteacher Hildegarde Withers and Gleason New York City Police Inspector Oscar Piper; the two previous films were The Penguin Pool Murder (1932) and Murder on the Blackboard (1934). The film was directed by Lloyd Corrigan from a screenplay by Seton I. Miller and Robert Benchley based on the 1933 novel The Puzzle of the Pepper Tree by Stuart Palmer. Palmer's novel, however, did not include Inspector Piper, and has Withers doing the investigating on her own.
On a short flight to Catalina Island off the California coast, a passenger named Roswell T. Forrest (Brooks Benedict) gets sick. Hildegarde Withers (Edna May Oliver) and the others aboard are startled when he is found dead upon landing. It appears to be murder to Miss Withers, but she has a tough time convincing local Police Chief Britt (Spencer Charters) and coroner Dr. O'Rourke (Arthur Hoyt).
When she contacts her friend, Police Inspector Oscar Piper (James Gleason), for more information about the deceased, he recognizes the name: the man was a vital witness in a case against a crime syndicate and had a price on his head of $10,000. He flies from New York to assist her in investigating the case and protect her from mob retribution.
When he arrives, the pair argue over which of the people aboard the plane is the killer:
Withers suspects poisoning – Forrest had been given a drink, a cigarette, and even a dose of smelling salts by Withers herself – but before this can be confirmed, the body is stolen. While Piper questions those involved, Withers discovers that McArthur (Morgan Wallace), the gangster who had offered the reward for Forrest's death, has registered at the hotel under the flimsy alias of Arthur Mack. When she eavesdrops on his telephone conversation, she learns that he will be leaving an envelope for someone. She purloins it from the mailbox and finds $10,000 inside.
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