The King Murder

Rating:
Summary: Super Rare Early Talkie Mystery Starring Natalie Moorhead
Review: First of all let's talk about the print quality. This is apparently a public domain movie. The DVD appears to be made from a 16mm print of the film in less than perfect shape, so don't expect flawless picture quality. It is generally an excellent to very good print though. Oldies.com is to be commended at least in seeking out some RARE old movies for some of their public domain releases. And you could hardly get more obscure than this 1932 "poverty row" release from Tiffany pictures THE KING MURDER, one of hundreds of cheapie, short (68 minutes) films minor studios released in the 30's and 40's to fill the public's insatiable appetite for movies. The closest thing to "names" here are actors only the most obbsessed movie buffs would know: Natalie Moorhead, Conway Tearle, Don Alavarado, Dorothy Revier, Robert Frazer and Marceline Day. The director, Richard Thorpe, would climb out of his poverty row beginnings and go on to make NIGHT MUST FALL, THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, and JAIL HOUSE ROCK among other major studio releases.

Professional girlfriend Dorothy Revier ends up dead not long after threatening to expose one of her married paramours. Homicide chief Conway Tearle finds a personal link to the story; one of Revier's "friends" happens to be Robert Frazer, husband of Tearle's erstwhile love, Natalie Moorhead. Did the socially promenient Frazer knock off the golddigger or was it perhaps his chic wife? Maybe it was another "friend" of Revier's or perhaps the con man whom she loves?

It was fun for me to see this little bread-and-butter picture from Hollywood's golden era that has probably been seen by very few people since it's original release over 70 years ago. The main point of interest for me was a chance to see Natalie Moorhead, a chic clotheshorse who starred in scores of films like this and had smallish parts in some major productions from the era as well such as THE THIN MAN. Ms. Moorhead was only 32 at the time but her white hair and aloof, cold manner makes her seem almost two decades older today, nevertheless I find her a fascinating personality for that era which practically demanded female leads be sympathetic and friendly. Not particularly attractive, she does however wear fashions beautifully and truly projects an image of a woman of priviledge and refinement. This movie is no classic but it is entertaining and I suspect hardcore 30's movie buffs will enjoy seeing it.