Paramount on Parade's "Murder Will Out"
Sherlock Holmes & Philo Vance vs. the Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu
Oct 26, 2009
With the coming of synchronized sound to motion pictures in 1928, the film industry found itself in a panic to produce movies in which the characters actually talked. Many matinee idols were superb silent actors, but when it came to speaking dialogue, they were way out of their league. Many studio executives turned to the Broadway stage to gather actors and actresses already versed in the fine art of delivering dialogue. It was not long before many of the greatest names from both the legitimate theater (as well as vaudeville) had been enticed by the glitz and glamor of Hollywood to try their luck in the the movies. Along with transforming stars like the Marx Brothers, Helen Morgan, Frederic March and Al Jolson into the movie stars, Hollywood also imported the tried-and-true concept of the "all-star" review from theatrical showbiz entrepreneurs like Flo Ziegfield. It wasn't long before all the major studios were producing large-scale film extravaganzas complete with musical numbers, dramatic recitals, comedy sketches and "blackouts". Simply put, Hollywood found a way to showcase its new stable of actors in a familiar theatrical format - the Variety Show. The most interesting of these early variety films were Hollywood Revue of 1929, Golddiggers of Broadway (1929), The King of Jazz and Paramount on Parade (both released in 1930).
Early Studio Variety Films Offered Something for Everyone
Paramount on Parade, directed by nearly a dozen directors including Ernst Lubitsch, Edmond Goulding, Dorothy Arzner, Roland V. Lee and a half dozen more featured every major star from the Paramount lot. "Revue" movies such as this were distinguished by the fact that the various studios used them as vehicles to exploit their big-name stars as well as introduce new faces to the movie-going audience. It seemed only natural that when the opportunity arose for Paramount to make a studio revue they would want to feature their trio of mystery film box-office superstars - Clive Brook (Sherlock Holmes), William Powell (Philo Vance) and Warner Oland (Dr. Fu Manchu) - in a satirical comedy sketch pastiche entitled "Murder Will Out". One popular way the majors pulled this off was to satirize their featured players to the point of absurdity. This nonsensical lampooning was the sole reason that Paramount Pictures was able to bring together the stars of The Canary Murder Case, The Return of Sherlock Holmes and The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu in their star-studded all-singing, all-dancing, all- talking spectacle, Paramount on Parade.
Murder Will Out - A Killer Comedy Sketch
"Murder Will Out" opens in a crowded cocktail lounge as Jack Oakie (one of the film's several hosts) introduces himself to Brooks, Powell and Oland and tries to persuade them to take part in the picture. Each one comes up with the same response, they'd love to be part of Paramount on Parade if they will be able to star in a mystery play written especially for their character. Oakie leaves the trio of stars telling each of them he will try to make it happen.
From this modest opening "Murder Will Out" quickly switches gears and becomes one of the most bizarre visions of Victorian sleuthing ever recorded on film. The scene transitions from the night club into a Caligari-esque set where Fu Manchu is gloating over what appears to be a corpse. No sooner does Sgt. Heath (Eugene Pallette) arrive to arrest the diabolical doctor for murder, than Philo Vance glides in - hidden inside a sarcophagus. Sherlock Holmes enters a few seconds later. Holmes and Vance attempt to deduce whether or not Fu Manchu is responsible for the murder. The senseless bickering between the two sleuths becomes intolerable and Fu Manchu steps in to end the discussion by shooting both Holmes and Vance dead - thus proving that he is, indeed, a murderer. Fu Manchu escapes in the confusion. The loopy sergeant goes after the cagey criminal leaving the corpse all alone at center stage. But after a beat the corpse begins to stir and reveals himself to be none other than Jack Oakie who conceived the entire stunt as a mystery play written especially for him!
A Dying Breed
The variety film concept was a short-lived phenomenon; lasting only a few years. And even though PARAMOUNT ON PARADE was a relative success, it wasn't enough to bring these three popular characters together again. So for the first (and thankfully, last) time the big screen was treated to a screwball farce in which an extremely effeminate Sherlock Holmes locks horns with the insidious Dr. Fu Manchu while the dapper Philo Vance adds his urbane spin on the whole affair.
