Grand Central Murder

Director: S. Sylvan Simon S. Sylvan Simon

Overview

In this mystery, a private detective begins looking into the death of an actress who is found dead in a train car in Grand Central Station. Her demise is witnessed via flashback as a police inspector begins questioning suspects. Even the detective is questioned.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/26/2012
UPC:	0883316470626
Original Release:	1942
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:13:00
Sales rank:	26,714

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Patricia Dane	Mida King
Van Heflin	"Rocky" Custer
Sam Levene	Inspector Gunther
Virginia Grey	Sue Custer
Cecilia Parker	Constance Furness
Samuel S. Hinds	Roger Furness
Connie Gilchrist	Pearl Delroy
Mark Daniels	David V. Henderson
Stephen McNally	`Turk',"Turk"
Tom Conway	Frankie Ciro
Betty Wells	`Baby' Delroy
George Lynn	Paul Rinehart
Roman Bohnen	Ramon
Millard Mitchell	Arthur Doolin
David Snell	Composer

Technical Credits

Peter Ruric

S. Sylvan Simon	Director
Peter Ruric	Screenwriter
B.F. Zeidman	Producer

Editorial Reviews

Although it's only a middling little detective film, Grand Central Murder is still a fun way to pass an hour-and-a-quarter or so. Murder does have a couple of interesting twists in it, such as essentially starting out with all the suspects being grilled in one room, a plot point that usually came later in the game in such films. It also has its setting which, while clearly not filmed on location, does allow cinematographer George Folsey to get some nifty shots between train cars and in areas with intriguing shadows and lights. Pete Reruic's screenplay is passable, although a bit too packed; there's so much time spent on unraveling the plot that the viewer doesn't get to develop much interest in the characters (aside from those played by Van Heflin and Sam Levene. S. Sylvan Simon does a fine job directing, but the biggest ace in the hole for Murder is Heflin. He's a great actor, and if this isn't an award-winning performance, it's still spot-on, capturing both the drama and the comedy perfectly. Levene overdoes things a bit but is effective overall, and supporting players like Connie Gilchrist and Tom Conway do their things very well.