The Penguin Pool Murder is directed by George Archainbaud and collectively written by Stuart Palmer, Lowell Brentano and Willis Goldbeck. It stars Edna May Oliver, James Gleason, Robert Armstrong and Mae Clarke. Music is by Max Steiner and cinematography by Henry W. Gerrard.
The first of three outings for Oliver as schoolteacher sleuth Hildegarde Withers, finds her linking up with Inspector Oscar Piper (Gleason) to try and crack the murder of a man found floating in a fish tank at the local aquarium.
The three Hildegarde Withers films that starred Oliver and Gleason had one defining characteristic, that of the films being at their best when the two actors were on screen jousting each other. The Penguin Pool Murder is the start of their wonderful union, and although the mystery element is weak on this one, the all round quality of the production (sets and photography) and the spirited work of cast and director ensures a great time can be had here. The writing lets the lady Withers be her own person, which is very nice to see, she's not merely a female towing the party line, while her aged years are rightly irrelevant and made a mockery of by Oliver's splendid gusto. Short, sharp and a whole bunch of fun. 7.5/10
The first of three outings for Oliver as schoolteacher sleuth Hildegarde Withers, finds her linking up with Inspector Oscar Piper (Gleason) to try and crack the murder of a man found floating in a fish tank at the local aquarium.
The three Hildegarde Withers films that starred Oliver and Gleason had one defining characteristic, that of the films being at their best when the two actors were on screen jousting each other. The Penguin Pool Murder is the start of their wonderful union, and although the mystery element is weak on this one, the all round quality of the production (sets and photography) and the spirited work of cast and director ensures a great time can be had here. The writing lets the lady Withers be her own person, which is very nice to see, she's not merely a female towing the party line, while her aged years are rightly irrelevant and made a mockery of by Oliver's splendid gusto. Short, sharp and a whole bunch of fun. 7.5/10