.... is who Thatcher Colt is. Played by the dapper Adolphe Menjou, he reads lips and obsesses over how to execute the perfect head lock in wrestling. Given his physique this seems especially odd. And he pals around with the rather useless Tony (Skeets Gallagher) whose only hobbies seem to be drinking and snide remarks.
But when the film opens, what we see is nightclub owner Lola Carewe (Mayo Methot) in her luxury apartment nervously preparing for an evening out on New Year's Eve as the wind howls menacingly. She has been receiving death threats that say specifically that she will die at the stroke of midnight. And yet she goes to her nightclub at a prominently placed table with balloons popping around her that could easily cover the sound of a gunshot.
This is where Colt comes in. He is seated at a table while his friend Tony partakes in his favorite pastime - drinking. But Colt reads Lola's lips and sees her talking about the death threat. He is talking to her about this when somebody in the crowd fires a shot. This causes Colt to take Lola back to her apartment and call in about eight cops to guard her. As midnight approaches, the eight cops form a circle around Lola, able to block any bullet or weapon somebody might toss or fire. But when the stroke of midnight comes, Lola stands up and shrieks and falls down dead. Did she die of fright? If so, what a clever plan.
So Colt begins his investigation. As he says, usually he just has to figure out who did it. This time he has to determine if it was even murder and if so, what was the method as well. Lola certainly had lots of enemies. Complications ensue.
I've got to wonder if the folks over at MGM were watching this, because Thatcher is a lot like Nick Charles. Just subtract the weird hobbies and the alcoholic friend and add a missus with moxie - Nora Charles, and you have the same basic formula. Then there is Nat Pendleton, playing a part much like his character Guild in The Thin Man. Add in the mysterious, mute, and well dressed Miss Kelly as another associate of Colt, and this is a very entertaining little film.
But when the film opens, what we see is nightclub owner Lola Carewe (Mayo Methot) in her luxury apartment nervously preparing for an evening out on New Year's Eve as the wind howls menacingly. She has been receiving death threats that say specifically that she will die at the stroke of midnight. And yet she goes to her nightclub at a prominently placed table with balloons popping around her that could easily cover the sound of a gunshot.
This is where Colt comes in. He is seated at a table while his friend Tony partakes in his favorite pastime - drinking. But Colt reads Lola's lips and sees her talking about the death threat. He is talking to her about this when somebody in the crowd fires a shot. This causes Colt to take Lola back to her apartment and call in about eight cops to guard her. As midnight approaches, the eight cops form a circle around Lola, able to block any bullet or weapon somebody might toss or fire. But when the stroke of midnight comes, Lola stands up and shrieks and falls down dead. Did she die of fright? If so, what a clever plan.
So Colt begins his investigation. As he says, usually he just has to figure out who did it. This time he has to determine if it was even murder and if so, what was the method as well. Lola certainly had lots of enemies. Complications ensue.
I've got to wonder if the folks over at MGM were watching this, because Thatcher is a lot like Nick Charles. Just subtract the weird hobbies and the alcoholic friend and add a missus with moxie - Nora Charles, and you have the same basic formula. Then there is Nat Pendleton, playing a part much like his character Guild in The Thin Man. Add in the mysterious, mute, and well dressed Miss Kelly as another associate of Colt, and this is a very entertaining little film.