On this day in movie history - The Garden Murder Case (1936):

The Garden Murder Case

directed by Edwin L. Marin,

written by Bertram Millhauser,

based on the novel by S.S. Van Dine,

was released in the United States on February 21, 1936.
Music by William Axt.

Cast:

Edmund Lowe, Virginia Bruce, Benita Hume, Douglas Walton, Nat Pendleton, Gene Lockhart, H. B. Warner, Kent Smith, Grant Mitchell, Frieda Inescort, Henry B. Walthall, Jessie Ralph, Charles Trowbridge, Etienne Girardot, William Austin, Olaf Hytten.

Recommended reading - The Garden Murder Case (1935):

The Garden Murder Case

By S.S. Van Dine.

# 9 in the Philo Vance mystery series.

Published by Felony & Mayhem Press.

First published 1935.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 1631942050

ISBN-13: 9781631942051

Description:

In the ninth novels in the series, "The Garden Murder Case," Philo Vance investigates a murder and other suspicious events connected with the rooftop garden of the Garden’s New York penthouse, where a group friends gather to listen to the result of horse races.

According to one review, Garden runs on “passion, avarice, ambition and horse-racing.” It also runs on pure 1930s octane, because this is a classic house-party murder mystery, that staple of the Golden Age. As befitting a Philo yarn, of course, it’s a very Manhattan house-party, with an actress and a socialite on hand, and a bookie on the telephone. There’s also a losing bet on the ponies, and an ensuing suicide…but Philo, natch, is not sure just who pulled the trigger. A joy, as always, for readers who delight in Philo’s spectacular brand of awfulness – is there anyone snootier’ Snobbier’ More taken with himself’ – but also for fans of the Impossible Crime.