Born on this day – William Clemens:

William Clemens

Director

September 10, 1905 – April 29, 1980

Credits:

Accidents Will Happen (1938); Beyond the Rockies (1932); Calling Philo Vance (1939); Crime by Night (1944); Crime School (1938); Devil Dogs of the Air (1935); Devil's Island (1938); Down the Stretch (1936); Dr. Monica (1934); Easy to Love (1934); Freighters of Destiny (1931); From Headquarters (1933); Ghost Valley (1932); Happiness Ahead (1934); Haunted Gold (1932); Here Comes Carter (1936); I Found Stella Parish (1935); Journal of a Crime (1934); Kansas City Princess (1934); King of the Lumberjacks (1940); Knockout (1941); Lady Bodyguard (1943); Man Hunt (1936); Missing Witnesses (1937); Mr. Chump (1938); Musical Shipmates (1946); Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (1939); Nancy Drew... Reporter (1939); Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter (1939); Nancy Drew: Detective (1938); Night in New Orleans (1942); Oil for the Lamps of China (1935); On Dress Parade (1939); Once a Doctor (1937); Page Miss Glory (1935); Ride Him, Cowboy (1932); She Couldn't Say No (1940); Somewhere in Sonora (1933); Sweater Girl (1942); Talent Scout (1937); The Case of the Stuttering Bishop (1937); The Case of the Velvet Claws (1936); The Falcon and the Co-eds (1943); The Falcon in Danger (1943); The Falcon Out West (1944); The Footloose Heiress (1937); The Law in Her Hands (1936); The Man from Monterey (1933); The Murder of Dr. Harrigan (1936); The Night of January 16th (1941); The Saddle Buster (1932); The Sunday Round-Up (1936); The Telegraph Trail (1933); The Thirteenth Hour (1947); Tomorrow Always Comes (1941); Torchy Blane in Panama (1938); Up for Murder (1931).

On this day in movie history - Calling Philo Vance (1940 movie & novel):

Calling Philo Vance

directed by William Clemens,

written by Tom Reed,

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

was released in the United States on January 27, 1940.
A remake of The Kennel Murder Case (1933).
Music by Max Steiner.

Cast: James Stephenson, Margot Stevenson, Henry O’Neill, Edward Brophy, Sheila Bromley, Ralph Forbes, Don Douglas, Martin Kosleck, Jimmy Conlin, Edward Raquello, Creighton Hale, Harry Strang, Richard Kipling, Wedgwood Nowell, Bo Ling, Olaf Hytten, George Irving, Frank Mayo.

Recommended reading:

The Kennel Murder Case

By S.S. Van Dine.

First published 1933.

Published by Scribner Paper Fiction

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0684182483

ISBN-13: 978-0684182483

Description:

Vance, an independently wealthy college educator, amateur detective, uses his deductive skills and psychological knowledge to help his friend New York County Attorney solve the murder of Archer Coe. At first, he thought of suicide when Coe's body was found in a room locked from the inside with all the windows closed. As usual, the action takes place in New York. Vance's methods are unconventional and run counter to the more stringent police investigation methods and legal requirements of a lawyer.

Given all the rich people getting bumped off in Philo Vance's Manhattan, it's amazing there are enough left to support the symphony. Latest up: Arthur Coe, found dead in his own locked bedroom. Suicide? The ever-perceptive Philo doesn't buy that theory for a second. The presence in Coe's house of a strange, prize-winning terrier only adds to the mystery, although Philo's fabulously in-depth knowledge of dogs does not in fact solve the crime; his fabulously in-depth knowledge of the murder of the Empress Elizabeth of Austria in 1898 proves much more useful.

Praise for the Philo Vance series:

“With his highbrow manner and his parade of encyclopedic learning, Philo Vance is not only a detective; he is a god out of the machine.” – The New York Times.

“Well-crafted puzzlers that captivated readers . . . the works of S.S. Van Dine serve to transport the reader back to a long-gone era of society and style of writing.” – Mystery Scene.

“Outrageous cleverness . . . among the finest fruits of the Golden Age.” – Bloody Murder.

“A classic mystery featuring dogged detective Philo Vance. An intricate puzzle . . . [Vance] has an uncanny insight into the subtler aspects of crime.” – The New York Times.