This is the third version Fox made of John W. Vandercook's 'Murder in Trinidad' story. It stars James Dunn as a Brooklyn private eye called in to investigate the disappearance of treasure-hunting mineralogists on the island. There is an opening scene showing two of the treasure hunters being guided to a swamp which they believe holds pirate's treasure in it's depths. Two shots are heard offscreen so we suspect they are being murdered to keep them from searching the swamp. The action moves to a seedy hotel in San Juan where another murder takes place shortly after Smith arrives there. His investigation of this most-recent murder is made difficult because the murderer probably used a balcony that can be accessed from another 24 rooms in the hotel. An antique pirate's dagger is displayed on the wall of the bespectacled Colonel Lane's office where Smith had to report to at the start of his investigation. Smith takes a dislike to the sight of the dagger before the same or similar weapon is thrown towards him in a room he has been asked to visit at midnight. Smith is described as an oaf and a louse from Brooklyn in a role written specifically for James Dunn. It seems that Fox had Reed Hadley originally in mind for the lead role in this but he had to make do as one of the suspects after the script had been rewritten. I've seen the Mr Moto version of the story and I would really like to see if the Nigel Bruce 1934 turns up for me to complete my viewing of the three Fox versions.
Review of The Caribbean Mystery
