Green Eyes (1934) User Reviews

Dorothy Revier is very fetching

[kidboots · 6/10 · 30 September 2009]

Dorothy Revier, a former Wampas Baby Star of 1925, specialized in vamps, and in many of her films she was the only reason to watch them. Not this film though, which boasts a strong cast (Charles Starrett, Shirley Grey) and an ending with a twist. With most of the filming done on a palatial mansion set from Universal, the production values were high.

The guests at a midnight masquerade are shocked to find their host Stephen Kester (Claude Dillingwater) has been stabbed to death. Meanwhile Kester's grand daughter Jean (Shirley Grey) has eloped with Cliff (William Bakewell) who informs her that not only has he tampered with the guest's car ignitions so they can't be followed, he has cut the phone wires as well. The police stop them and as suspects, they are taken back to the house.

Mystery writer Bill Tracy (Charles Starrett, surprisingly providing comic relief) is eager to help but only succeeds in upsetting the police. Everyone has an alibi of sorts but Lenox, the butler, reveals that Kester was greatly disliked, and that he overheard Kester and Hall (Arthur Clayton) having a business argument. When Cliff, who seems to be the most suspicious character in the film, is questioned he denies he and Jean are anything but good friends and Mrs. Pritchard's (Dorothy Revier) evidence is damning - making Jean a prime suspect. It then comes out that Kester had disinherited Jean but had not signed a new will. Jean's personality does not help matters - she comes across as a spoiled brat, annoyed because her grandfather has cut off her allowance.

Things seem to be getting somewhere when Hall, who is chief suspect (Kester robbed him of valuable mining stock in 1914) is found shot - an apparent suicide. There is even a note explaining things. In it Hall tells of his friendship with Jean's mother and how, because of Kester's greed, she was forced to work long hours to support herself and her baby - work that eventually killed her. Hall decides to get revenge.....

That's not the end and the twist is what separated "Green Eyes" from all the other mystery films that flooded theatres in 1934.

Recommended.

I'll admit: I'm a novice with these films

[Bezenby · 6/10 · 9 January 2013]

I'm not that familiar with the mystery genre or era (1930s) at all, but I quite liked this murder mystery. Some old guy gets bumped off during a fancy dress party and stuffed in a cupboard, and it's up to the police and a smug murder mystery writer to figure out who the culprit was. Was it the spoiled granddaughter and her boyfriend? Or the secretary and his wife? Or the housekeeper? Or the old business partner? The police try and find out the only way they know – by cornering people in the house and barking rapid fire questions at them for the entire first half of the film. This sounds boring but it kind of got me all fired up too, so much so that I started firing rapid questions at my wife. Where's my dinner? Why don't you shut those kids up? Why are coming towards me with that knife?

It's all pretty brisk stuff as the writer guy snoops around and generally acts like a total pain as he tries to rumble the perp. As this film was made in the 1800s it's not full of blood and gore and sex as we've all come to expect, what with being brought up on Fulci films, but for a glimpse into a by-gone age (30BC) I thought Green Eyes was charming and I'll tip my hat to it.

Are there stand out films of this type? I'd like to know. The Pre-Cambrian explosion mystery film intrigues me.

Unsatisfactory Rendering Of A Novel Of The Same Stripe.

[rsoonsa · 4/10 · 17 February 2006]

This somewhat less than rewarding production is based closely upon a novel by Harriette Ashbrook: "The Murder Of Steven Kester", to a point of its inclusion of substantial swatches of Ashbrook's stilted dialogue, but since the original book remains safely confined within a rather narrow spectrum of sleuthing utilized by the English writer, it can be no surprise that the film is also dull and generally predictable. Action opens briskly with assistant director Melville Shyer, who also contributes the script, effectively leading a congregation of extras during a lively costume party sequence, this festivity organized at the home of wealthy Steven Kester by his granddaughter Jean (Shirley Grey) as a diversion to facilitate her unobstructed elopement with beau Cliff Miller (William Bakewell). Here the pace of the film begins to flag as journeyman director Richard Thorpe mishandles the tempo following discovery of Steven Kester's corpse, decorated with stab wounds, and a homicide investigation then begins under the supervision of Captain (or Chief, at times Inspector) Crofton (John Wray) who fails to acknowledge any recognizable form of correct investigative police procedures as he browbeats a large contingent of available suspects. Needless to report, many of these latter have apparent motives to have committed the slaying, and if Crofton neglects one of them, a meddlesome crime novelist, Michael Tracy (Charles Starrett), a recurring lead character as "Spike Tracy" in the publications of Ashbrook, is on hand to abet the detective. Viewers, however, will not require similar assistance, due to the story hardly being abstruse enough to challenge most armchair detectives. Production values for this low tier Chesterfield Pictures item are expectedly paltry, but some performances from players are to be valued, in particular a brief turn by Lloyd Whitlock, and neatly developed characterizations from Grey and Dorothy Revier as female suspects. Director Thorpe, ever respectful of his cast members, and especially of those whom are stage trained, leads with a loose rein.

I think Hollywood must have made a billion of these films!

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 4 September 2011]

During the 1930s, Hollywood made a ton of murder mysteries. While they continued to make some in the 40s, the 30s was by far the most prolific period--and most of them were B-movies. These Bs had relatively unknown actors, simple plots and usually ended in about an hour...more or less. And, because I love old films, I've seen so many that they're all starting to look the same.

Take, for instance, "Green Eyes". It has all the elements you'll find in such a murder film. There is always a know-it-all guy who isn't with the local police--in this case a guy who writes murder mysteries who just happens to be there. There are misdirections galore--with too many folks lying and a supposed suicide to cover up the real murder. The plot is also, at times, too complicated and full of unnecessary details (such as the whole green eyes angle). Not surprisingly, the well-trained professional cops are complete morons. Heck, by watching these films you'd think cops NEVER solved crimes more taxing than jaywalking! And, the film is made entirely of unknown actors. No, none of the film is all that original or all that good, though I did like that they made the writer a bit of a smart-mouth. Worth seeing if you're not yet sick of the genre, but there certainly are similar yet better films out there--such as any of the Charlie Chan films or "Footsteps in the Dark".

Routine Whodunit

[dougdoepke · 16 October 2013]

Cops investigate a costume party murder in a rich man's mansion.

Thoroughly routine whodunit, despite the promising opening scenes. Not surprisingly, it's one of the type popular in the 30's, when amateur sleuths out-sleuthed the professionals. Here it's Charles Starrett as a novelist figuring out the clues before the cops do. But at least the screenplay doesn't turn the head cop into some kind of buffoon as often happened in these 30's programmers.

Now I'm used to seeing Starrett with a six-gun and Stetson giving the bad guys a hard-eyed stare. So, seeing him here as a loosey-goosey lounge lizard in alpine shorts took some getting used to. But he does liven up the acting, which otherwise tends toward the dull side. Still, that last scene in the lethal bedroom stands as a real grabber of staging. Too bad the rest of the movie doesn't show a similar level of imagination.

(In passing—Am I mistaken or does Starrett look like an early version of Rock Hudson.)

Masquerading Murder

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 26 July 2009]

"A stately country mansion is the sight of a costume party thrown by its wealthy owner. The masquerade party comes to an abrupt end when the host is found dead in a closet, his body full of stab wounds. Now the authorities and a crime novelist, who is a guest at the party, must sort through the guest list and uncover the identity of the murderer," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.

This dull whodunit stars handsome Charles Starrett (as Michael Tracy), despite the billing. Later, he became known as the western hero "The Durango Kid", one of the biggest "Box Office Western Stars" of the forties. As in other films, filmmakers got the ex-football star to partially undress, something usually reserved for women. Herein, you can catch Mr. Starrett in his pajama bottoms.

**** Green Eyes (6/15/34) Richard Thorpe ~ Charles Starrett, John Wray, Shirley Grey

"There's gonna be another murder around here pretty soon, and I have a good suspicion I'm gonna be the victim."

[classicsoncall · 5/10 · 16 April 2020]

As far as murder mystery films of the era go, this one is about average. A myriad of suspects, a couple of red herrings, and an intrusive bystander manages to investigate the crime while the detective in charge runs around barking questions in order to intimidate a confession out of someone, anyone. There's an odd flashback scene that transitions like it's merely a change of scene in the present, and the only way you become aware of it is because the murder victim that opens the story is alive and chiding his granddaughter for her lavish way of spending his money, thereby making her a prime suspect when the live action returns. Charles Starrett is one of my favorite movie cowboys of the Forties and Fifties, and he's top billed here as the mystery novelist who takes a keen interest in the murder and goes about searching clues while the cops are largely ineffective. The basis for the murder involves money and some old mining stock, and our man Michael Tracy (Starrett) gets to the bottom of things in the slightly more than sixty minutes it takes for these programmers to reach a conclusion. If you're searching for a connection to the title, I can only surmise it had to do with those two shiny marbles on the nightstand just before the picture closes. If the movie had been in color, they might have been green.

A Good Mystery Film

[film_poster_fan · 7/10 · 30 March 2022]

This is a well made mystery film from 1934 with a conclusion that makes sense. It would be difficult to ascertain that from most of the reviews on this database that discuss this film, however. I am not sure why they even bother to watch it in the first place, since they seem to dislike it so much. The police are portrayed as "morons" says one review, but I didn't see them like that. The cast consists of "unknowns" says another. Charles Starrett who received second billing may have not been a big star in 1934, but beginning in 1935 he signed a contract with Columbia Pictures and had his own series of Westerns until 1952. He was able to quit the series and retire at 48, a wealthy man.

Someone gets murdered and then there's lots of talking.

[BA_Harrison · 1/10 · 6 June 2016]

Made in 1934, less than a decade after the introduction of the 'talkie', this crusty old murder mystery makes the most of the relatively new sound technology, being 99.9% talk—which, consequently, makes the film 100% boring.

Rather than concentrate on thrills and suspense, Green Eyes is all about the post-murder investigative procedure carried out by Inspector Crofton (John Wray), with a little amateur sleuthing from crime novelist Michael Tracy (Charles Starrett). Theories are bandied back and forth, clues are discussed, and suspects are interviewed at length, none of which is in the slightest bit entertaining.

It's a whole load of talk, followed by some more talk, a little chit-chat, a bit of conversation, more talk, even more talk, and then… well, you get the idea. By the end of this film, you'll be wishing that Al Jolson had kept his mouth shut and that the 'talkie revolution' had never happened.

Well I'll Be Dog-Goned

[boblipton · 7/10 · 20 December 2018]

Claude Gillingwater, everyone's favorite meanie, is found dead in an armoire during a costume party. Hurrah! Inspector John Wray shows up and questions everyone at the house, and the usual suspects crop up, including his grand daughter, Shirley Grey, William Bakewell, whom everyone thinks she's engaged to, although they deny it... oh, the usual suspects in this sort of movie. Happily, mystery writer Charles Starrett is on hand, to help and hinder the police and conduct his own investigation on the side.

I was impressed by the actors outside their usual range -- Starrett is unexpectedly youthful and charming for anyone used to his Durango Kid westerns, and Wray is plebeian and efficient. Aggie Herring has a fine role as the housekeeper, and there are two solutions to the mystery!

It's a cheaply shot movie, directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by ever-hopeful Gower Gulch company Chesterfield. this was the sort of work he excelled in, getting good performances and as much out of the story as possible on a tiny budget. All too soon, this happy faculty would take him to that most luxurious of studios, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where this was a rare commodity.

Typical 1930s Murder-Mystery

[Rainey-Dawn · 4/10 · 19 January 2016]

A costume party turns bad when one of the guests is found murdered. The police are called in to investigate. An average whodunit of the 1930s.

This one is a very typical murder-mystery of the 1930s. It's nothing special but it's not a bad film. It's not a total snore-fest but it's nothing to get excited over.

I might have enjoyed this movie a bit more if there were actors I found interesting playing in it. Again, this is not a bad film but could have been better with some interesting actors.

Watch this one if you are simply interested in watching older crime-mysteries... it's not all that bad.

4/10

Nifty mystery thriller is almost like watching a novel

[dbborroughs · 8/10 · 6 February 2008]

During a masked party Stephen Kester is found dead in the closet of his room, three stab wounds in his back. Suspicion falls on everyone at the party, especially Kester's granddaughter and her fiancée who fled the house after disabling all of the other cars and cutting the phone lines. As the police investigate they are shadowed and helped along by a mystery writer.

Good Long Island based murder mystery novel keeps you guessing until almost the end of the film. Its not until a few knots about motive are untangled that you'll know who did it and why. Its a neatly plotted mystery that I think works better for lifting some of the dialog from the novel since it seems to move the film along at a good clip, even if most of the actions are simply in wide circles around the mansion. The cast is full of B-movie stalwarts who all fill their roles with a good amount doubt as to their possible guilt or innocence. Even nominal lead Charles Starrett as Michael Tracy, the mystery writer, manages to keep you guessing as to whether he did it or not.

A solid and very enjoyable mystery. It maybe light and fluffy but it will entertain you.

Not bad, not good!

[JohnHowardReid · 6/10 · 16 November 2017]

SYNOPSIS AND CAST LIST: Who killed Steven Kester (Claude Gillingwater), one of the meanest, grouchiest misers in Massachusetts? It has to be one of the guests at a midnight masquerade party, hosted by his daughter, Jean Kester (Shirley Grey). Perhaps the novelist hero, Bill Tracy (Charles Starrett)? Or Jean's pretty boy Romeo, Cliff (William Bakewell)? Or the millionaire's secretary, Pritchard (Alden Chase)? Or the secretary's lovely wife (Dorothy Revier)? Or the tycoon's housekeeper, Dora (Aggie Herring)? Or his butler, Lenox (Elmer Ballard)? Or his former partner, Hall (Arthur Clayton)? It's certainly not loud-mouthed Inspector Crofton (John Wray). Or the inspector's amiable offsider, Regan (Ben Hendricks, junior), or one of his uniformed motorcycle policemen (Frank Hagney), or the medical examiner (Frank LaRue). Nor the banker (Edward Le Saint), broker (Robert Frazer), chemist (John Elliott), lawyer Howe (Lloyd Whitlock), nor a guy named Raynor (Edward Keane), because their roles are too small.

Director: RICHARD THORPE. Screenplay: Andrew Moses and Harriette Ashbrook. Based on the 1931 novel The Murder of Steven Kester by Harriette Ashbrook. No film editor credited. Photography: M.A. Andersen. Art director: Edward C. Jewell. Music director: Abe Meyer. Assistant director: Melville Shyer. Sound recording: L.E. Clark. Producer: George R. Batcheller. A Chesterfield Production, shot at Universal Studios.

Copyright 14 June 1934 by Chesterfield Motion Pictures Corporation. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 15 June 1934. U.K. release through Gaumont British: 22 December 1934. Never theatrically released in Australia. 7 reels. 67 minutes.

NOTES: Starrett's 26th of 166 movies.

COMMENT: Harriette Asbrook's novel attracted a fair amount of critical attention back in 1931. Not that there was anything remarkable about the routine plot, the stereotyped characters or the drawing-room dialogue. (Best line is the hero's put-down to the police captain who describes him as a novelist: "I'm not exactly a novelist. I write detective stories.")

What Miss Ashbrook did to break ground in the mystery field was to develop a plot capable of two different but entirely tenable solutions. These two scenarios are both entirely compatible with the facts. It's not until the last pages of the novel that one is eliminated and the other proved beyond doubt.

The movie version muffs these opportunities. Mind you, the novel ran to a mighty 812 pages. Andrew Moses was forced to make drastic cuts to condense it down to 67 minutes.

Fortunately, the players do somewhat come to the rescue. Claude Gillingwater easily steals the limelight as the surly Kester. We likewise enjoyed Ben Hendicks' ingratiating study of Wray's amiable assistant, and Arthur Clayton's nicely relaxed, pleasurable ease as the main suspect. Starrett is interesting too, as the buttinski writer, and Miss Grey makes a viable heroine who confounds the mold by not making so much as a single glance in our hero's direction. Inspector Wray, however, gets on our nerves a bit with his two limited styles of dialogue delivery: — loud and extra loud.

Director Richard Thorpe has valiantly tried to give this over- long talk-fest a bit of pace, but is stymied by the almost total lack of action. Nonetheless, by the humble standards of Poverty Row, production values are reasonably glossy.

Virtually a filmed stage play...not a good one though, but still...

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 29 December 2017]

Here's the scenario: costume party in progress, body found. Scream. Detective arrives. Questions behind. Romantic couple on the road, decide to go back. More questions asked. Couple asked why they left. Suspicions arise. Accusations and hints of motives are made. Servants indicate they hated the victim. Suspects go to bed and can't sleep. Questions continue the next day. More clues, more motives. Gather suspects together and reveal exactly what happened. Will the guilty party give themselves up without pulling out a gun? You'll find out in under an hour in this stagy, often awkwardly acted melodrama.

Forgotten matinee idols Charles Starrett and Shirley Grey are the romantic leads with a cast of actors who either speak very slowly or overly emote or pose or just bellow. Claude Gillingwater, best known for Shirley Temple movies, is perhaps the most familiar member of the cast, with the rest of the cast extremely obscure. The actress playing the housekeeper may look like Mary Gordon (and sound like like her), but is not. This is a film for severe classic film fans only. Others will be excruciatingly bored.

"Well, I'll be doggoned!"

[csteidler · 20 August 2011]

Charles Starrett is a writer of murder mysteries who gets involved in—yes, a murder mystery. Nothing too original in Green Eyes, but a fair assortment of suspects and intriguing clues help maintain interest. Once again, it's a murder in a big old house in which nearly all of the film's action occurs. The event which sets the story in motion is the murder of the house's owner, one Steven Kester, during a costume party, and it's quickly established that his guests, his employees and even his granddaughter are not particularly sad to see him go. Even his butler can't find anything nice to say about him:

Inspector Crofton: "What kind of a man was Mr. Kester to work for?" Lenox the butler: "He was a Simon Legree, sir. It's been most difficult to put up with him these past 20 years."

For the first half of the film, John Wray as the inspector barks out a good half of all the dialog spoken as he rounds up clues and lays out the facts and motives. In the second half, we see more of Starrett as he quietly investigates while more noisily presenting a rather foppish front to most of the group.

Shirley Grey and Dorothy Revier, as the two women involved in the case, are given just enough screen time to hint that their characters could contain some interesting depths; but alas, a 70-minute movie holds limited space for developing character studies.

Nice touches: the goofy getups sported by the guests in the opening costume party and ensuing interrogation; the "green eyes" of the title; and a clever closing bit with Starrett at his typewriter.

Pre-code intrigue

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 21 November 2019]

Oh PURE TERROR, you box set of my dreams. Sometimes, you reward me with Italian cyborgs. Or then a movie about jungle cannibals. Or this - whatever Green Eyes is, a Chesterfield Pictures movie made before the Hayes Code. Who at Mill Creek decides what goes into these box sets?

During a masquerade ball, Stephen Kester (Claude Gillingwater, whose injury on the set of Florida Special and the premature death of his wife led to an early suicide) is found stabbed three times in the closet of his room. It could be anyone that killed him, but it's probably his granddaughter Jean (Shirley Grey, whose acting career ended in 1935) and her fiancee Cliff Miller (William Bakewell, whose acting life went from the 1920's to the 1970's). After all, they ran from the scene of the crime, but not before they killed the phones and ruined all the cars.

Inspector Crofton (John Wray, he played the farmer who tries to kill Gary Cooper in Mr. Deeds Goes To Town) and Detective Regan are in the case, as well as a mystery writer named Bill Tracy (Charles Starrett, The Durango Kid!).

Green Eyes was directed by Richard Thorpe, who is more well-known for the movie he didn't direct than the hundreds he did.

Thorpe was the original director of The Wizard of Oz, but got fired within two weeks, as it was believed that he didn't understand the fantasy elements of the story. He also gave Judy Garland a blonde wig and baby doll make-up that made her look anything like an innocent farm girl. The only footage from his directing that remains is when Toto runs from the Wicked Witch's castle.

He also directed Jailhouse Rock with Elvis, Above Suspicion with Joan Crawford and several of the Tarzan films.

"These eyes so green, I can stare for a thousand years". Cat People (Putting Out Fire)

[Bernie4444 · 5/10 · 30 November 2023]

The thirties were a dynamic decade where films turned from stilted and simple to dynamic with depth. This is a film that was made in the transition. At first, you think it is too simple with a hokey soundtrack. Then you get wrapped up in the story and find that this is a great short and to the point who done it. The film is black and white. It sort of has that Charlie Chan feels.

The story is a screenplay that has the look of a stage play. It is based on the novel "The Murder of Steven Kester" By H. Ashbrook. Jean Kester is in the process if eloping with Michael Tracy. So, people will not follow them they cut the phone lines and everyone's distributor wires. Now Jean's ruthless grandfather is found disposed of. It looks mighty suspicious. The house is full of people that were invited to a costume party. The police gat little cooperation from any of the guests. Before the day is over it will look like everyone had motive and opportunity. We may even find a few more deaths.

What part do green eyes play in the movie?

Neat mystery thriller quickie

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 19 March 2012]

The body of millionaire Steven Kester is discovered murdered in the closet by the guests at a lavish costume party being held at Kester's stately country mansion. It's up to shrewd and sarcastic crime novelist Michael Tracy (a spirited and likable performance by Charles Starrett) to figure out the identity of the killer. Director Richard Thorpe, working from a witty and compact script by Andrew Moses, relates the absorbing story at a brisk pace, maintains a firm sense of taut narrative economy throughout, and further spices things up with a pleasing sense of sassy humor (Tracy's barbed exchanges with the police are especially sharp and amusing). Moreover, the able cast play their parts with real zest: Starrett's lively acting keeps the picture humming, the fetching Shirley Grey brings tremendous appeal to her role as Kester's feisty grand daughter Jean, John Wary is suitably gruff as the hard-nosed Inspector Crofton, and Dorothy Revier does well as the touchy Mrs. Pritchard. M.A. Anderson's crisp black and white cinematography makes neat use of fades, wipes, and dissolves. A hugely enjoyable item.

"Your Insinuation Is Unjustified, Mr. Tracy!"...

[azathothpwiggins · 4 May 2021]

GREEN EYES opens with a costume party gone wrong, when the host is found stabbed to death. With his granddaughter as a handy suspect, the police believe they've quickly solved the crime. Obviously, that would result in a 5 minute movie, so, the cops wind up with a houseful of suspects instead.

The bulk of the film is taken up with the grilling of these people by Inspector Crofton (John Wray). While it's not a bad movie, anyone expecting a fast-paced movie packed with oddball characters spouting snappy 1930's-style dialogue could be disappointed. On the bright side, the story is interesting enough and gets sewn up nicely...