Ellery Queen, Master Detective (1940)

On November 30, 1940, Columbia Pictures released the first of seven Ellery Queen films starring Ralph Bellamy as Ellery Queen. Ellery is the son of Inspector Queen, the Chief of New York Detectives. Ellery is a novelist, who also assists his father with solving crimes. In Ellery Queen, Master Detective (1940), a health guru has committed suicide but Ellery Queen believes it was murder.

Inspector Queen is not so sure that his son Ellery is right but he trusts his instincts enough not to rule out the possibility. Inspector Queen is searching for Nikki Porter, who may be a witness or suspect in John Braun’s death. Ellery Queen does not believe that Nikki Porter is involved and hides her out their home as the cook.

Eventually Ellery Queen brings the mystery to a conclusion in a tight 65 minute mystery. Like most Columbia films, Ellery Queen, Master Detective (1940) is a “B” film. It would have been the “warm-up” film for the feature film. However, several “B” films were both entertaining and well done. This film fits that bill.

One of the things that Columbia Pictures did well was casting Ralph Bellamy as Ellery Queen and Margaret Lindsay as Nikki Porter. They had an on-screen chemistry that was not present when William Gargan took over the role later in the series.

Ralph Bellamy was born on June 17, 1904 in Chicago, Illinois. He acted in movies, television and on-stage for more than 60 years. He started on the stage in 1919, broke into films in 1931 and made his final film or television appearance in Pretty Woman (1990). Bellamy would marry four times but the fourth time was a charm. He married Alice Murphy in 1949. They remained married until a lung ailment led to his passing on November 29, 1991 at 87 years of age.

Margaret Lindsay was born Margaret Kies in Dubuque, Iowa on September 19, 1910. She broke into the movies in 1932. She made her last film in 1963. Although she was linked romantically to William Gargan, her later co-star in the Ellery Queen films, she never married. She died on May 9, 1981 at 70 years of age.

Give this film a try and it will provide you an hour of entertainment. You can leave a comment or ask a question about this or any post on my Facebook page and Twitter profile.

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