The Bishop Murder Case (1930)

On January 3, 1930, MGM film company released the third Philo Vance film, The Bishop Murder Case (1930). Basil Rathbone played Vance in his only film in the series. Rathbone would later be famous for playing another fiction sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, in the 1940s. The 38-year-old Rathbone gives a credible performance as the urbane detective Philo Vance.

The film begins with the body of “Cock” Robin found in the yard of Professor Dillard’s home with an arrow in his chest. Vance correctly surmises that Robin was killed purposely in the Dillard house and moved outside to make it look like an accident. Vance is determined to catch the killer, who continues to kill people associated with the Dillard household.

One of the main suspects is Sigurd Arnesson played by Roland Young. Arnesson is the sweetheart of Professor Dillard’s niece and Dillard’s potential successor in academia. Roland Young was born on November 11, 1887. After college, Young started acting on the London stage in 1908. He would make his film debut in 1922. Young played in 72 films before his death on June 5, 1953 at 65 years of age. His most famous role was Topper in films such as Topper Returns (1940),

The Bishop Murder Case is a feature film and runs about 90 minutes. You can often find it on streaming services or television stations focused on old movies. I first saw the film in 2006 on Turner Classic Movies.

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