The Kennel Murder Case - Noir?

I'm not sure what made me think that this Philo Vance adventure was billed as a noir, but it isn't.

First the facts:
This is a 1933 mystery drama that runs 1:33.
It stars William Powell (later to do the Thin Man series)

It is entertaining, but being so early, the production values are not what they were even for the Thin Man series. Even this digitally remastered version had some challenges.

But if you are a fan of The Thin Man, then you will understand the feel of this film. It is light-hearted, while not as comedic as the Thin Man. What struck me as I expected a noir, was a total lack of grit or underworld culture. This was a foray into sophisticated society.

The action starts with very little per-amble. We jump right into the action. It is a bit of a jolt and it is very important to pay close attention as characters are being introduced left and right. I had a hard time keeping track of who is who (but not to worry, it eases up and all becomes clear later on).

Robert Barratt is the villain and does a fine job making himself a target by alienating everyone he comes into contact with and Mary Astor helps add to the intelligence of the plot. There is a good scene where she is alluding to a confession and recants when she learns more around the circumstances of the murder. It was worth-while to read between the lines and see how she was suspecting her boyfriend and covering for him and then backing out as she learned it was impossible for him to have committed the crime.

So as I was saying, this was more of a Holmesian adventure and they probably should have credited Arthur Conan Doyle. It had more in common with the Basil Rathbone Sherlock series (that would come later in the 1930's) than it did with the noir style that I think started in the mid 1940s.

But if you like little dogs running about discovering dead men (this foreshadowed Asta), and comedic police that depend on independent detectives to do their work, then this is a fun, enjoyable film.

On the minus side, there is some minor racist commentary - maybe to be expected in a film from the 30's. However, at least they hired an Italian and Asian actor to portray these characters.

So while I was disappointed that I didn't get the noir that I was hoping for, I did have a bit of fun.