On this day in movie history - The Benson Murder Case (1930 movie & novel):

The Benson Murder Case

directed by Frank Tuttle,

written by S.S. Van Dine and Bartlett Cormack,

based on the novel by S.S. Van Dine,

released in the United States on April 12, 1930.

Music by Charles Midgely.

Cast: William Powell, William “Stage” Boyd, Eugene Pallette, Paul Lukas, Natalie Moorhead, Richard Tucker, May Beatty, E.H. Calvert, Mischa Auer, Guy Oliver.

Recommended reading:

The Benson Murder Case

by S.S. Van Dine.

# 1 in the Philo Vance mystery series.

Published by American Mystery Classics.
First published 1926.

ISBN-10: 1613163320
ISBN-13: 978-1613163320

Description:

New York dilettante Philo Vance decides to assist the police in investigating the death of another man-about-town because he finds the psychological aspects of the crime of interest, and feels that they would be beyond the capacities of the police, even those of his friend District Attorney Markham. Vance investigates the circumstances under which the body was found and reconstructs the crime sufficiently to determine that the murderer is five feet, ten and a half inches in height. Together, Vance and Markham investigate Benson's business associates and romantic interests until Vance manages to pierce the murderer's alibi for the time of the murder and force a confession.

Recommended reading - The Racket

 

The Racket

by Bartlett Cormack.

A play in three acts.

ASIN: B0BPM49P6T
Published by Samuel French.
Published 1928.
 
Adapted to film in 1928 and 1951.
 
The play The Racket is also available in the following anthology:
 
Strictly Dishonorable and Other Lost American Plays
Edited by Richard Nelson.

Paperback.
Published 1993.
Published by Theatre Communications Group.

ISBN 13: 9780930452551
ISBN 10: 0930452550
ASIN: 0930452550

Contents: Strictly Dishonorable by Preston Sturges; The Racket by Bartlett Cormack; The Ghost of Yankee Doodle by Sidney Howard and A Slight Case of Murder by Howard Lindsay and Damon Runyon.

On this day in movie history - The Racket (1951)

The Racket

directed by John Cromwell,

written by William Wister Haines and W.R. Burnett,

based on the play by Bartlett Cormack,

was released in the United States on October 25, 1951.

Music by Paul Sawtell.

Cast:

Robert Mitchum, Lizabeth Scott, Robert Ryan, William Talman, Ray Collins, Joyce MacKenzie, Robert Hutton, Virginia Huston, William Conrad, Walter Sande, Les Tremayne, Don Porter, Walter Baldwin, Brett King, Richard Karlan, Tito Vuolo, Milburn Stone.

On this day in movie history - The Phantom of Crestwood (1932)

The Phantom of Crestwood

directed by J. Walter Ruben,

written by Bartlett Cormack,

based on a story by Bartlett Cormack and J. Walter Ruben,

was released in the United States on October 14, 1932.

Music by Max Steiner.

Cast:

Ricardo Cortez, Karen Morley, Anita Louise, Pauline Frederick, H.B. Warner, Mary Duncan, Sam Hardy, Tom Douglas, Richard "Skeets" Gallagher, Ivan Simpson, Aileen Pringle, George E. Stone, Robert McWade, Hilda Vaughn, Gavin Gordon, Matty Kemp, Clarence Wilson, Eddie Sturgis, Robert Elliott.