''Grief Street'' is a 1931 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was an era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry that occurred between the widespread adoption of sound in film in the late 1920s and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship gui ...

mystery

crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

directed by

Richard Thorpe Richard Thorpe (born Rollo Smolt Thorpe; February 24, 1896 – May 1, 1991) was an American film director best known for his long career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. His obituary called him "a capable and versatile director willing to take on any ass ...

and starring Barbara Kent and John Holland. It was produced and distributed by the Chesterfield Motion Pictures Corporation.

Plot

A womanizing matinée idol is found strangled in his dressing room. The door is locked from the inside and there is no other way into the room. He had been having an affair with his leading lady, while his actress wife is doing the same with the stage manager. Everyone, including a young actress who had been fired from the play, and an old actor now relegated to a stage-doorman, has a motive. The explanation for the murder lies within the script of the play.

Cast

* Barbara Kent as Jean Royce * John Holland as Jim Ryan *

Dorothy Christy Dorothy Christy (born Dorothea J. Seltzer, later Dorothy Rucker; May 26, 1906 – May 21, 1977) was an American actress. She was sometimes billed as Dorothy Christie. Early years Christy was born Dorothea J. Seltzer on May 26, 1906, in Readin ...

as Mrs. Alvin Merle aka Ethel Wynn *

Crauford Kent Crauford Kent (12 October 1881 – 14 May 1953) was an English character actor based in the United States. He has also been credited as Craufurd Kent

as Alvin Merle * Lillian Rich as Pamela Gregory *James P. Burtis as Police Sgt. Jardine *

Larry Steers Lawrence Wells Steers (February 14, 1888 – February 15, 1951) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 550 films between 1917 and 1951. He was born in Indiana, and died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. Partial filmography * ''Old ...

as Ralph Burns * Lloyd Whitlock as Frank Murray *

Lafe McKee Lafayette S. "Lafe" McKee (January 23, 1872 – August 10, 1959) was an American actor who appeared in more than 400 films from 1912 to 1948. Career McKee began working in show business in 1893. Part of his career was spent with Art Mix Pro ...

as Michael - Stage Doorman *

Creighton Hale Creighton Hale (born Patrick Wills Fitzgerald; May 24, 1882 – August 9, 1965) was an Irish-American theatre, film, and television actor whose career extended more than a half-century, from the early 1900s to the end of the 1950s. Career Hale ...

as Ted *Raymond Largay as Police Capt. Blake *

Walter Brennan Walter Andrew Brennan (July 25, 1894 – September 21, 1974) was an American actor and singer. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for ''Come and Get It (1936 film), Come and Get It'' (1936), ''Kentucky (film), Kentucky'' (19 ...

as Walt

External links

* * * 1931 films American crime films 1930s mystery films 1931 crime films 1930s romance films 1930s English-language films American black-and-white films American mystery films Chesterfield Pictures films Films directed by Richard Thorpe 1930s American films English-language crime films English-language romance films English-language mystery films {{mystery-film-stub