''The Phantom of 42nd Street'' is a 1945 American

mystery film A mystery film is a film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, ...

directed by

Albert Herman Albert Herman (1887–1958) was an American actor, screenwriter and film director. Herman was a prolific director, working mainly on low-budget movies for companies such as Producers Releasing Corporation. He is sometimes credited as Al Herman. ...

and starring Dave O'Brien,

Kay Aldridge Katharine ("Kay") Gratten Aldridge (July 9, 1917 – January 12, 1995) was an American actress and model, best known for playing feisty and imperiled heroines in black-and-white serials during the 1940s. Life and work Aldridge was born on July ...

and

Alan Mowbray Alan Mowbray MM (born Alfred Ernest Allen; 18 August 1896 – 25 March 1969) was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood. Early life Mowbray was born in London, England. He served with distinction in the British Army ...

.Fetrow p.372 It was produced by the low-budget Poverty Row studio

Producers Releasing Corporation Producers Releasing Corporation (generally known as PRC) was the smallest and least prestigious of the 11 Hollywood film companies of the 1940s. It was considered a prime example of what was called " Poverty Row": a low-rent stretch of Gower St ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Paul Palmentola Paul Palmentola (1888–1966) was an Italian-born American art director.Stephens p.233 He designed the film sets for more than two hundred productions during his career, much of his work during the 1930s and 1940s at low-budget studios such as M ...

Plot

An actor is killed during the performance of a play while critic Tony Woolrich ( Dave O'Brien) is attending. Initially Woolrich is reluctant to investigate, even though he's encouraged to do so by his friend Romeo (

Frank Jenks Frank Jenks (November 4, 1902 – May 13, 1962) was an American actor and vaudevillian. Biography Early years Jenks was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and his mother gave him a trombone when he was 9 years old. By his late teens he was playing ...

), who is also the taxi driver who brought him to the show, and acts as a sort of sidekick throughout the story. Tony is chewed out by his editor for not investigating when he happened to be at the scene of the crime, and so he takes an initially reluctant interest. Tony becomes more involved in the investigation when there is another murder, and when Claudia Moore (

, in her last movie role), the girl he loves, is suspected, and is also possibly threatened by the killer.

Cast

* Dave O'Brien as Tony Woolrich *

as Claudia Moore *

as Cecil Moore *

as Egbert "Romeo" Egelhofer, taxi driver *

Edythe Elliott Edythe Elliott (born Edythe Fletcher; July 14, 1886 – April 9, 1978) was an American character actress active primarily during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Biography Edythe Elliott was born in San Francisco, California where her parents were ...

as Jane Buchanan *

Jack Mulhall John Joseph Francis Mulhall (October 7, 1887 – June 1, 1979) was an American film actor beginning in the silent film era who successfully transitioned to sound films, appearing in over 430 films in a career spanning 50 years. Early years Mu ...

as Lt. Walsh *

Vera Marshe Vera Marshe (born Vera Merle Marsh;Williams, Donald Ayers (November 9, 1933)"Off a Reporter's Cuff: Leading Lady" ''The Minneapolis Journal''. p. 17. November 5, 2024."California Death Index, 1940-1997", FamilySearch (https://familysearch. ...

as Ginger *

Stanley Price Stanley Price (December 31, 1892July 13, 1955) was an American film supporting actor who appeared in over 200 films between 1922 and 1956. He was a charter member of the Screen Actors Guild. Career Price was an actor whose artistic career s ...

as Reggie Thomas/The Phantom * John Crawford as John Carraby *

Cyril Delevanti Harry Cyril Delevanti (23 February 1887 – 13 December 1975) was an English character actor with a long career in American films. He was sometimes credited as Syril Delevanti. Early years Delevanti was born in London to Anglo-Italian music ...

as Roberts *

Paul Power Paul Power (born 30 October 1953) is an English retired professional footballer. He played both in defence and midfield and played for Manchester City between 1975 and 1986. Career He played in 447 games for the team scoring 36 goals before t ...

as Timothy Wells *

Budd Buster Budd Leland Buster (June 14, 1891 – December 22, 1965), was an American actor known for B western films. He was sometimes credited as Bud Buster, and as George Selk in his later work. Early life Buster was born either Budd Leland Buster or ...

as Mike, stage doorman * Pat Gleason as Reporter *

Milton Kibbee Milton Kibbee (born Milne Bryan Kibbee;"Obituaries: Milne B. Kibbee"

as Peters, newspaper editor *

Harry Strang Harry Strang (December 13, 1892 – April 10, 1972) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 500 films and television shows between 1929 and 1965. On Broadway, Strang appeared in ''The Girl in the Train'' (1910). Primarily a characte ...

as Policeman *Robert Strange as Soothsayer in Play

References

Bibliography

* Fetrow, Alan G. ''Feature Films, 1940-1949: a United States Filmography''. McFarland, 1994.

External links

* * * 1945 films American mystery films American black-and-white films

42nd Street 42nd Street most commonly refers to: *42nd Street (Manhattan), a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan It may also refer to: *42nd Street (film), ''42nd Street'' (film), a 1933 American Warner Bros. musical film with lyri ...

Producers Releasing Corporation films Films set in New York City 1945 mystery films Films scored by Karl Hajos Films directed by Albert Herman 1940s English-language films 1940s American films English-language mystery films {{mystery-film-stub