Main Cast: Karen Morley, Ricardo Cortez, H.B. Warner, Pauline Frederick, Robert McWade
Release Year: 1932
Country: US
Run Time: 77 minutes
Plot
Gary Curtis, aka Farnsbarns (Richardo Cortez), is really a former hoodlum hired to retrieve some compromising letters from gold digger Jenny Wren (Karen Morley). She, in turn, announces her retirement, but not before cajoling noted banker Priem Andes (H. B. Warner) into hosting a farewell party at his estate near Crestwood, "El Casa Andes." Also invited are three additional former "clients" of Jenny's: William Jones (Gavin Gordon), Senator Herbert Walcott (Robert McWade) and Eddie Mack (Richard "Skeets" Gallagher), all of whom are unaware of the purpose of the party and are therefore blithely bringing wives and girlfriends along. Also present at the Andes retreat are Jenny's kid sister Esther (Anita Louise),her boyfriend Frank (Matty Kemp, who just happens to be Andes' nephew, Jenny's wry maid Carter (Hilda Vaughn), and the banker's disdainful sister Faith (Pauline Frederick). The retiring gold digger's real purpose is revealed after she regales her former sugar-daddies with the tragic story of how her latest conquest, penniless, young Tom Herrick (Tom Douglas), threw himself off a cliff in the Adirondacks after she turned down his proposal of marriage. Victory, however, proves all too brief and the blackmailing gold digger is soon confronted with what appears to be the unfortunate young suitor's ghost. Soon, darts are flying everywhere, bodies fall, and trapdoors reveal hidden passageways. But Curtis, who arrives in the nick of time accompanied by assorted hoodlum friends, is never fooled by the fake Phantom of Crestwood and can reveal the real murderer shortly before the law arrives. The Phantom of Crestwood was based on the popular NBC "Hollywood-on-the-Air" radio program and the denouement of the film was the winning entry in a country-wide contest. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Review
Opening with NBC announcer Graham McNamee explaining the film's radio contest origins, The Phantom of Crestwood settles down to mystery-thriller business as usual. Owing the usual debt of gratitude to Spooky Old Mansion classics such as The Cat and the Canary, this mildly entertaining whodunit is blessed with an above-average cast and some fine camerawork by Harry Gerrard, who was undoubtedly inspired by working with associate producer Merian C. Cooper, the co-creator of King Kong. Leading man Ricardo Cortez is his affable self, but the real surprise here is a very young Karen Morley playing her tired prostitute with tongue firmly placed in cheek. Pauline Frederick, a major stage and silent screen star, lends her near-legendary dignity to her arrogant Old California aristocrat and Sam Hardy performs yet another of his patented musical comedy gangsters. Further down the cast list, silent screen femme fatales Mary Duncan and Aileen Pringle are rather wasted in colorless supporting roles, but Hilda Vaughn is hilarious in her brief bit as Morley's no-nonsense maid. The tie-in to the popular NBC radio program made The Phantom of Crestwood a minor box-office winner for RKO and young producer David O. Selznick. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
The film was based on a radio serial, and a contest was held where listeners sent in suggestions for the film's ending. The film features what Leonard Maltin referred to as an "eye-popping" flashback technique.
