The Crimson Canary
Cast & Crew
John Hoffman
Noah Beery Jr.
Lois Collier
John Litel
Steven Geray
Claudia Drake
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
As a jazz quintette plays their last night at Vic's Café in Los Angeles, having been offered a better job in San Francisco, Anita Lane, their conniving female vocalist, threatens to break up the engagement of Danny, the trumpeter, to Jean, a schoolteacher, unless she is allowed stay with the band. Upon the conclusion of their last set, Johnny, the band's drummer who is in love with Anita, drunkenly wanders backstage and passes out. Soon thereafter, the band finds Anita murdered in the same room, but Danny, who served in the Navy with Johnny, insists that they say nothing, as he is afraid that Johnny will be accused of the crime. Police detective Roger Quinn, a jazz connoisseur, is assigned the case and quickly tracks the band to San Francisco, where he identifies Danny by his trumpet playing. Rather than arresting Danny, Quinn pretends to be an investor interested in putting a band together. Johnny falls for the bait and places a classified ad in a San Francisco paper calling the band back together, but when he and Danny go to Quinn's hotel room, they recognize their recording of "China Boy" and realize that he is a policeman. Yet to be arrested by Quinn, the two then go back to Los Angeles, as Danny thinks he can clear the band. The band is captured by Quinn, however, as they meet backstage at Vic's. Danny is accused of the murder, as he was heard fighting with the singer by Pete, a waiter, and his trumpet has an unexplained dent in it. Meanwhile, Vic Miller, the nightclub's owner, tries to convince Jean that Danny was having an affair with Anita, but she soon realizes that he is the real killer. Just in time, Quinn stops Vic from killing Jean, and Vic then is captured by Danny and the band as he attempts to escape. Later, Vic confesses that he killed Anita out of jealousy, as she wanted to leave him for the band. With his name cleared, Danny is reunited with Jean and the two make plans for their wedding.
Director
John Hoffman
Cast
Noah Beery Jr.
Lois Collier
John Litel
Steven Geray
Claudia Drake
Danny Morton
James Dodd
Steve Brodie
John Kellogg
Arthur Space
Josh White
The Esquire All-american Band Winners
Coleman Hawkins
Oscar Pettiford
Jimmy Ames
Barbara Bates
Venna Archer
Patti Lacey
Jack Archer
James Pilcher
Tommie Hawkins
Michael Owen
Charles Mcnally
Johnnie Berkes
Howard Mitchell
Christine Mcintyre
Erskine Sanford
Maurice Cass
George Eldredge
Charles Hall
Charles Sherlock
John Merton
Crew
Jerome Ash
Henry Blankfort
Henry Blankfort
Phil Boutelje
Bernard B. Brown
Raymond B. Egan
Bob Faber
Edgar Fairchild
Russell A. Gausman
John B. Goodman
Abraham Grossman
W. C. Handy
Ross Hoffman
Paul Landres
Ange Lorenzo
Roy K. Marsh
Jess Moulin
Paul Neal
Peggy Phillips
Peggy Phillips
Ronald K. Pierce
Tom Pitts
Louis C. Singer
Vera West
Richard A. Whiting
Dick Winfree
Mack Wright
Hy Zaret
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Hear That Trumpet Talk. According to Hollywood Reporter news items, screenwriter Peggy Phillips was a former Broadway publicist for producers Mike Todd and the Shuberts. Modern sources state that the musicians who dubbed the quintette were: Nick Cochrane and Eddie Parkers, trumpet; Stan Wrightsman, piano; Barney Bigard, clarinet; King Guion, tenor sax, and Mel Tormé, drums. Coleman Hawkins was supported by Howard McGhee, trumpet; Sir Charles Thompson, piano; Denzil Best, drums; and Oscar Pettiford, bass.
