Crooked Circle... badly in need of restoration. Sound is just terrible. Something about a group that murders people they don't like, and an amateur group of citizen sleuths who hunt the murderers down. Zasu Pitts is "Nora", the housekeeper. Pitts was in just about every silent and talkie film... made 26 films in 1932 alone. James Gleason is the cop, bumbling his way through the story, a role he made famous in so many films. Watching this thing is so much work. so many people doing so much talking. Henry Gordon is "Yoganda", the hindu, an expert in something, giving people advice. Skip this one. Wants to be funny but isn't. We stop caring after a while... Directed by Bruce Humberstone... he had directed a whole bunch of the Charlie Chan films.

The Crooked Circle is a crime organization that meets in a dark room. All the members wear hoods. The group has one female member. They do not like the Sphinx Club, which is a local amateur crime fighting organization that is adding one new member because of the retirement of another. --Okay, if that makes sense so far then the rest of the film will, too.Over in the old dark house, Zasu Pitts is spooked from the first moment we see her, and that's before the real action of The Crooked Circle has even started. Soon police officer James Gleason arrives, and Zasu spends the remainder of the picture clinging to various pieces of his uniform, much to his annoyance. They make a cute couple.Other club members—who all end up assembled at the house, of course—include Berton Churchill as a jovial host who thinks it's amusing that the Circle has vowed to kill him; Rosco Karns, who manages a few wisecracks; and C. Henry Gordon as "Yoganda," a mystic of sorts who has just joined the group, claims to have insight to future events, and may or may not be an infiltrator from the other side. Ben Lyon and Irene Purcell are the obligatory handsome young couple who are both—in different ways—deeply involved in the case.It's totally silly, but plenty of fun.

THE SPHINX, a club of thorough criminologists unaccustomed to loose a battle, changes direction—a Hindu with the unlikely name Uganda (--come on!--) (--yet the name is spelled differently, to give is some Hindu aspect--) becomes its new head.So, there are—a club of criminologists, a criminal association, a silly policeman, a spooked servant, a mansion, a hunchback, an attic, etc.; but this makes the movie sound better than it is.The frightened servant, the silly and feeble—minded Nora, seemed like a nice girl; and she's played by who else than the movie's star, Mrs. Zasu Pitts, who was 38 in this movie and she stands out immediately. She was simply hot—that is, before her ceaseless antics get too annoying--, her appeal transcending the datum of her role.CROOKED CIRCLE, a silly comedy, light amusement, might be of some interest to ZaSu Pitts fans. Her antics, as I stated, are annoying though.

"The Sphinx Club is a group of amateur detectives who are the bitter rivals of The Crooked Circle, a collection of hooded villains. After The Sphinx Club aids the authorities in catching and imprisoning a member of The Crooked Circle, the evil gang swears revenge by targeting Colonel Walters, a well-known member of The Sphinx Club. Will the Sphinx Club be able to protect Colonel Walters or will The Crooked Circle succeed in their quest to kill him?" asks the DVD sleeve.The threatened Sphinx Club member, Berton Churchill (as Theodore Walters) is pretty good - but, he is not the focus of this comedy-mystery. Instead, we get zany Zasu Pitts (as Nora Rafferty) complaining to Christian Rub (as Old Dan) about living in spooky "Melody Manor". Ms. Pitts does her best "Olive Oyl" (from "Popeye") dress and voice. And, as a bonus, Mr. Rub responds with his "Gepetto" (from "Pinocchio"). You won't see "Olive Oyl" and "Gepetto" in too many movies!Meanwhile, Ben Lyon (as Brand Osborne) is preparing to resign from the Sphinx Club. His replacement is foreboding Indian C. Henry Gordon (as Yoganda), who warns, "Evil is on the way." When Gordon arrives at "Melody Manor", Pitts looks at his turban and says: "I'm sorry you got a headache sir, shall I get you a Bromo-Seltzer?" Others in the funny cast: cop James Gleason ("Here Comes Mr. Jordan"), hermit Raymond Hatton ("The Whispering Chorus"), and gay Roscoe Karns ("It Happened One Night").****** The Crooked Circle (9/25/32) Bruce Humberstone ~ Ben Lyon, Zasu Pitts, C. Henry Gordon, Christian Rub