Snap quiz! Who is Verree Teasdale? A character created by Oscar Wilde? A P.G. Wodehouse flapper? Nope! She was a grand dame of the New York stage who gravitated to Hollywood just as sound came in, had a a good run playing sophisticated older women and married Adolphe Menjou. In "The Firebird," she's the wife of a politician whose next door neighbor, an actor, keeps trying to lure her to his apartment for a midnight escapade. When the actor is murdered, Verree is number one on police inspector C. Aubrey Smith's list of potential suspects. As the actor, Ricardo Cortez appears to be understudying a role that would have gone to Cary Grant if this wasn't a Radio Picture and had a higher budget. As Verree's uptight husband, Lionel Atwill seems almost surprised to be without his more frequent companions -- monsters and vampires. As for "The Firebird," its a reference to "The Firebird Suite," that wildly immoral pop tune (honest, that's how it's described in one scene)that Verree's young daughter spins on her gramophone.

The Firebird is a typical thirties whodunit that turns out to be a surprising overachiever as cast and crew put on a highly impressive display of collective film craftsmanship. Rather than just go through the motions with the standard stock characters reciting their lines director William Dieterle embellishes the proceedings with both comic and suspenseful incidentals, character nuance and a pace that only flags occasionally as he keeps the audience off balance with a myriad of suspects moving about the luxury apartment complex like characters in a Feydeau farce.Herman Brandt, a popular stage actor begins to pursue a politician's wife who rebuffs his brazen advances but rather than make a scene and bring scandal to her politician husband they decide to move out. When the smarmy Brandt is murdered in his apartment suspects abound.The Firebird's scenario is standard Chan, Moto, Saint plot line that quickly rises to another level through Dieterle's energetic rhythm of cutting and character idiosyncrasies that flood scenes with rich detail and engrossing composition by way of Ernest Haller's fine camera work and Anton Grot's beautifully lit, lush but unpretentious sets. Ralph Dawson's editing perfectly accents the tempo by seamlessly melding it to the physical action of exits and entrances.Unhampered by a big star Firebird's cast is nearly pitch perfect in type and creating ambiguity. Dieterle is not content to have the actor's stand around with gaping mouths and side glances as the plot unwinds. Whether it's the small roll of the concierge, the governess, valet or tenant Dieterle infuses them with an offbeat individuality that results in both sustaining suspense and delivering some sharp gallows humor. C.Aubrey Smith's police inspector appears noble but employs devious method. His excellency played by Lionel Atwill is both sensitive and a book burner. Her excellency (Veree Teasdale) is also a traditionalist snob but ready willing and able to make the ultimate sacrifice. While the melodrama may get a little thick at times The Firebird is a run of the mill mystery but its execution in terms of form and the comically provocative shots it takes at the class system, theatre people, cops and celebrity make it a diamond (albeit small carat) in the rough.

THE FIREBIRD is a very melodramatic story acted in ultra theatrical fashion by most of the cast, but especially VERREE TEASDALE as the concerned mother of ANITA LOUISE, both of whom are bothered by the attentions of a playboy actor (RICARDO CORTEZ) with designs on both of them.LIONEL ATWILL is Teasdale's husband, who comes to believe that his wife is responsible for Cortez's death--until the case is thoroughly examined by C. AUBREY SMITH as Detective Miller.The slight story gets routine treatment as directed by William Dieterle, and today's audiences will immediately note the overly theatrical acting by Miss Teasdale as the chief suspect.The revelation at the end comes as a surprise with almost no preparation, but by that time many viewers will have lost interest in the slow-moving story even though it's told in a brief running time of little more than an hour.

You can tell that a lot of production money was thrown at THE FIREBIRD but for the life of me I can't tell why it's set in Germany. Ricardo Cortez (the corpse to be) plays a horndog actor with a shady past who lives in a high class apartment building. There's an angry ex-wife, an effeminate personal assistant that's in love with the corpse's Dachsund, and well heeled neighbors with a lovely daughter (Anita Louise) who fear for their reputation. C. Aubrey Smith, the 71-year old impeccable Englishman, plays the police inspector. Remember this is supposed to be set in 1934 Germany (what, no Nazis?). Except for the wiener dog, the apartment manager's pipe, beer swilling policeman and some German shop signs, you'd never know it. Not one stab at an accent between them. A standard whodunnit.