Lionel Atwill (Jerome Breen), Sheila Terry (Jerry Crane), Theodore Newton (Jack Burton), Paul Hurst (Hogan), Luis Alberni (Luigi), Robert Ellis (Inspector Riley), Lucien Prival (Jenks, the butler), Paul Fix (Dave Werner), Lillian Leighton (Mrs Werner), George "Gabby" Hayes (Detective Casey), Wilfred Lucas (prosecutor), Hooper Atchley (defense attorney), Theodore Lorch (Dr Kelton), Ernie Adams (Tony, the bartender), Jack Cheatham (homicide man).Director: PHIL ROSEN. Screenplay: Albert DeMond. Photography: Gilbert Warrenton. Film editor: Doane Harrison. Art director: E.R. Hickson. Music director: Abe Meyer. Dialogue director: Wilfred Lucas. Sound recording: John Stransky, junior. Producer: Sid Rogell. Executive producer: Trem Carr.Copyright 2 August 1933 by Monogram Pictures Corporation. New York opening at the Mayfair: 5 July 1933. U.S. release: 1 June 1933. U.K. release: 18 November 1933. 7 reels. 64 minutes.SYNOPSIS: After murdering a stockbroker, a well-spoken man stops to talk to the janitor of the office building. The janitor identifies the killer, who is arrested. But the jury discards the janitor's evidence in court when the prisoner turns out to be a deaf mute who could not possibly have spoken a single word.COMMENT: Lionel Atwill saves the day in this somewhat over-talky mystery thriller. When Atwill is on screen, the movie is always suspenseful; but when argumentative love-birds Sheila Terry and Theodore Newton take center stage, interest takes a back seat. (I notice that these two romantic leads were borrowed from Warner Bros. Was that trip necessary? I think not. True, Miss Terry is passably attractive, but Mr Newton is a first-class bore). Fortunately the support cast is also strong (Lucien Prival proves an absolute stand- out), though Paul Hurst seems uncertain whether to play his role for sympathy or laughs. He ends up doing both and manages to juggle our emotions with reasonable dexterity. Phil Rosen's direction is occasionally deft, occasionally static, but mostly competent. Photography and other credits are above average by Poverty Row standards.

Talky suspense quickie with an intrepid reporter (Newton) and his would-be girlfriend (Terry) investigating the murders of stockbrokers, both of whom become obsessed by the deaf mute (Atwill) accused of the murders. Slow to warm, this pot-boiler gradually heats up thanks mainly to Atwill, painting the picture of a gracious man of wealth and culture who may or may not be a callous murderer. Atwill, still relatively early in his career before the scandal that would ultimately cast him asunder, is highly effective achieving more through his expressions than which most actors are capable of with unimpeded speech. The supporting cast includes Paul Fix in a bit part as a stockbroker, Paul Hurst as a detective who reluctantly assumes the role of police inspector with two weeks to solve the case.The climax is unexpected and the clues are quite innovative, so while the pace might be a bit off, there's just enough to hold the interest for the 62 minutes give or take a couple of rather overlong melodramatic moments between Newton and Terry establishing their character's mutual affections, and that of Hurst, as he bumbles into the spotlight.

(There are Spoilers) After asking for a light from the building janitor Luigi Baccigalu, Louis Blberni, what looks like, or is a dead ringer of, the hearing and speaking impaired world famous philanthropist Jerome Breen, Lionel Atwill,walks out of the building and disappears into the night. Mr. Baccigalu checking from where "Breen" came from stocker-brokers. Garfield's office finds Mr. Garfield laying on the floor strangled to death!The police arriving on the scene are a bit startled in Mr. Baccigalu's discretion of Garfield's killer in that he's, Jerome Breen, unable to both hear as well as talk so how could he have asked him for a light! The Chronicle's top gossip/crime reporter Jack Burton, Ted Newton, suspects that this Mr. Breen is the killer but is somehow using his inability to hear or talk as an alibi in covering up Mr. Girfiled's murder! But how he's doing it is the $64.00 question!At his trial Mr. Breen gets the support of Jack's girlfriend Jerry Crane, Shella Terry, in her columns covering his trial that they more then anything else are the reason for his acquittal. It's also brought out that the state's star witness Mr. Bacciglu is a heavy drinker, mostly of gin, and the night of Mr. Garfield's murder he was smashed more then usual making his testimony in seeing Mr. Breen at the murder site suspect.The fact that Jerry was so involved in having Mr. Breen acquitted has Jack, who feels that Breen is in fact Mr. Garfield's killer, and Jerry on the opposite ends of the Garfield murder case. Breen, or someone who looks like him, is later spotted by stock clerk Dave Werner's, Paul Fix, mother who after Breen talked to her finds that her son Dave was also murdered with Breen again as the prime suspect!It soon becomes very obvious that Breen, who's been deft and unable to speak since birth, is somehow using a double or possibly twin to throw the police off but in order to prove that the police or state prosecutes will have to produce the second Mr. Breen. There's also the very real fact that Mr. Breen may have somehow come up with the ability to both speak and hear even though he's been confirmed by the court and police physicians as being unable to do that!The ending exposes just what Breen was up to in his mysterious actions that lead to the death of some half dozen persons. It also exposes the way Breen was able to fool the police as well as Jack and Jerry, for opposite reasons, in his Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde act but not after he pulls a fast one and checks out for good. Breen's exit is anything but mysterious, like his crimes, but it does the job of him escaping ultimate justice.

Lionel Atwill plays Jerome Breen which has a near perfect alibi because as he strangles people he talks to whomever is available immediately after the murder scene to set up his alibi. It seems that Breen is the city philanthropist that is also "deaf & dumb." A string of murders involving stock brokers is unsolved and Insp. Riley cannot solve the murders. A witness talks to Breen as he leaves his latest victim which leads to the murder trial of Breen. Problem is that the witness testifies that Breen talked to him but all the medical doctors that examine Breen testify that Breen cannot physically talk. So Breen is acquitted. Riley discovers a clue as to how Breen can be medically "deaf & dumb" but still talk and pays with his life for this discovery. The clue turns out to be a logical but unexpected one. So if you like puzzles then you will enjoy this film.