The Penguin Pool Murder main backdrop
The Penguin Pool Murder main poster

The Penguin Pool Murder

Visit website

5.6/10 • 12

1932-12-091h 10m

ComedyMysteryRomance

New York schoolmarm Hildegarde Withers assists a detective when a body of unscrupulous stockbroker Gerald Parker suddenly appears in the penguin tank at the aquarium.

Directors
George Archainbaud
Editors
Jack Kitchin

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Edna May Oliver

    Edna May Oliver

    Miss Hildegarde Martha Withers

  2. Robert Armstrong

    Robert Armstrong

    Barry Costello

  3. James Gleason

    James Gleason

    Police Inspector Oscar Piper

  4. Mae Clarke

    Mae Clarke

    Gwen Parker

  5. Donald Cook

    Donald Cook

    Philip Seymour

  6. Edgar Kennedy

    Edgar Kennedy

    Officer Donovan

  7. Clarence Wilson

    Clarence Wilson

    Bertrand B. Hemingway

  8. James Donlan

    James Donlan

    Security Guard Fink

  9. Gustav von Seyffertitz

    Gustav von Seyffertitz

    Von Donnen / Dr. Max Bloom

Reviews1

View Reviews
CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Dec 3, 2023

7/10

There is something Marple-esque about Edna May Oliver's portrayal of the meticulous, no-nonsense, schoolteacher "Miss Withers". There's also something hideous about some of the fish in the aquarium where the police discover the corpse of the pretty universally disliked "Parker". It turns out that his wife (Mae Clarke) has a boyfriend (Donald Cook), and that both were present at the time of death. Looks like a bit of a no-brainer for "Insp. Piper" (James Gleason) but his chance meeting with the razor-sharp mind of the prim and proper "Withers" soon makes him think again. Despite his initially polite disdain, he realises that she is quite an insightful assistant as this turns out to be anything but as straightforward as everyone had hoped. The mystery itself is also very much in the vein of Agatha Christie - loads of red herrings and a victim about as popular as toothache. The production is kept moving along by some pacy direction and some pithy banter between the two investigators. Will they get to the bottom or not? Never in doubt, but not really important - this is a drama about characters and Oliver and Gleason gel well and engagingly for seventy minutes of sparring, spatting and... solving.

Media

  • The Penguin Pool Murder backdrop

Recommendations

  • Murder on the Blackboard main backdrop

    Murder on the Blackboard

    5.7

  • 12 main backdrop

    12

    5.7

  • Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School main backdrop

    Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School

    8.7

  • The Sandlot 2 main backdrop

    The Sandlot 2

    5.8

  • Of Gods and Men main backdrop

    Of Gods and Men

    6.7

  • The Cheetah Girls 2 main backdrop

    The Cheetah Girls 2

    6.3

  • Pokémon the Movie: White - Victini and Zekrom main backdrop

    Pokémon the Movie: White - Victini and Zekrom

    6.5

  • Marlowe main backdrop

    Marlowe

    6.0

  • Detective Conan: Captured in Her Eyes main backdrop

    Detective Conan: Captured in Her Eyes

    7.4

  • The Quiet main backdrop

    The Quiet

    6.2

  • 1 main backdrop

    1

    6.2

  • Blonde Ambition main backdrop

    Blonde Ambition

    4.5

  • The Play House main backdrop

    The Play House

    6.8

  • Suspense. main backdrop

    Suspense.

    7.0

  • Vieni avanti cretino main backdrop

    Vieni avanti cretino

    6.9

  • No Backdrop

    12

    5.0

  • 1 main backdrop

    1

    6.6

  • My Friends Act III main backdrop

    My Friends Act III

    6.5

  • Jenifer main backdrop

    Jenifer

    6.0

  • Beethoven's 4th main backdrop

    Beethoven's 4th

    5.2

Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
aquariumamateur detectivepenguinmurderpre-codemurder investigation