Cole Case, The (1931)   ** 1/2 (out of 4)  Dr. Crabtree (Donald Meek)  and Insp. Carr (John Hamilton) are visited by a man who has been  receiving notes threatening to kill him. The latest note says he will  die at eight o'clock tonight so Carr sends a couple men to his house.  Sure enough the guy is murdered under everyone's noses so the two men  must find out what really happened. I've seen about half of this series  so far and the mystery here, from the S.S. Van Dine story, is about  middle ground. The story itself is mildly entertaining and the two  leads do a nice job together. I'm sure fans of the series will enjoy  this more than those just being introduced. The biggest problem is that  there's way too much build up and not enough involving the actual  solving of the case. When the killer is finally revealed, after a  rather obvious clue, I couldn't help but feel as if very little thought  went into it. I haven't read the Van Dine story so I'm curious how much  was either cut out or just not filmed so that the film could run as a  two-reeler.

The mystery genre features the investigation and solving of a puzzle, typically a crime or an enigmatic event. Mysteries are known for their suspenseful narratives, intricate plots, and the challenge they present to readers or viewers to piece together clues and solve the central mystery alongside the characters.

Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. in Chinatown (1974)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

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S.S. Van Dine Mystery Series #7: The Cole Case

Warner Bros. Eastern Vitaphone Studios, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

The Cole Case

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