The Argyle Case (1929 film)

The Argyle Case
The Argyle Case
	theatrical release poster
Directed by	Howard Bretherton
Written by	Harvey F. Thew; De Leon Anthony
Based on	The Argyle Case: a Drama in Four Acts (1912 play)'; Harriet Ford; Harvey J. O'Higgins; William J. Burns
Starring	Thomas Meighan; H.B. Warner; Lila Lee; John Darrow; Zasu Pitts
Cinematography	James Van Trees
Edited by	Thomas Pratt
Production; company	Warner Bros.
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	August 17, 1929 (US);
Running time	85 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Argyle Case (1929) is an all-talking pre-code mystery film directed by Howard Bretherton and starring Thomas Meighan, H.B. Warner, Lila Lee, John Darrow and Zasu Pitts. The film was based on a play by Harriet Ford and Harvey J. O'Higgins. It was produced and released by Warner Bros.^[1]^[2]^[3]

The play was previously filmed as a silent in 1917, The Argyle Case.

Premise

A wealthy man is shot just as he reaches for the phone to call for the police. Suspicion falls on his ward (Lila Lee) as he has intended to change his will, which had left his entire estate to her, to share it equally with his nephew. The nephew, who is in love with Lee, calls in a private detective, who eventually finds it is the lawyer who is the criminal.

Cast

Thomas Meighan as Alexander Kayton
H. B. Warner as Hurley
Lila Lee as Mary Morgan
John Darrow as Bruce Argyle
ZaSu Pitts as Mrs. Wyatt
Bert Roach as Joe
Wilbur Mack as Sam
Douglas Gerrard as Finley
Alona Marlowe as Kitty
James Quinn as Skidd
Gladys Brockwell as Mrs. Martin

Preservation status

No film elements are known to survive. The soundtrack, which was recorded on Vitaphone disks, may survive in private hands. The sound to four reels (Reels 3, 5, 7, and 9), out of nine reels, survives on Vitaphone disks at the UCLA Film and Television Archive.^{[citation needed]}