The Death Kiss
Encyclopedia
The Death Kiss is a mystery film
starring David Manners
as a crusading studio writer, Adrienne Ames
as an actress, Bela Lugosi
as a studio manager, and Edward Van Sloan
as a film director. The comedy thriller features three leading players from the previous year's Dracula
(Lugosi, Manners, and Van Sloan), and was the first film directed by Edwin L. Marin
. The movie was produced by KBS Productions at Tiffany Studios and released by Sono Art-World Wide Pictures
and is currently in the public domain and widely available as a result.
Mystery film
Mystery film is a sub-genre of the more general category of crime film and at times the thriller genre. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of a crime by means of clues, investigation, and clever deduction.The...
starring David Manners
David Manners
David Manners was a Canadian - American film actor.Born Rauff de Ryther Daun Acklom in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Manners came to Hollywood at the beginning of the talking films revolution after studying acting with Eva Le Gallienne, and acting on stage with Helen Hayes...
as a crusading studio writer, Adrienne Ames
Adrienne Ames
Adrienne Ames was an American film actress.-Life and career:Born Adrienne Ruth McClure in Fort Worth, Texas, Ames began her film career in 1927 as a stand-in for Pola Negri. Ames was soon cast in small film roles in silent films.With the advent of talking pictures, Ames' popularity grew and she...
as an actress, Bela Lugosi
Béla Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
as a studio manager, and Edward Van Sloan
Edward Van Sloan
Edward Van Sloan was an American film character actor best remembered for his roles in Universal Studios horror films.-Career:...
as a film director. The comedy thriller features three leading players from the previous year's Dracula
Dracula (1931 film)
Dracula is a 1931 vampire-horror film directed by Tod Browning and starring Bela Lugosi as the title character. The film was produced by Universal and is based on the stage play of the same name by Hamilton Deane and John L...
(Lugosi, Manners, and Van Sloan), and was the first film directed by Edwin L. Marin
Edwin L. Marin
Edwin L. Marin was an American film director who directed 58 films between 1932 and 1951, working with Anna May Wong, John Wayne, Peter Lorre, George Raft, Bela Lugosi, Judy Garland, Eddie Cantor, and Hoagy Carmichael, among many others.Marin was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, and died in Los...
. The movie was produced by KBS Productions at Tiffany Studios and released by Sono Art-World Wide Pictures
Sono Art-World Wide Pictures
Sono Art-World Wide Pictures was an American film distribution and production company that existed from 1927 to 1933. Among their feature films was The Great Gabbo starring Erich von Stroheim and directed by James Cruze for James Cruze Productions, Inc...
and is currently in the public domain and widely available as a result.
Plot
During the filming of the final scene of a motion picture, the leading man is killed during the filming. Since he was involved with several women on the set, they are all suspects. When leading lady Marcia Lane (Ames) is accused, her boyfriend, reporter Franklyn Drew (Manners), begins a search for the real killer.Cast (in credits order)
- David MannersDavid MannersDavid Manners was a Canadian - American film actor.Born Rauff de Ryther Daun Acklom in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Manners came to Hollywood at the beginning of the talking films revolution after studying acting with Eva Le Gallienne, and acting on stage with Helen Hayes...
as Franklyn Drew - Adrienne AmesAdrienne AmesAdrienne Ames was an American film actress.-Life and career:Born Adrienne Ruth McClure in Fort Worth, Texas, Ames began her film career in 1927 as a stand-in for Pola Negri. Ames was soon cast in small film roles in silent films.With the advent of talking pictures, Ames' popularity grew and she...
as Marcia Lane - Bela LugosiBéla LugosiBéla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
as Joseph Steiner - John WrayJohn Wray (actor)John Wray was an American character actor of stage and screen.Wray was one of the many Broadway actors to descend on Hollywood in the aftermath of the sound revolution, and quickly made an indelible impression on the era in a variety of substantial character roles, such as the Arnold...
as Detective Lieutenant Sheehan - Vince BarnettVince BarnettVince Barnett was an American film actor. He appeared on stage originally before appearing in over 180 films between 1930 and 1975....
as Officer Gulliver - Alexander Carr as Leon A. Grossmith
- Edward Van SloanEdward Van SloanEdward Van Sloan was an American film character actor best remembered for his roles in Universal Studios horror films.-Career:...
as Tom Avery - Harold Minjir as Howell
- Barbara Bedford as Script Girl
- Al HillAl Hill (actor)Al Hill was an American film character actor who appeared in over 320 films between 1927 and 1954, including the 1951 film The Girl on the Bridge.Hill died in 1954 on his 62nd birthday.-References:...
as George - Assistant Director - Harold Waldridge as Charlie - Bellhop
- Wade BotelerWade BotelerWade Boteler was an American film actor. He appeared in over 430 films between 1919 and 1943.He was born in Santa Ana, California, and died in Hollywood, California from a heart attack.-Selected filmography:...
as Sergeant Owen Hilliker - Lee MoranLee MoranLee Moran was an American actor, director and writer. He transcended the silent era of motion pictures to the talkies. Moran appeared in 462 films, directed 109 and wrote for 92 between 1912 and 1935....
as Todd - Publicist
Production
- The location of the studio in the film, "Tonart Studios", was actually the Tiffany PicturesTiffany PicturesTiffany Pictures was a Hollywood motion picture studio in operation from 1921 until 1932.-History:...
studio. - At a preview of the film on December 5, 1932, the print shown had several scenes tintedFilm tintingFilm tinting is the process of adding color to black-and-white film, usually by means of soaking the film in dye and staining the film emulsion...
or hand colored by artist Gustav BrockGustav BrockGustav Frederick Brock was a portrait painter, portrait miniature artist, and an expert on the hand coloring of motion pictures. He was the son of the Danish painter Gustav Brock ....
.
External links
- The Death Kiss at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...