The Death Kiss (World Wide Pictures, 1933)

One Sheet Poster

A murder mystery set in a film studio, The Death Kiss is perhaps most notable for reuniting Bela Lugosi, who plays a studio executive, which his Dracula co-stars Edward Van Sloan, with whom he also appeared in the 1939 serial The Phantom Creeps, and David Manners, whom he later appeared with in The Devil’s in Love (1933) and The Black Cat (1934). Shot in black and white, certain scenes had colour tinting applied to emphasize the effects.

Production Company: World Wide Pictures

Presented by E.W. Hammons

Director: Edwin L. Marin

Screenplay: Barry Barringer and Gordon Kahn

Based on the novel The Death Kiss by Madelon St. Dennis

Dialogue: Joe Traub

Cinematography: Norbert Bodine

Musical Direction: Val Burton

Art Direction: Ralph M. Delacey

Sound Engineer: Hans Weeren

Supervising Editor: Martin G. Cohn

Film Editor: Rose Loewinger

Running Time: 75 minutes

Copyright Number: LP3967, January 8 1933

Cast:

David Manners: Franklyn Drew

Adrienne Ames: Marcis Lane

Bela Lugosi: Joseph Steiner

John Wray: Detecetive Lieutenant Sheehan

Vince Barnett: Officer Gulliver

Alexander carr: Leon Grossmith

Edward Van Sloan: Tom Avery

Harold Minjir: Howell

Al Hill: Assistant Director

Barbara Bedford: Script Clerk

Alan Roscoe: Chalmers

Mona Maris: Mrs. Avery

Edmund Burns: Myles Brent

James Donlin: Max Hill

Harold Waldridge: Charlie, the clerk

Lee Moran: Todd

Wilson Benge: Doorman

Wade Boteler: Sergeant Hilliker

Eddy Chandler: Mechanic

Harry Strang: Gaffer

Eddie Boland: Bill

Frank O’Connor: Policeman

Wilson Benge: Café Henri actor doorman

Jack Byron: Passerby

Charles Dorety: Bill

Lester Dorr: Hotel desk clerk

Neely Edwards: Cliffside Inn desk clerk

Grace Hayle: Chalmer’s nosy neighbor

Ralph Lewis: Winchell

Mona Maris: Mrs. Agnes Avery

Clarence Muse: Shoeshine man

Frank O’Connor: Tom

Spec O’Donnell: Pete

George O’Hanlon: Man sitting on curb

Steve Pendleton: Bystander

Allan Roscoe: Chalmers

Matty Roubert: Newsboy

Harry Strang: Gaffer

Paul Porcasi: Ellsmith

King Baggott: Al Payne

Monte Vandergrif: Studio cop

Kathrin Clare Ward: Ms. Potts

Stanhope Wheatcroft: Mr. Wheatcroft

Maston Williams: Movie gunman

Jack Wise: Reporter

Forrest Taylor

The Film Daily, December 22, 1932

Pitsburgh Post-Gazette, December 31, 1932

The Hollywood Reporter, January 18, 1933

The Hollywood Reporter, January 23, 1933

Cavalier Daily, January 27, 1933

The Hollywood Reporter, January 30, 1933

Photoplay Magazine, February, 1933

The New York Times, February 5, 1933

By MORDAUNT Hall

A Murder Mystery.

WITH its new policy of low prices and vaudeville in lieu of special stage presentations, the Seventh Avenue Roxy drew great crowds last week. The screen offering was “The Death Kiss,” which, although it is somewhat staccato in its dialogue and movement, at least affords a decided surprise in the closing sequence.

There are several other surprises in the course of this feature, and at the outset one sees persons in an automobile discussing killing a man and then one hears shots and perceives a victim fall. It turns out to be the acting of a scene for a motion picture, with the confident director in his camp chair. He grumbles about the death scene, telling the actor that he spins too much and it does not look real. A second later it is discovered that the actor playing the part of the man who is supposed to die actually has been shot. He is dead and the spinning was his last histrionic effort. This much happens in the opening sequence, and from then on the interest is kept up, even though somewhat mechanically, until the climactic episode, when the identity of the individual responsible for the shooting of one actor and the poisoning of another is revealed.

The picture has a group of efficient players, including Adrienne Ames, David Manners, Bela Lugosi, Alexander Carr, Vincent Barnett and Barbara Bedford.

New England Film News February 9, 1933*