Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

Ariella Broughton It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

JohnHowardReid Producer: William Sistrom. A World Wide Picture, presented by E.W. Hammons. Released through Fox Film Corp.Copyright 25 September 1932 by William Sistrom. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 25 September 1932. U.K. release: 20 May 1933. 70 minutes.SYNOPSIS: An amateur detective club led by Colonel Wolters, is the target of a secret clan of thieves/murderers.NOTES: Lucky Humberstone's second film as a director, took 14 days to shoot. To Lucky's surprise and mine, it was so amazingly successful at the box-office that it was later re-issued by Astor Pictures Corp.VIEWER'S GUIDE: Adults.COMMENT: Disappointing. This attempt to mix farce with thrills and chills doesn't work because the farce is so strained, it isn't the least bit funny — despite all the over-strenuous efforts by ZuSu Pitts, James Gleason, Tom Kennedy and company. Miss Pitts is a frightened housekeeper whose gawky mannerisms will irritate and exasperate even the most indulgent viewers. Gleason and Kennedy play bumbling cops, with Gleason fulminating stupidly all over the place and Kennedy occasionally bringing up an echoing rear. The efforts of this gosh-awful threesome torpedo most of the potential thrills in what seemed a promisingly spooky script. True, hammy cameos by Christian Rub, Raymond Hatton and Spencer Charters didn't help. For once, Roscoe Karns is not blame-worthy. In fact, he seems quite overwhelmed by the antics of his competitors.Ben Lyon has difficulty keeping a straight face in this farcical mishap. C. Henry Gordon does what he can, though not helped by the director using him as a red herring in the film's introductory scene. We also liked Irene Purcell's mystery heroine, but the best performances came from Robert Frazer as a resourceful gunman and Frank Reicher as the hero's none too subservient valet. A lot of atmospheric photography and some grandly moody sets are largely wasted.

kidboots James Gleason and Zasu Pitts, first introduced in "Oh Yeah" (1929), were reunited for "The Crooked Circle". Tough no nonsense Gleason and fluttering, daffy Pitts - completely opposite in temperament but together they work wonders. This little movie also boasts a superlative cast with Ben Lyon (equally at home in As and programmers) and Irene Purcell, who had just been the leading lady in Paramount's "Million Dollar Legs" (everyone was a winner in that movie)!! Combining a mixture of gags, frights and plenty of action (director H. Bruce Humberstone had tried it before in his directorial debut, "Strangers of the Evening" and found it worked) this is about the goings on of a criminal secret society called "The Crooked Circle", who meet at an old mansion called "Melody Manor"!!Brand Osbourne (Ben Lyon) is resigning from the Sphinx Club at the urging of his new love, Thelma (Irene Purcell). The Sphinx Club is an amateur band of crime fighters whose aim is to try to expose The Crooked Circle members. Colonel Wolters (Berton Churchill) has just received a death threat and Yoganda (C. Henry Gordon), a new member, suggests they all spend the night guarding him. The film really picks up the pace when the Sphinx members arrive at Melody Manor - clocks strike 13, tables move, pianos play ghostly music, - even weird old men come knocking at the door in the middle of the night with gifts of tomatoes!!!! It also gives Zasu Pitts, as Nora, the frightened housekeeper, a chance to bring out her bag of tricks - fluttering hands, whiney voice. James Gleason plays Crimmer, a cranky, bumbling motorcycle cop who is called to the "old dark house" to investigate Wolter's murder (it looks as though he wasn't guarded enough)!!!! Brand also has to contend with a stranger breaking into his apartment and his butler taking the stranger's side when the police are called. He meets the stranger (Robert Frazer) again at Melody Manor and also has suspicions about Yoganda and Thelma!!!Apart from Robert Frazer, who was such a success in "White Zombie" there were a few stars of the silent screen with roles in this movie. Ethel Clayton was a Lubin star from 1912 until the company folded in 1916 but she never stopped working - even if it was only in roles like Yvonne. Paul Panzer, who had terrorized Pearl White in "The Perils of Pauline" - was a member of the Circle.Recommended.

Cristi_Ciopron THE SPHINX, a club of thorough criminologists unaccustomed to loose a battle, changes direction—a Hindu with the unlikely name Uganda (--come on!--) (--yet the name is spelled differently, to give is some Hindu aspect--) becomes its new head.So, there are—a club of criminologists, a criminal association, a silly policeman, a spooked servant, a mansion, a hunchback, an attic, etc.; but this makes the movie sound better than it is.The frightened servant, the silly and feeble—minded Nora, seemed like a nice girl; and she's played by who else than the movie's star, Mrs. Zasu Pitts, who was 38 in this movie and she stands out immediately. She was simply hot—that is, before her ceaseless antics get too annoying--, her appeal transcending the datum of her role.CROOKED CIRCLE, a silly comedy, light amusement, might be of some interest to ZaSu Pitts fans. Her antics, as I stated, are annoying though.

MartinHafer Okay, now I am pretty sure that my summary got your attention and my commenting that Zazu Pitts is Satan is not without some basis. Let me explain. The film at first appears to be a dandy B-movie about an evil organization called "the Crooked Circle" and their vow of revenge in the form of murder on a rival organization dedicated to solving crimes. While this is very odd (especially the idea of a club of private citizens who solve crimes) and COULD have been interesting, this film falls apart despite a rather impressive list of familiar supporting actors. Why? Well because Zazu Pitts (never one of my favorite actresses) spends most of the movie whining just like Olive Oyl with a bad toothache!! While murders are being committed, people are being kidnapped or whatever, you can always count on Zazu whining at full volume--almost like someone's obnoxious 3 year-old who wants everyone at a party to pay attention to her! At the same time, she's NOT an integral part of the film but received top billing. Why she is even there is beyond me--I assume it's just to whine and yell. As a result, I found the movie practically unwatchable and it was completely ruined. Now you probably know why I referred to this actress of dubious talent as "Satan"! I'm sure that when the actors in this film saw the final product, they, too, felt pretty much the same way I did about her horrible overacting and amateurish performance.This film is in the public domain and can be found for free download on the internet. I can see why they didn't bother to renew the copyright.