| A Shot in the Dark | |
|---|---|
![]()  | |
| Directed by | Charles Lamont | 
| Written by | Charles Belden | 
| Based on | The Dartmouth Murders by Clifford Orr | 
| Produced by | George R. Batcheller | 
| Starring | Charles Starrett  Robert Warwick Marion Shilling  | 
| Cinematography | M.A. Anderson | 
| Edited by | Roland D. Reed | 
| Music by | Abe Meyer | 
Production company  | |
| Distributed by | Chesterfield Pictures | 
Release date  | 
  | 
Running time  | 69 minutes | 
| Country | United States | 
| Language | English | 
A Shot in the Dark is a 1935 American mystery film directed by Charles Lamont and starring Charles Starrett, Robert Warwick and Marion Shilling.[1] Produced by Chesterfield Pictures, it is an adaptation of the novel The Dartmouth Murders by Clifford Orr.
Plot
A college student (Charles Starrett) discovers his roommate's body hanging from a window and calls the police. What at first looks like suicide turns out to be murder. While a police investigation is ongoing, more students are killed.
Cast
- Charles Starrett as Kenneth "Ken" Harris
 - Robert Warwick as Joseph Harris
 - Edward Van Sloan as Prof. Bostwick
 - Marion Shilling as Jean Coates
 - Helen Jerome Eddy as Miss Lottie Case
 - Doris Lloyd as Lucille Coates
 - James Bush as Byron Coates / John Meseraux
 - Julian Madison as Charlie Penlon
 - Eddie Tamblyn as Bill Smart
 - Ralph Brooks as Sam Anderson
 - Robert McKenzie as Sheriff
 - John Davidson as Prof. Brand
 - Herbert Bunston as College President
 - George Morrell as Deputy Ab Barber
 - Broderick O'Farrell as Dr. Howell
 - Jane Keckley as Bostwick's Housekeeper
 
Critical reception
The New York Times wrote, "A Shot in the Dark, which pictures a trilogy of murders on a rural college campus, telegraphs its punches in a way that may seem insignificant to Chesterfield Productions, Inc., but is as good as a confession to us amateur gumshoes...a decided absence of liveliness both in the writing and the playing";[2] whereas Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings noted, "a very good mystery...It does have some problems, particularly in having a rather stiff and static presentation, but outside of that, this is one of the more pleasant discoveries I've made."[3]
References
- โ "A Shot in the Dark (1935) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast - AllMovie". AllMovie.
 - โ "Movie Review - A Shot in the Dark - THE SCREEN - NYTimes.com". The New York Times.
 - โ Fantastic Movie Musings & Ramblings. "Fantastic Movie Musings & Ramblings - A SHOT IN THE DARK (1935)". scifilm.org. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
 
External links
- A Shot in the Dark at IMDb
 - The AFI Catalog of Feature Films:A Shot in the Dark
 - A Shot in the Dark is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
 
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