This week’s mystery movie was the 1941 Twentieth Century-Fox film “Dressed to Kill,” with Lloyd Nolan, Mary Beth Hughes, Sheila Ryan, William Demarest, Ben Carter, Virginia Brissac, Erwin Kalser and Henry Daniel. The screenplay was by Stanley Rauh and Manning O’Connor, based on the novel by Richard Burke and the character Michael Shayne created by Brett Halliday. The film was photographed by Glen MacWilliams, with art direction by Richard Day and Joseph C. Wright, set decorations by Thomas Little, editing by Fred Allen and costumes by Herschel. It was directed by Eugene Forde.
It’s available on DVD from TCM for $8.25.
“Dressed to Kill” was the third of seven Michael Shayne films starring Lloyd Nolan. It opened Aug. 8, 1941, as the second feature with another Twentieth Century picture, “Wild Geese Calling,” starring Henry Fonda and Joan Bennett. “Dressed to Kill” opened in New York, Aug. 21, 1941, as the first feature with “The Bride Came C.O.D.” in a second run.
Bosley Crowther of the New York Times said (Aug. 22, 1941):
It appears as if Private Operative Michael Shayne has become a fixture at Twentieth Century-Fox, what with Lloyd Nolan, who created him, portraying that genial sleuth for the third time in “Dressed to Kill,” which arrived yesterday at the Palace. The current excursion into crime is concerned chiefly with Detective Shayne’s efforts to uncover the murderer of an elderly erstwhile theatrical producer and his two paramours, and if it is not too tense, it is, at least, pleasantly laced with breezy, idiomatic chatter.
For Monday, we have a mystery gent.
Update: This is Charles C. Wilson.
For Tuesday, we have a rather flustered man in a high collar.
Update: This is Charles Arnt.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (Monday’s mystery gent), Don Danard (Monday’s mystery gent), Howard Mandelbaum (Monday’s mystery gent) and LC (Monday’s mystery gent).
For Wednesday, we have a mystery woman. She is riding in a cab with our less than mysterious leading man, who will make his appearance later.
Update: This is Sheila Ryan.
Brain Trust roll call: B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery guest), Don Danard (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery guest), Benito (Monday’s mystery guest/wrong movie) and Megan — minus Lee Ann and Thom??! — (Monday’s mystery guest).
For Thursday, we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is May Beatty.
Brain Trust roll call: Don Danard (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Anne Papineau (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery woman), Bob Hansen (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Dewey Webb (Wednesday’s mystery woman) and Megan, Lee Ann and Thom (mystery movie and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests).
And for Friday, we have a mystery leading man who knew how to wear a hat.
Update: This is Lloyd Nolan.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery woman) and Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery woman).
Compare with Sean Penn as Mickey Cohen in “Gangster Squad,” a.k.a. “Lets Dress Up in Old Clothes and Play Cops and Robbers.”
ladailymirror.com 
Charles Wilson.
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Edmund Breese?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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The first name that popped into my head was Charles C. Wilson from the “Torchy Blane” series.
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Charles C. Wilson.
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Charles C. Wilson?
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I don’t know,,,Are Charles Arnt and Charles Wilson Dressed to Kill?
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Dressed to Kill (1941); Today we greet Charles Arnt.
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Today’s Mystery Man is Charles Arnt.
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For Monday …Joseph Crehan …in Star Reporter?
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Interesting guess. But alas, no.
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I’ll guess Franklin Pangborn on Tuesday.
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You know, I would have guessed old Franklin too if I didn’t know better. But he’s too easy for a Tuesday.
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Charles Arnt in DRESSED TO KILL 1941.
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Charles C. Wilson on Monday? He was the editor in IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT.
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Charles C. Wilson for Monday.
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Today’s Mystery Lady is Sheila Ryan I believe.
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Sheila Ryan.
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Sheila Ryan.
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On Wednesday, Sheila Ryan?
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Oh, “Dressed to Kill”
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Looks like Sheila Ryan on Wednesday, but the movie’s still a mystery to me.
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shiela ryan
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Dressed To Kill with Charles Arnt for Tuesday and Sheila Ryan for Wednesday.
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May Beatty.
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May Beatty.
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The always dependable Lloyd Nolan today.
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Lloyd Nolan, now which Michael Shayne is it?
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Lloyd Nolan on Friday.
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Reliable Lloyd Nolan.
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Okay. Even tho I am embarrassed to submit an answer on Friday …Charles C. Wilson, May Beatty, Shelia Ryan, and Lloyd Nolan in Dressed to Kill. I kept thinking that SR was Gale Robbins or Gale Storm or Gloria Jean and I was getting nowhere…obviously.
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Our leading man Lloyd Nolan.
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Wen is Sheila Ryan, Friday’s star is Lloyd Noland as Michael Shayne – the film is Dressed to Kill. – Thus is probably May Beatty.
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Monday might be Charles C. Wilson – he played a lot of journalists/editor types
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Lloyd Nolan today, probably playing Detective Mike Shayne in DRESSED TO KILL (1941). PS. That means the doll is Sheila Ryan.
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This looks like one of Lloyd Nolan’s Mike Shayne entries and coupled with the comely Sheila Ryan on Wednesday, I’ve gotta go with Dressed to Kill (1941).
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Dressed to Kill (1941) w/Lloyd Nolan, William Demarest, Henry Daniell, Mary Beth Hughes and Sheila Ryan in that…hat!
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Friday: Lloyd Nolan?
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Friday Lloyd Nolan in one of the many Mike Shayne movies.
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Friday is Nolan
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Oh, jeez. And I’ve seen most of the other Michael Shayne movies with Lloyd Nolan, too. On top of that, I’ve had DRESSED TO KILL in my Netflix queue for Lord-knows-how-long. Now i HAVE to watch it . . .
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