This week’s mystery movie was the 1940 MGM picture The Earl of Chicago, with Robert Montgomery, Edward Arnold, Reginald Owen, Edmund Gwenn, E.E. Clive, Ronald Sinclair, Norma Varden, Halliwell Hobbes, Ian Wulf, Peter Godfrey and Billy Bevan.
Screenplay by Lesser Samuels.
From a story by Charles de Grandcourt and Gene Fowler.
Adapted from the book The Earl of Chicago, by Brock Williams.
Musical score by Werner R. Heymann.
Recording by Douglas Shearer.
Art direction by Cedric Gibbons and Urie McCleary.
Set decorations by Edwin B. Willis.
Photography by Ray June.
Edited by Frank Sullivan.
Produced by Victor Saville.
Directed by Richard Thorpe.
Further information on The Earl of Chicago is available in the AFI Catalog.
The Earl of Chicago is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Videos.
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I chose The Earl of Chicago by going through the trades and it sounded interesting. It is an oddball movie and fairly implausible. Neither Montgomery nor Arnold is sympathetic, and Gwenn is the most appealing of the lot.
I’m going to guess that Bosley Crowther hated The Earl of Chicago if he even reviewed it. Or possibly it was handed off to one of the alphabet critics.
And so it is. B.R.C. (B.R. Crisler) reviewed the film March 14, 1940:
That a novel has been written upon which a picture like The Earl of Chicago (at Loew’s Criterion) could be based is a fact which may at first jar slightly the few remaining adherents of belles lettres, but such, it appears, is the case. We, however — escapist to the last — prefer to think that it represents no more than a screenplay collaboration between the unlikely team of Charles De Grandcourt and Gene Fowler, and especially we might add, not without a touch of malice, Gene Fowler. For frankly, The Earl of Chicago is a jape, an opulent and Britishly learned jape, be it admitted, such as only Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with its English-Gothic connections, seems able to manage, but a genuine jape – perhaps, to paraphrase Mr. H.G. Wells, the veritable jape of things to come.
For Monday, we have a mystery woman.
Update: This actress gets almost no screen time. She is possibly Gladys Blake.
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious youth.
Update: This is Ronald Sinclair.
For Wednesday, we have two mysterious gents and Back of the Head Guy. They do not approve of such goings-on!
Update: This is E.E. Clive, Reginald Owen and Robert Montgomery as Back of the Head Guy.
Brain Trust roll call: Jenny McCrank (Tuesday’s mystery youth), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery youth), Mary Mallory (mystery movie and both mystery guests), and L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have this mysterious chap.
Update: This is Edmund Gwenn.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery gents and Back of the Head Guy), Benito (Wednesday’s mystery gent No. 2), Jenny M. (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery guests and Back of the Head Guy), Sheila (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests plus Back of the Head Guy) and Megan and Thom (mystery movie and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mysterious guests).
For Friday, we have our two stars, and Back of the Head Guy.
Update: This is Robert Montgomery, Edward Arnold and Reginald Owen taking his turn as Back of the Head Guy.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery chap), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery chap), Suzanne Stone (Thursday’s mystery chap), Incredibleinman (Thursday’s mystery fellow), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery chap) and B.J. Merholz (Thursday’s mystery fellow).
ladailymirror.com 
Is the mystery maid Heather Angel?
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An excellent guess, but alas, I’m afraid not….
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Ronald Sinclair
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Ra Hould a.k.a. Ronald Sinclair in EARL OF CHICAGO.
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Kurt Russell?
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The Earl of Chicago (1940)
Tuesday: Ronald Sinclair
Wednesday: Robert Montgomery, E.E. Clive, Reginald Owen
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THE EARL OF CHICAGO. Gladys Blake Monday and Ronald Sinclair today.
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Atticus Finch, before he decided to quit acting and go to law school.
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The Earl of Chicago (1940) Ronald Sinclair, Robert Montgomery, Edward Arnold, Reginald Owen, Norma Varden, Edmund Gwenn…
*Not sure what happened with this week’s mystery photo, but I didn’t get it in my email.
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E. E. Clive, Reginald Owen, and Robert Montgomery BOTH.
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I spy Reginald Owen today
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The movie is Earl of Chicago with
E. E. Clive Reginald Owen and Robert Montgomery (back of head).
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Robert Montgomery, E.E. Clive and Reginald Owen.
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E.E. Clive, Reginald Owen, and back-of-head Robert Montgomery, ‘The Earl of Chicago’?
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Our mystery movie is The Earl of Chicago, with E. E. Clive and Reginald Owen for today, and Ronald Sinclair for yesterday.
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Edmund Gwenn.
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Edmund Gwenn.
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The military man–Edmund Gwenn?
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Edmund Gwenn today.
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Edmund Gwenn.
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Dean Jagger today?
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Edmund Gwenn
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Robert Montgomery and Edward Arnold.
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Robert Montgomery, Edward Arnold, and Reginald Owen both.
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Friday opens the curtains!
The Earl of Chicago 1940
Monday – not sure but will guess Gladys Blake
Tuesday – Ronald Sinclair
Wednesday – Reginald Owen. I think the other guy is E.E. Clive. Robert Montgomery is the BOTHG
Thursday – Edmund Gwynn
Friday – Robert Montgomery and Edward Arnold
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Robert Montgomery, Edward Arnold, Reginald Owen
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I will swear to my dying day that I knew back of the head guy was Robert Montgomery but I didn’t follow through! Anyway, Montgomery and Edward Arnold today, making this “The Earl of Chicago.”
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Robert Montgomery, Edward Arnold and Reginald Owen.
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Ha! Good to know that I wasn’t the only person who didn’t get the email notification and had to find another avenue to access the puzzle.
Also, thanks for the heads up about incredibleinman having the same “… that looks like Robert Montgomery” BOTHG experience. Have no idea where the recognition came from, so I didn’t follow through on the day either. Spooky.
Fun week. Thanks
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