This week’s mystery movie was the 1937 MGM film Sinner Take All, with Bruce Cabot, Margaret Lindsay, Joseph Calleia, Stanley Ridges, Vivienne Osborne, Charley Grapewin, Edward Pawley, George Lynn, Theodore von Eltz, Eadie Adams, George Zucco, Dorothy Kilgallen, Raymond Hatton and Richard Terry.
Directed by Errol Taggart.
Produced by Lucien Hubbard and Samuel Marx.
Screenplay by Leonard Lee and Walter Wise.
From a novel by Whitman Chambers.
Musical score by Edward Ward.
Song I’d Be Lost Without You, music by Walter Donaldson, lyrics by Chet Forrest and Bob Wright.
Recording by Douglas Shearer.
Art direction by Cedric Gibbons, Eddie Imazu and Edwin B. Willis.
Wardrobe by Dolly Tree.
Photographed by Leonard Smith.
Edited by William S. Gray.
Further information on Sinner Take All is available from the AFI Catalog.
Sinner Take All is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
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I picked Sinner Take All by going through the trades, this time looking for movies that were considered “unsuitable,” this one deemed unsuitable for children. And it opens in a newsroom and I’ve got a soft spot for movies involving newspapers. As a bonus, it has a brief scene with Dorothy Kilgallen, now remembered as a panelist on What’s My Line?, as a reporter.
I’m going to guess that if The New York Times bothered to review Sinner, it was assigned to one of the “alphabet critics.”
Aha! We have “alphabet critic” J.T.M. (John T. McManus) approving (February 3, 1937):
Unless this reviewer’s appreciation of cinema tempo was affected yesterday afternoon at the Rialto by the astute presentation of that “drei-viertel takt”* item starring Joe Louis and Bob Pastor as a preface to the feature picture, Metro’s Sinner Take All is a pretty zippy mystery movie.
The cast is packed with potential villains, the scene is laid in penthouse Manhattan with occasional flights to the Jersey Riviera,** and two of the film’s three murders are virtual masterpieces of homicide.
*A match between Joe Louis and Bob Pastor in January 1937 that was filmed and is on YouTube – colorized!
**Google is no help here.
For Monday, we have a mysterious woman.
Update: This is Eadie Adams.
And Bette Davis wearing an identical piece of jewelry in The Golden Arrow (1936) at… Warner Bros.? Very mysterious and thanks to Stacia for pointing it out!
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Theodore von Eltz.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious woman with some mysterious companions. Our mysterious leading man has been cropped out due to lack of mysteriousness.
Updated: Uncropping our mysterious leading man who was cropped out due to lack of mysteriousness.
Update: This is Dorothy Kilgallen and Bruce Cabot, left.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mysterious fellow) and Sheila (Tuesday’s mystery gent).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious fellow. He does not approve of such goings-on.
Update: This is George Zucco.
We have another mysterious chap. He also disapproves of such goings-on.
Update: This is Joseph Calleia.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mysterious woman and companions). Congratulations to Stacia for recognizing the jewelry worn by Monday’s mysterious woman. That is impressive!!
For Friday, we have our mysterious leading man and leading lady.
Update: This is Bruce Cabot and Margaret Lindsay.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests), L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast), Stacia (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery gents), Sheila (mystery movie and Thursday’s mysterious fellows), Benito (Thursday’s mysterious chaps), Sylvia (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and Greg (mystery movie and all mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Donald MacBride Tuesday?
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An excellent guess! But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Theodore von Eltz.
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Theodore von Eltz?
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I’ve been staring at that dress in Monday’s photo for three days and I finally figured it out, it’s got the exact same rhinestone flourish that Bette Davis wears on a gown in THE GOLDEN ARROW, and I think that’s Bess Flowers in Wednesday’s photo and she’s also in THE GOLDEN ARROW, but this movie isn’t THE GOLDEN ARROW! If I could remember who Tuesday’s gentleman is, I think I could figure this out. This movies is probably going to have Ned Sparks or Skeets Gallagher in it.
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Bruce Cabot and J.P. McGowan in SINNER TAKE ALL.
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Lets add Dorothy Kilgallen.
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SINNER TAKE ALL. Eadie Adams Monday, George Lynn Tuesday, lester Dorr, Dorothy Kilgallen, Wade Boteler, and Bruce Cabot out of frame, George Zucco and Joseph Calleia today.
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Sinner Take All (1936) w/ Eadie Adams, Bruce Cabot, Joseph Calleia, George Zucco, Margaret Lindsey, Theodore von Eltz, Dorothy Kilgallen, Stanley Ridges…
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Oh gosh, that’s Dorothy Killgallen on Wednesday, not Bess Flowers. This is SINNER TAKE ALL (1936) and Monday is singer Eadie Adams. Tuesday is Theodore von Eltz, I believe Edward Pawley is the policeman in the picture on Wednesday with Dorothy, Thursday is George Zucco and below him Joseph Calleia.
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George Zucco and Joseph Calleia.
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I’m guessing Billy De Wolfe on Thursday. WAG: “Our Hearts Were Growing Up.’
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A great guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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My boyfriend George Zucco on Thursday, plus Joseph Calleia, ‘Sinner Take All?
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The ubiquitous George Zucco and Joseph Calleia
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Thanks to the gents of “Aha Thursday”.
Sinner Take All 1936
Mon – Eadie Adams
Tues – Theodore von Eltz
Wed – Dorothy Kilgallen and ‘maybe’ Lester Dore, Ralph McCullough, Patty O’Flynn as some of her fellow reporters. I think the cop is Wade Boteler. Cut for lack of mysteriousness is Bruce Cabot
Thurs – George Zucco and Joseph Calleia (thanks guys)
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It took a while but Eadie Adams, Theodore Von Eltz, George Zucco and Joseph Calleia makes the movie “Sinner Take All”, 1936.
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Bruce Cabot and Margaret Lindsay.
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Bruce Cabot and Margaret Lindsay.
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Friday – Bruce Cabot and Margaret Lindsay.
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Thursday looks like George Zucco, Friday looks like Joseph Calleia. No idea what movie they are in, though.
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I seemed to be shut out again. I must be doing something wrong.
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