The Sphinx (1933)

What a beautiful movie!

Absolutely the worst movie.

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

This one is watchable, helped by a surprisingly good DVD print, but nothing special. Its plot really has only one ace up its sleeve, which, by the way, Leonard Maltin stupidly reveals in his capsule review (this entry has been taken out of the new editions, but if by any chance you have an older one, beware!). And the only directorial touches of style are the occasional "wipes" in transitions between scenes. There is also some amusing comic relief from an Italian janitor who was the only witness to the first murder, and a vaguely Hitchcockian bit involving a piano, but despite all that "The Sphinx" can only be recommended to the completists of the crime genre. ** out of 4.

(There are Spoilers) After asking for a light from the building janitor Luigi Baccigalu, Louis Blberni, what looks like, or is a dead ringer of, the hearing and speaking impaired world famous philanthropist Jerome Breen, Lionel Atwill,walks out of the building and disappears into the night. Mr. Baccigalu checking from where "Breen" came from stocker-brokers. Garfield's office finds Mr. Garfield laying on the floor strangled to death!The police arriving on the scene are a bit startled in Mr. Baccigalu's discretion of Garfield's killer in that he's, Jerome Breen, unable to both hear as well as talk so how could he have asked him for a light! The Chronicle's top gossip/crime reporter Jack Burton, Ted Newton, suspects that this Mr. Breen is the killer but is somehow using his inability to hear or talk as an alibi in covering up Mr. Girfiled's murder! But how he's doing it is the $64.00 question!At his trial Mr. Breen gets the support of Jack's girlfriend Jerry Crane, Shella Terry, in her columns covering his trial that they more then anything else are the reason for his acquittal. It's also brought out that the state's star witness Mr. Bacciglu is a heavy drinker, mostly of gin, and the night of Mr. Garfield's murder he was smashed more then usual making his testimony in seeing Mr. Breen at the murder site suspect.The fact that Jerry was so involved in having Mr. Breen acquitted has Jack, who feels that Breen is in fact Mr. Garfield's killer, and Jerry on the opposite ends of the Garfield murder case. Breen, or someone who looks like him, is later spotted by stock clerk Dave Werner's, Paul Fix, mother who after Breen talked to her finds that her son Dave was also murdered with Breen again as the prime suspect!It soon becomes very obvious that Breen, who's been deft and unable to speak since birth, is somehow using a double or possibly twin to throw the police off but in order to prove that the police or state prosecutes will have to produce the second Mr. Breen. There's also the very real fact that Mr. Breen may have somehow come up with the ability to both speak and hear even though he's been confirmed by the court and police physicians as being unable to do that!The ending exposes just what Breen was up to in his mysterious actions that lead to the death of some half dozen persons. It also exposes the way Breen was able to fool the police as well as Jack and Jerry, for opposite reasons, in his Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde act but not after he pulls a fast one and checks out for good. Breen's exit is anything but mysterious, like his crimes, but it does the job of him escaping ultimate justice.

There is something chilling about Lionel Atwill in this movie. With out saying nary a word he manages to make you want to crawl out of your skin. The plot of a mute man on trial for a murder committed by a killer who spoke is filled with pitfalls and possibilities. The film avoids most of the former while finding many of the latter in telling a very good story.But above it all is Atwill who manages to keep you in suspense to the very end, milking the fact that he can't use that magnificent voice of his for any effects what so ever. Its like stripping a great singer of their voice and then still having them convey the emotion of the music by gestures alone.No its not perfect, there are bits that have dated slightly, for example the sign language is silly, but its still a good thriller with a great performance at its center.7 out of 10

Lionel Atwill plays Jerome Breen which has a near perfect alibi because as he strangles people he talks to whomever is available immediately after the murder scene to set up his alibi. It seems that Breen is the city philanthropist that is also "deaf & dumb." A string of murders involving stock brokers is unsolved and Insp. Riley cannot solve the murders. A witness talks to Breen as he leaves his latest victim which leads to the murder trial of Breen. Problem is that the witness testifies that Breen talked to him but all the medical doctors that examine Breen testify that Breen cannot physically talk. So Breen is acquitted. Riley discovers a clue as to how Breen can be medically "deaf & dumb" but still talk and pays with his life for this discovery. The clue turns out to be a logical but unexpected one. So if you like puzzles then you will enjoy this film.