Incannerax What a waste of my time!!!

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Kayden This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

JohnHowardReid Frank Strayer's direction here is a grade higher than his usual humdrum level. As usual however, he eschews reverse angles, but on this occasion he has gone easy on close-ups. Most of the scenes are handled in rather long takes, but the camera-work has more movement here than is the director's norm. The movie also exhibits some typical trademarks of Invincible Pictures. Most of the action is confined to the one set, although it is well designed and large enough to accommodate a rather extensive cast of character players and extras. As usual, there is no background music at all except under the opening and end credits. Fortunately, this lack is skilfully disguised by the brisk pace of the plot. The cast too is not without interest, although the identity of the killer is pretty obvious. All told, however, the script is more accomplished than then usual Invincible effort, thanks not so much to its routine plot but to some bright, crisp dialogue, expertly delivered here by Russell Hopton and Lola Lane. George Marion must be included in our praises too. In fact his presence alone is worth at least half the price of the DVD.

gridoon2018 My opinion is almost certainly influenced by the picture and especially the sound quality of the DVD print I saw (let's just say that at least 30% of the dialogue is hard to hear), but although I'm a big fan of this genre, I didn't really care for this movie. Many of the characters are quite hard to tell apart, and it doesn't help that they're played by a cast of complete strangers to all but the most fanatic early-1930s film buffs. To be honest, the only member of the cast I recognized was Lola Lane, who plays the stereotypical "nosy" reporter; though you can see sparks of the "Torchy Blane" personality (whom Lane actually played once herself a few years later), her character remains clueless throughout the film as the male detective figures out everything about the case. All in all, "Death From A Distance" is a long, dull 70 minutes. *1/2 out of 4.

kidboots Lola Lane was a very versatile actress. She was one of the Lane sisters and came to films in the first rush of early sound musicals. Unfortunately the next year musicals were out but Lola stayed and started her acting apprenticeship in programmers. Before she was "discovered" again as one of the "Four Daughters" (1939)(the wise- cracking one) she had spent the 30s building up a respectable career in films like "Death From a Distance", in which she played sassy reporter Kay Palmer (curiously devoid of much make-up). I, also like another reviewer, felt the plot was too complicated. A renowned scientist, Professor Ernst Einfield (Lee Kohlmar) an eccentric genius, is delivering a lecture to a select audience at the Forest Park Planetarium (props were borrowed from the set of "The Invisible Ray"). A gunshot is heard in the darkness and when the lights go on, Dr. Stone, a drugs manufacturer, is found dead. At first no one can agree where the shot was fired from but it is decided it had come from the back of the room."OK sister -what's your name" - "If I'm your sister, you know it already"!!! Kay Palmer (Lola Lane), a reporter who is covering the lecture, goes rushing from the room hoping to get a scoop. Because of an altercation with Detective Mallory (Russell Hopton), when she is finally able to phone in her story, she blasts the police's (and Mallory's) inefficiency. There are many suspects - Langsdale (Wheeler Oakman) was the doctor's personal secretary but he confesses he has been in prison for assault and was only released a week ago. Ahmed (John Davidson) a suspicious type who claims he didn't know Dr. Stone but in reality came there to kill him. There is also John Gray (George Marion Snr, who was quite good as the trusting father in Greta Garbo's "Anna Christie" (1930)) a watchman who has been employed there over 10 years."Well, well, well, together again. It must be old home - icide week". Meanwhile relations between the press and the police are at an all time low. There have been a few editorials by Kay ridiculing the police. When she finds out that Professor Einfield is going to go into a trance and name the killer, she gets a front page story, realising only too late that the killer will also read it. The film is wrapped up in a novel way. Einfield is found murdered - only he isn't!!! When everyone is out of the room Mallory explains to Kay (they are now friends) that the hoax was done to shake up the real killer. Later on, to everyone's amazement, walking out of the darkness, the "corpse" makes a surprise re-appearance. The killer then breaks down and confesses ("it's lies, it's all lies I tell you") -his histrionics at the end are all explained.There is quite a lot of witty dialogue going back and forth between Kay and Mallory.

cinema_universe The film's title implies that death strikes from afar, and in a clever way, it does...This low-budget little whodunit will NEVER be aired on TV, so you will have to find a rental, or more likely, buy a copy to see how this ingenious little murder is worked out.I won't spoil it for anyone by telling you that the victim is in the audience of a planetarium, and naturally-- so is the murderer! The police are called in, and the entire story is acted out pretty much on that one set.Filmed on one of the lowest budgets possible, "Death From A Distance" will still keep you watching, and guessing, right to the surprise ending.Not bad, to say the least. To B-movie mystery buffs, I say: Buy it, if you can find it, and enjoy.