Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Aubrey Hackett While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

edwagreen Lloyd Nolan as Private Investigator Shayne cracks a murder case in the building where his bride-to-be. He gave comic flair in this who-did-it film.Henry Daniel, a usual heavy in films, is comparatively light as the major suspect, who may have defrauded the victim while carrying on with the latter's wife. Both the wife and Danielle's parts are greatly understated.William Demarest is effective as the head police officer, often victimized in the film, especially by the real killer.The movie just proves that even a man can seek revenge even after 26 passing years. The killer is as devious as they come.As far as the planned marriage goes, you can forget it. We have an assortment of suspects here and most are even comical when you think about it.

bkoganbing In this entry in the Michael Shayne series at 20th Century Fox Lloyd Nolan is about to be married to Mary Beth Hughes. The plan is to go to Niagara Falls just as soon as he can dig up a proper suit to be married in for the wedding pictures at City Hall.But Nolan and Hughes stumble into a murder of a theatrical producer and his leading lady at the next door theater where the producer had a private entrance to his suite at the hotel and a few other hideaways and by ways. The man led quite a busy life with the ladies.In fact the whole thing revolves around a show he produced 25 years earlier and a performer whose wife he stole at the time. But being that the victim was an all around rat there are no shortage of suspects.Nolan makes a deal with one of the newspapers for an exclusive if he beats the cops to the solution. Not that it is all that hard because William Demarest the chief inspector is from the Keystone Academy of Police. Still there are laws about interfering with a police investigation. Stuff that private detectives like Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe or even Jim Rockford avoid doing or at least get caught at doing Shayne does with abandon.Other than the fact that the perpetrator commits a third murder of a witness you do feel kind of sorry for him. Nolan fits the role better than the glove fit OJ.

dougdoepke Despite some notable features, this programmer fails to rise above standard detective shows of the time. Nonetheless, the opening scene is a hoot, as a double-breasted Shayne (Nolan) gets harassed by an aggressive clothing salesman. In fact, Nolan's the best thing about the film. His fast-talking brash personality holds a center of attention. I'm just sorry we don't see more of Mary Beth Hughes whose brassy personality is a perfect foil for her meandering fiancée, Shayne. Then there're two exotics from the period—creepy Milton Parsons (Max) in a beard no less, plus snooty Henry Daniell (Julian) getting sympathetic treatment for a change.That initial murder scene remains a grabber. The dog's head plopped onto one of the corpses is like nothing I've seen and shows real imagination. The trouble, for me at least, is that the whodunit part never really gels, despite clever touches with the murder weapon. At the same time, the pacing is uneven, better suited at times to character study than to plot. There's also the standard dumb cop humor, plus Mantan Moreland doing his familiar bug-eyed comedic bit.All in all, it's an unexceptional entry, mainly for fans of Nolan, myself included.

John Seal Dressed to Kill is one of the most enjoyable 'B' movies I've ever seen. Lloyd Nolan is terrific as Michael Shayne, detective, and his supporting cast is superb to say the least. William Demarest is the best hapless police inspector this side of James Gleason, a youthful Henry Daniell plays a stuck up prig to perfection, Milton Parsons is a bad baddie, and we even get small turns from Mantan Moreland and Billy Benedict. The story is reasonably well written, fast paced, and a lot of fun.