Curtain at Eight

Handsome Broadway star Wylie Thornton is shot to death backstage at his own birthday party in front of a dozen witnesses. Unfortunately, the theater lights had been cut off, and no one saw a thing. Widely despised as a cad by those who knew him, Wylie had an ex-wife, girlfriend and assorted business associates, all of whom wanted him dead. Dim-witted Police Inspector Marty Gallagher follows every obvious lead and finally places the finger of blame squarely on the show's trained chimp. But seasoned Detective Jim Hanvey's investigation uncovers the shocking truth.

Former Ziegfield Follies girl, Dorothy Mackaill became a silent star in movies such as The Man Who Came Back (1924), Chickie (1925) and The Dancer Of Paris (1926). Paul Cavanagh was a journeyman character actor who appeared in many fine films including, The Woman In Green (1945), The Black Arrow (1948), The Babe Ruth Story (1948) and Madame Bovary (1949). Distinguished C. Aubrey Smith also appeared in numerous classic motion pictures including The Crusades (1935), Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936) and Rebecca (1940).