Take the Stand

Take the Stand
Lobby card
Directed byPhil Rosen
Written byAlbert DeMond
Based on
the short story, "The Deuce of Hearts"
by Earl Derr Biggers
Produced byM. H. Hoffman
StarringJack LaRue
Thelma Todd
Gail Patrick
CinematographyHarry Neumann
Tom Galligan
Edited byMildred Johnston
Music byAbe Meyer
Production
company
Release date
  • September 7, 1934 (1934-09-07) (US)
Running time
78 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Take the Stand is a 1934 American mystery film directed by Phil Rosen and starring Jack LaRue, Thelma Todd, and Gail Patrick. It was released on September 7, 1934. Copyright 26 Mar 1934 LP4575

Plot

Based on the short story “The Deuce of Hearts” by Earl Derr Biggers, the creator of the Charlie Chan film and book series.

This mystery combines a murder in a locked room with the ‘modern cutting-edge’ technology of nationwide radio broadcasting. It also includes a subplot about a grizzled old cop trying to solve a murder the old-fashioned way, alongside a young fellow (Russell Hopton) who wants to use science to track down the killer.

George Gaylord (Jack LaRue) is a scandalmongering gossip columnist feared and hated by many prominent New Yorkers. He works for a big New York City newspaper and also broadcasts a radio program. The build-up to the murder shows a good handful of powerful people who would like to see the snooping reporter dead, including: Jerome Burbank (Berton Churchill), a millionaire financier; Burbank’s daughter Cornelia (Gail Patrick); Joe Reynolds (Jason Robards, Sr.), a well-known actor; Ernie Paddocks (Bradley Page), a gangster kingpin; and Percy Dale (Arnold Gray), a radio ”crooner.

Just let them try. Every evening, when Gaylord reveals his information on his radio program, he locks himself in a windowless room, stands before the microphone, and dishes gossip. No one has a key to the room except for the radio station manager several floors away.

On his final broadcast of the year, Gaylord promises to make his most shocking revelation yet. On Christmas Eve, all of Gaylord’s recent targets gather at the radio station.

Suddenly it is airtime, and the reporter tells the audience that tonight he will be telling the world about… Then the audience hears Gaylord scream “Don’t shoot,” which is followed by a gunshot. When the station manager arrives with the door key, the suspects and station manager enter the room and find the gossip columnist dead.

When the police arrive, they discover that every suspect is carrying a gun, but only Burbank’s has been fired.

The medical examiner claims Gaylord was stabbed, not shot. But Burbank is arrested. Disgusted by the police commissioner’s determination to convict Burbank, Hamilton resigns from the force and agrees to help Cornelia (Gail Patrick) exonerate her father.

As the jury deliberates Burbank’s fate, Hamilton declares that he has solved the mystery and leaves to gather his evidence. When he returns, he reveals to the court who really killed Gaylord.

Cast

Uncredited cast members include:

Crew

References

  1. ↑ "Take the Stand". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on May 30, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  2. ↑ Derr, Earl (1933). Earl Derr Biggers Tells Ten Stories (1st ed.). Indianapolis, IN: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Publishers. ISBN 978-1312269866. Retrieved October 1, 2026. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  3. ↑ "Jack LaRue Tops Fine Cast in "Take the Stand" - Produced by M. H. Hoffman". Internet Archive. Hollywood Filmograph (10 Mar 1935, p. 5). Retrieved October 1, 2026.