The Dragon Murder Case (1934): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1934, The Dragon Murder Case is a mystery film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, running about 67 minutes. “FOLLOW FAMOUS PHILO VANCE AS HE SOLVES THE AMAZING SWIMMING POOL MURDER MYSTERY!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Wonderful idea to give a party with people who dislike each other. Late at night, everyone decides to go into the pool, except Stamm, who is drunk. Montague dives in as does Greeff and Leland, but only Greeff and Leland come out. Montague is no where to be found so Leland suspects foul play and calls the cops. Luckily, Philo is with the D.A. and comes along, but they do not find Montague. When they drain the pool the next day, they find nothing except what looks like dragon prints. Philo has his suspicions and tries to piece the clues together to find out what has happened.

Who’s in it. The Dragon Murder Case stars Warren William as Philo Vance, Eugene Pallette as Sgt. Ernest Heath, Robert McWade as District Attorney Markham and Lyle Talbot as Gale Leland, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.7/10, The Dragon Murder Case has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Dragon Murder Case page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Dragon Murder Case tend to enjoy Se7en, Psycho, Rear Window and Oldboy.