| The Phantom of Crestwood | |
|---|---|
 Original theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | J. Walter Ruben |
| Written by | Story: Bartlett Cormack J. Walter Ruben Screenplay: Bartlett Cormack |
| Produced by | David O. Selznick |
| Starring | Ricardo Cortez Karen Morley Richard "Skeets" Gallagher Anita Louise H.B. Warner Pauline Frederick |
| Cinematography | Henry W. Gerrard |
| Edited by | Archie Marshek |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 76 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $187,000[1] |
| Box office | $436,000[1] |
The Phantom of Crestwood is a 1932 American pre-Code murder-mystery film released by Radio Pictures, directed by J. Walter Ruben, and starring Ricardo Cortez, Karen Morley, Richard "Skeets" Gallagher, Anita Louise, H.B. Warner, and Pauline Frederick. Morley plays Jenny Wren, who plans to extort money from various wealthy ex-lovers, after she lures them to a ranch called “Casa de Andes” near Crestwood, California. The picture features what Leonard Maltin called an "eye-popping" flashback technique, where the camera seems to whirl from one scene to the next,[2] although William K. Howard had actually pioneered this technique earlier that year in The Trial of Vivienne Ware.
The film was based on a radio serial that was heard on NBC Radio's Hollywood on the Air for six weeks from August 26 through September 30, 1932. The radio program ended on a cliffhanger, with the solution to the murders to come in this film. A contest offered more than 100 prizes totaling $6,000 ($134,000 in 2023 dollars) for the best endings submitted to the network and Radio Pictures. The contest was closed before the film was released; the first winners were to be announced on the program on November 24, 1932.[3] The picture was released on October 14, 1932.[4] The film's introduction features NBC's Graham McNamee in a radio studio recapping the situation—he names Jenny Wren and Carter, as the doomed murder victims—and reminding the audience that the ending in the film was not drawn from contest submissions.
According to RKO records, the film made a profit of $100,000 ($2.23 million in 2023).[1]
- ^ a b c Richard Jewel, 'RKO Film Grosses: 1931-1951', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 14 No 1, 1994 p39
- ^ The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1931-40 by The American Film Institute, c.1993
- ^ "The Phantom of Crestwood: History". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
- ^ "The Phantom of Crestwood: Details". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved January 10, 2020.