Bela Lugosi reunited with two of his Dracula costars, David Manners and Edward Van Sloan, in this 1932 low-budget production, but instead of a horror movie, The Death Kiss is a murder mystery set in a film studio. The opening scene is particularly clever: a killing in a nightclub turns out to be a scene being shot on a soundstage, but the “victim” is, in fact, dead—murdered in plain sight before the entire company. Lugosi has a supporting role as studio manager Joseph Steiner, who tries to keep a lid on the news before a scandal threatens the teetering fortunes of the struggling studio, while Manners takes the lead as Franklyn Drew, a junior screenwriter turned amateur sleuth, outthinking the slow-witted detective assigned to the case. Lugosi appears in only a few scenes, as does Van Sloan, who plays director Tom Avery, and both become prime suspects in the investigation. As a mystery, The Death Kiss plays it purely by the numbers, and Edwin L. Marin's direction is basically functional; but the behind-the-scenes angle is unique, and the gimmick of hand-painted color for gunfire flashes and other select effects bring some added novelty. A minor but entertaining cult movie, this has been handsomely remastered for DVD and Blu-ray from an archival print preserved by the Library of Congress, with extras including an audio commentary by film historian Richard Harland Smith. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)
The Death Kiss
Kino Lorber, 71 min., not rated, DVD: $24.99, Blu-ray: $29.99 Volume 30, Issue 1
The Death Kiss
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