The Trap (1946)

A rather underwhelming outing for Sidney Toler as our famous sleuth tying to get to the bottom of a series of grisly murders at a Malibu beach house. Ably, sometimes comically, aided by number two son "Jimmy" and stalwart chauffeur "Birmingham Brown" he investigates amongst a troupe of, frankly annoying, scantily clad showgirls who spend much of their time screaming and/or giggling hysterically. The performances are staged to within an inch of their lives; the script though speedily delivered is stilted and the photography seems confused between detective yarn and B-movie beauty pageant. By this stage, the 71 year old star was struggling with intestinal cancer - he visibly struggles at times and perhaps that excuses the rather amateur finish of this production.