A NEW DETECTIVE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22318, 4 February 1938, Page 18

A NEW DETECTIVE

Preston Foster in "The Westland Case"

Philo Vance, Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, Bulldog Drummond, Nero Wolfe, Perry Mason, and other wellknown screen detectives, welcome a newcomer to their ranks with the showing of Universal's mystery thriller, "The Westland Case," which begins today at the Plaza with "The Girl in the Taxi." This new cinema detective is none other than Detective Crane. He comes off the printed page and takes his place on the celluloid film in the person of Preston Foster. . Detective Crane differs from his fellows in one important respect. He not only get his man —he also gets his woman; or tries to. Most film detectives are cold-blooded fellows who would rather trifle with a pair of handcuffs than fondle a diamond bracelet. They would perfer to ransack an encyclopaedia or study a good muddy footprint any day, rather than steal a kiss from a woman suspect. But Detective Crane is not that kind of a detective. 'He has no discernible

weakness as a criminal investigator, but he has a definite weakness for blondes and straight whiskey. Both enter largely into the manoeuvres in "The Westland Case. _ He gets a call from his lawyer friend, Frazee, played by Clarence Wilson, to try to dig up evidence that will free Robert Westland. portrayed by Theodore Von Eltz, who is under ueath sentence for murdering his wife, Carol Hughes. Crane takes the job and puts everybody under suspicion as a matter of course, meets a barrage of machine-gun fire and a blonde who is almost as dangerous, in the person of Barbara Pepper. Then after a riotous night he gets what looks like a clue. With the help of a deep-sea diver, a stopwatch, and a taxi-cab he picks up the trail and sprints after his quarry just as Westland starts his last mile to the electric chair. "The Girl in the Taxi," the second feature, is a musical comedy based on the highly-successful stage play of the same name. Its stars are Frances Day. Henri Garat, and Laurence Grossrmth.