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Manawatu Times, Volume 59, Issue 200, 22 August 1934, Page 10

STATE THEATRE “MURDER ON THE BLACKBOARD” Edna Alay Oliver and James Gleason again team to solve a thrilling _ murder mystery, and endow their sleuthing with laugh-provoking repartee in "Alurder on the Blackboard,” a worthy sequel to “The Penguin Pool Murder,” in which they made their first characterisations as Hildegardo Withers and Oscar Piper. .Again Hildegarde and Oscar solve a baffling crime, straighten out a love affair, narrowly miss annihilation by a mysterious killer, and provide incidental comedy. Miss Oliver Is seen once more as the angular, spinster school-marm who carries a silver-handled umbrella, dresses in Victorian fashion, but has modern ideas on crime detection. Gleason portrays the wlso-cracking mundane police inspector who chews a long cigar, talks rapidly from the side of his mouth, and learns sleuthing in its more detailed ramifications from the teacher. Hildegarde and Piper join forces in solving the "Murder on the Blackboard,” in this RICO-Radio picture, when Louise Halloran, beautiful young music teacher, Is found beaten to death with her own highheeled slipper. Search for tho slayer leads the pair Into the dark cellar where Hildegardo herself Is mysteriously attacked with a hatchet. Several clues involve four definite suspects; the girl’s roommate, the school principal, the assistant principal and the Janitor. Piper promptly deduces that tho janitor Is the murderer, while his detectives theorise about the guilt of the other suspects, but Hildegarde Withers astutely eyes a. musical exercise which Louise wrote on the blackboard shortly before her death, and sets a clever trap to net the killer. The same acting, writing and directorial abilities which made “The Penguin Pool Murder” a success again collaborate on “Alurder on tlie Blackboard.” Aliss Oliver and Gleason are featured with Bruce Cabot, Gertrude Alichael and Regis Toomey. “Alurder on the Blackboard” comes to the State theatre to-day.