Philo Vance
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Calling Philo Vance is a 1940 American mystery/comedy film released by Warner Bros. and starring James Stephenson as the dilettante detective Philo Vance, his only appearance as the character; Margot Stevenson co-stars.
Calling Philo Vance: Directed by William Clemens. With James Stephenson, Margot Stevenson, Henry O'Neill, Edward Brophy. Despite an exclusive contract with the U.S. government, designer Archer Coe's design is being bid on by German, Japanese, and Italian agents - until he's murdered.
Philo Vance is a fictional amateur detective originally featured in 12 crime novels by S. S. Van Dine in the 1920s and 1930s. During that time, Vance was immensely popular in books, films, and radio. He was portrayed as a stylish—even foppish— dandy, a New York bon vivant possessing a highly intellectual bent.
4 Feb 2013 · Calling Philo Vance (1940) #WarnerArchive #WarnerBros #CallingPhiloVance The dilettante detective stylishly sleuths his way through some of his most fa ...more.
The United States government unofficially asks detective Philo Vance to investigate Archer Coe, an airplane manufacturer suspected of espionage. In Vienna, Vance steals the plans for the Coe bomber and escapes from Austria, but loses the plans on the way.
While it looks like a suicide, Vance knows better and the coroner finds that Archer has been shot, hit with a blunt instrument and stabbed - making suicide unlikely. But Vance is on the case and is looking to see if government secrets have been sold and who has murdered Coe.
Trying to get information on airline mogul and accused spy Archer Coe (Richard Kipling), sleuth Philo Vance (James Stephenson) soon finds himself investigating a murder when Coe turns up dead.
