Death from a Distance (1935)

At the esteemed Forest Park Observatory, an unforeseen tragedy mars a special astronomy lecture by the renowned Dr. Ernst Einfeld. As the scholarly crowd absorbs the intriguing discourse, a gunshot reverberates through the planetarium, leaving Dr. Frederick Stone lifeless. The observatory's director, Dr. A. M. Trowbridge, summons the police, quickly drawing the attention of Detective Lieutenant Ted Mallory and his partner, Detective Regan. Mallory's investigation swiftly reveals that all the attendees were invited guests, save for Hayden Amal, a mysterious Hindu. When Clay Gorman, Dr. Stone's secretary, implicates Amal in a previous quarrel with the deceased, the police apprehend him, releasing the others. Meanwhile, the alluring newspaper reporter, Kay Palmer, is drawn into the enigma, further complicated by a web of suspicion surrounding Einfeld, Langsdale, Dr. Trowbridge's assistant with a criminal past, and Morgan, the man who sold Amal his invitation. As Mallory delves deeper into the case, he discovers a network of half-truths and masked identities. Einfeld, supposedly unfamiliar with Stone, becomes the recipient of a death threat, and a stolen gun is found near the observatory's colossal telescope. When Jim Gray, the observatory watchman, presents evidence linking Einfeld and Stone, the plot thickens, culminating in a dramatic reassembly of all the suspects at the observatory. In a twist of fate, another shot rings out, leaving Einfeld apparently slain near the murder weapon. Mallory's investigation leads him to a firing mechanism, activated by the star Arcturus, ingeniously attached to the telescope. This discovery, inspired by an exhibit from the Chicago World's Fair, forces Mallory to reveal his suspicions about Gorman, Morgan, and Langsdale, while Einfeld 'plays dead.' In a climactic revelation, Mallory exposes the truth: Jim's evidence was fabricated, and he was the actual murderer, seeking revenge against Stone for a personal tragedy. A fatal twist of irony ensues when Jim falls victim to his own lethal contraption. In the aftermath, the suspects depart, leaving Einfeld to privately divulge cosmic secrets to Mallory and Kay in the planetarium's enveloping darkness. This complex tale of revenge, mystery, and astronomical intrigue weaves a captivating narrative that leaves the audience questioning the infinite depths of human deceit and the unseen constellations of crime.

Death from a Distance is a mystery movie featuring Russell Hopton.

Death from a Distance is currently streaming on Classix and IndieFlix.

It is also possible to buy Death from a Distance on Amazon Video.