Sunset Murder Case (1938)

Buried in legal battles and censorship disputes, the 1938 movie "Sunset Murder Case" emerges from the ashes of the collapsed production company, Grand National. Its original title, "The Sunset Strip Case," raised eyebrows and drew ire for its suggestive double entendre, leading to an outright ban in Boston and other cities. The film's provocative star, Sally Rand, a famed fan-dancer of the Chicago Exposition and Texas Centennial, was the apple of controversy, her name causing more of a stir than her actual performance. Facing an uphill battle, the film's producer, George A. Hirliman, struggled to navigate the turbulent waters of lawsuits and objections from moral watchdogs nationwide. His alliance with the besieged Grand National president, E. W. Hammons, added another layer of complexity to the film's troubled journey. Despite its rocky start, the movie eventually found its way to the silver screens of New York in 1941, albeit under a new title, "The Sunset Murder Case". Distributed through independent exchanges, it still bore the Grand National logo, a ghost of its tumultuous past. The film's cast order, as seen in the 1941 prints, bears no resemblance to the original release, further adding to the intrigue and mystery surrounding this production. Sally Rand's performance, though less risqué than her later roles, was still considered scandalous for the times, pushing the boundaries of what was deemed acceptable in the late 1930s and even decades thereafter. "Sunset Murder Case" is not just a film, but a testament to a turbulent era in the movie industry, a story of perseverance against the odds, and a relic of cultural perceptions and taboos of its time. Expect the unexpected in this controversial, boundary-pushing noir thriller.

Sunset Murder Case is a crime movie featuring Sally Rand.

It is possible to buy Sunset Murder Case on Amazon Video.