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Two women, one inheritance, and a detective who'd rather be on the radio—what could go wrong?
TMDB
61
IMDb
58

A Close Call for Ellery Queen (1942)

whodunit chaosrapid-fire banterB-movie charm

Overview

AdventureMysteryCrime

Amateur sleuth Ellery Queen learns the truth about a businessman's two long-lost daughters.

Flag of USUS
Content warning
blackmailradio programellery queen

Standout Aspects

Acting

William Gargan and Margaret Lindsay's snappy chemistry steals every scene.

Writing

Dialogue zips faster than clues drop—pure 1940s screwball detective prose.

Best for:Solo: Rainy afternoon when you want zero commitment but full entertainment.·Background: Fold laundry while following along—miss a scene, still fine.
James P. Hogan

Director

James P. Hogan

ReleasedJan 29, 1942
Runtime1h 7m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacefast
Intensitymedium
Tonelight
Feellight
Columbia Pictures

Top Cast

William Gargan

William Gargan

Ellery Queen

Margaret Lindsay

Margaret Lindsay

Nikki Porter

Charley Grapewin

Charley Grapewin

Insp. Queen

Ralph Morgan

Ralph Morgan

Alan Rogers

Kay Linaker

Kay Linaker

Margo Rogers

Edward Norris

Edward Norris

Stewart Cole

James Burke

James Burke

Sgt. Velie

Addison Richards

Addison Richards

Lester Younger

Charles Judels

Charles Judels

Corday

Andrew Tombes

Andrew Tombes

Bates

Claire Du Brey

Claire Du Brey

Housekeeper

Micheline Cheirel

Micheline Cheirel

Marie Dubois

Ben Welden

Ben Welden

Fisherman

Milton Parsons

Milton Parsons

Butler

Charles Lane

Charles Lane

Coroner

Ask about A Close Call for Ellery Queen

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

This was the eighth Ellery Queen film in just three years—Hollywood really said 'print that detective.'

Cultural

The radio-show-within-the-movie gag wasn't just meta fun; Ellery Queen was genuinely one of America's most popular radio mysteries at the time.

Gallery

Reviews

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Ellery Queen Collection(9 films)
The Spanish Cape Mystery poster5.4

The Spanish Cape Mystery

1935

The Mandarin Mystery poster4.7

The Mandarin Mystery

1936

Ellery Queen, Master Detective poster5.5

Ellery Queen, Master Detective

1940

Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery poster5.3

Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery

1941

Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime poster5.8

Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime

1941

Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring poster5.6

Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring

1941

A Close Call for Ellery Queen poster
Now Viewing

A Close Call for Ellery Queen

1942

A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen poster5.7

A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen

1942

Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen poster5.5

Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen

1942

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