Phantom Killer ** (1942, Dick Purcell, Joan Woodbury, John Hamilton, Warren Hymer) – Classic Movie Review 13,837

Monogram Pictures’ entertaining 1942 low-budget black and white mystery thriller film Phantom Killer remakes their 1933 film The Sphinx, and stars Dick Purcell, Joan Woodbury, John Hamilton and Warren Hymer.

Director William Beaudine’s entertaining 1942 Monogram Pictures low-budget Poverty Row black and white mystery thriller film Phantom Killer remakes the 1933 Monogram film The Sphinx, and stars Dick Purcell, Joan Woodbury, John Hamilton and Warren Hymer.

John Hamilton plays John G Harrison, a wealthy deaf mute philanthropist who is charged with a series of murders. Despite being identified at the crime scenes, numerous witnesses attest to his presence at charity events at the times of the murders. And nearby the latest murder scene, the deaf mute has spoken to at least one man.

So, identical twins (both played by John Hamilton) hatch a fiendish plot to kill a rich patron, but are rumbled by the helpful local Police Sgt Pete Corrigan (Warren Hymer) and prosecuting District Attorney John W Rogers (Gayne Whitman). Dick Purcell as Edward Clark and Joan Woodbury as Barbara Mason are newspaper reporters on the case.

Director William Beaudine’s 1942 Phantom Killer is a standard, cheaply made support-feature creepy crime caper. But it manages to intrigue and amuse enough, if not to thrill or surprise very much, since the mystery is pretty feeble.

Cast: Dick Purcell as Edward Clark, Joan Woodbury as Barbara Mason, John Hamilton as John G Harrison, Warren Hymer as Police Sgt Pete Corrigan, J Farrell MacDonald as Police Captain, Kenneth Harlan as Police Lt. Jim Brady, Mantan Moreland as Nicodemus, Gayne Whitman as District Attorney John W Rogers, George J Lewis as Kramer, Elliott Sullivan (uncredited), Karl Hackett as Defence Attorney, Frank Ellis as Kelsey, Harry Depp as Lester P Cutler, Isabel La Mal as Mable, Robert Carson as Dave Rigby.

Phantom Killer is directed by William Beaudine, runs 60 minutes, is made and released by Monogram Pictures, is written by Karl Brown, is shot in black and white by Marcel Le Picard, is produced by A W Hackel and Frank Davis, and is scored by Frank Sanucci.

Release date: October 2, 1942.

French cinematographer Marcel Le Picard (1887–1952) shot around 200 films between 1916 and 1952, mostly for American low-budget studios Republic Pictures, Monogram Pictures and Producers Releasing Corporation.

Dick Purcell landed the title role in the 1944 Republic serial film Captain America but just after he completed it and before its general release, he collapsed and died in the locker room of a Hollywood country club on 10 April 1944 after playing a round of golf, aged 38.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,837

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