Very Cool!!!

Admirable film.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

One of many films with Philo Vance as the protagonist but the only one with Paul Lukas as the famed detective. He isn't a perfect fit as Vance but does a good job nonetheless. The real reason to catch this is to get a glimpse of Rosalind Russell early in her career. At this point she was starting to get mired in, as she referred to them, "Lady Mary" roles all dignity, stiff upper lip and little humor. This part hints at the skillful comedienne she was to become. This was only her fifth film but the first where her name appeared above the title a clear sign that the studio had bigger plans for her than to be a leading lady in B pictures. As for the mystery it's not terribly hard to figure out but it's stylishly shot with a good supporting cast.

Paul Lukas was memorable in The Lady Vanishes and some other films, but not playing Philo Vance. The Casino Murder Case is an enjoyable melodramatic murder mystery with three problems: his European accent, and the fact there's not much casino in the story and no murder there either. Did they have Bela Lugosi audition for the part too?!To the background of some incongruous opening music Vance gets called in to protect a man threatened with an "awful tragedy" at a casino, when there finds the murder of the man's bitchy wife takes place at their home. Lukas also found a spunky sidekick in Rosalind Russell and had some nice patter with her – but her snooty British accent jarred a little as well! The job is on to nail the culprit from a gallery of suspects, and Vance is ably obstructed in this as usual by the suspects, the dense District Attorney and the complaining coroner. In bit parts William Demarest was perfect as a shyster auctioneer and Leo Carroll was fascinating to watch as a slapstick servant, but Eric Blore as Vance's gurning butler was sadly underused here. Favorite bit: Lukas and Russell on the phone as the tragedy unfolds.If you don't like detective potboilers from the '30's my advice is to Skip It. For those of us that do, it must be a lot better if you don't know your Vance, but it's an excellent watch even if you do

With a traditional murder-mystery detective plot, clearly written as a pulp novel before being transferred to the screen, this film abounds with idiosyncratic characters and overly dramatic actors. The framing of this mass-consumption plot occasionally leads to heaps of interesting shots, with the traditional benefits of black and white. Intensely-orchestrated scenes of overdone surprise and intruding butlers and maids make the film enjoyable from one moment to the next. Not to mention a delectable performance by Rosalind Russell.The factors all come together for this film, and if you take it for its backdated surface value, you won't be wasting your time. The trees of this film, so to speak, make a great forest.

Philo Vance has been played by a number of actors over the years, everyone from Wilfred Hyde-White to William Powell, who portrayed the detective the most. In "The Casino Murder Case," it's Paul Lukas' turn to have a go at it. This is a light mystery concerning some murders within a family. Rosalind Russell is the young woman here, and she does a fine job.I'm not familiar with Philo Vance in the books so I can't comment on Lukas' portrayal in comparison. However, I suspect that normally, the role is approached with a lighter touch. Lukas is a wonderful and very likable actor, but I think that in the hands of someone like William Powell, the humor would have been mined a little bit more. Lukas isn't heavy-handed in any way, it's just that this type of role isn't a perfect fit for him. All in all, entertaining.