Death of a Champion
Oliver Quade is a pitchman who follows state fairs that feature dog shows---which limits his territory more than a little---at which he sells encyclopedias...and does it well as he possesses a photographic memory that amazes the rubes. The Champion, in the title, is a Great Dane who has won the title at the Rubeville State Fair, and it isn't long before the Champion turns up dead, which is because somebody---motive unknown at the moment---has killed the Champion. This is repeated at other shows along the way and Quade's bright young assistant, "Small Fry", fancies himself as an amateur detective, and starts nosing around into the mystery and drags Quade along with him.
- Rated
- Approved
- Runtime
- 1h 7m
- Released
- 1939
- Country
- United States
Details
Release year: 1939
Storyline
Oliver Quade is a pitchman who follows state fairs that feature dog shows---which limits his territory more than a little---at which he sells encyclopedias...and does it well as he possesses a photographic memory that amazes the rubes. The Champion, in the title, is a Great Dane who has won the title at the Rubeville State Fair, and it isn't long before the Champion turns up dead, which is because somebody---motive unknown at the moment---has killed the Champion. This is repeated at other shows along the way and Quade's bright young assistant, "Small Fry", fancies himself as an amateur detective, and starts nosing around into the mystery and drags Quade along with him.
Top credits
Lynne Overman — Oliver Quade
Virginia Dale — Patsy Doyle- Joseph Allen — Richie Oakes
Donald O'Connor — Small Fry
Did you know
• One of over 700 Paramount productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since. Its initial television presentation took place in Boston Tuesday 30 September 1958 on WBZ (Channel 4); it first aired in Chicago Tuesday 13 January 1959 on WBBM (Channel 2), followed by Omaha 14 February 1959 on KETV (Channel 7); it first aired in Seattle 1 September 1959 on KIRO (Channel 7, in Milwaukee 1 December 1959 on WITI (Channel 6), in St. Louis 29 December 1959 on KMOX (Channel 4), in Toledo 9 January 1960 on WTOL (Channel 11), in Johnstown 8 June 1960 on WJAC (Channel 6), and in Cleveland 17 December 1960 on WJW (Channel 8).
User reviews
A highly enjoyable 1930s B mystery
Another film with a soon-to-die dog in the title.
You'll wish rabies on the culprit.
Technical specs
- Sound mix
- Mono
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
- Color
- Black and White
Photos 6
