death kiss

Not every antique is worth money. And not every black-and-white film is a classic. In fact, early Hollywood pumped out scads of films that weren’t worth the celluloid they were printed on. Which is why it’s such a pleasant surprise to discover an uncut gem like 1932’s The Death Kiss amongst all that costume jewelry.

Carrying over much of the cast from the previous year’s Dracula - including Bela Lugosi in a small but important role as an executive at a movie studio whose big star is gunned down on the set of his latest picture -The Death Kiss is a fun little murder mystery set against the backdrop of the burgeoning Hollywood system. David Manners plays the smart-mouth screenwriter who stays one step ahead of the police in an attempt to keep his leading lady (Adrienne Ames) out of trouble while Lugosi leads a parade of possible suspects that includes the head gaffer, penny-pinching producer, and the director himself (Edward Van Sloan, aka Abraham Van Helsing).

The Death Kiss doesn’t take advantage of all the inside gags at its disposal, but it has a snappy pace and a good sense of humor. Manners’ friendly animosity with the investigating police officer makes for some amusing back-and-forth bantering while the mystery unfolds. Lugosi, despite the absence of cape or fangs, is guilty until proven innocent and the film has a good time playing with audience expectations for the now iconic actor.

Kino Lorber’s blu-ray presentation comes from a 35 mm print provided by the Library of Congress and, while not equal to the full-blown restorations performed on Universal recent monster classics, it’s a sight for sore eyes compared to most Poverty Row productions, with original hand-tinted color sequences peppering certain scenes. The 71-minute main feature is accompanied by a superb commentary track from Richard Harland Smith.