Directed by Frank R. Strayer, Death From a Distance is a compact, atmospheric mystery thriller that opens with a bang—literally. Set in a planetarium, the film kicks off with a murder during a public astronomy lecture, plunging viewers into a whodunit filled with suspects, secrets, and celestial intrigue.
Plot Summary
As a distinguished astronomer delivers a lecture on the night sky, a gunshot rings out and an audience member is found dead. Enter Detective Lt. Ted Mallory (Russell Hopton), a tough cop with a sharp mind, and Kay Palmer (Lola Lane), a brassy newspaper reporter eager for a scoop. Together, they navigate a tangled web of clues, conflicting witness accounts, and scientific red herrings to uncover the killer.
The planetarium setting adds a unique twist to the mystery, with telescopes, star charts, and cosmic metaphors woven into the investigation. The title proves fitting—death does indeed strike “from a distance,” in more ways than one.
Cast Highlights
- Russell Hopton as Det. Lt. Ted Mallory
- Lola Lane as Kay Palmer
- George F. Marion as Jim Gray
- Lee Kohlmar as Prof. Ernst Einfeld
- John St. Polis, Lew Kelly, and E.H. Calvert in supporting roles
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- This was one of the earliest films to feature a murder in a planetarium, offering a rare glimpse into 1930s astronomical settings
- The film used props from The Invisible Ray (1935), another sci-fi thriller released the same year
- It holds a unique place in broadcast history: it was the first feature film ever aired on New York’s WNBT (Channel 1) on July 2, 1941, marking the station’s transition from experimental to official status
- Later TV broadcasts occurred in cities like Detroit, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Salt Lake City, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, spanning from 1947 to 1952
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