Quiet Please: Murder (1942)
Directed by John Larkin, Quiet Please: Murder is a taut, cerebral crime thriller set almost entirely within the shadowy stacks of a public library. Released by 20th Century Fox, this 70-minute film stars George Sanders as a suave and sinister rare book forger who finds himself entangled in a web of deception, murder, and wartime espionage.
Plot Overview
Sanders plays Jim Fleg, a master forger who steals a priceless Shakespeare folio and begins selling expertly crafted fakes. His accomplice, Myra Blandy (Gail Patrick), unwittingly sells one to a Nazi agent, triggering a deadly chain of events. As private investigator Hal McByrne (Richard Denning) closes in, Fleg impersonates a police officer and orchestrates a heist to steal the library’s most valuable books. The climax unfolds during an air raid drill, where blackout conditions allow for a final twist and Fleg’s dramatic downfall.
Cast Highlights
- George Sanders as Jim Fleg — urbane, menacing, and magnetic
- Gail Patrick as Myra Blandy — caught between loyalty and survival
- Richard Denning as Hal McByrne — the dogged detective
- Sidney Blackmer, Lynne Roberts, and Kurt Katch in supporting roles
Behind-the-Scenes Notes
- Based on the short story Death Walks in Marble Halls by Lawrence G. Blochman, published in American Magazine in September 1942
- Also known under the alternate title Death from the Sanskrit
- The film’s setting—a public library—adds a unique intellectual atmosphere rarely seen in noir thrillers
- Sanders’ performance is often praised for its dry wit and chilling charm, elevating the film above its B-movie budget
