Murder Is My Business (1946): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1946, Murder Is My Business is an action, crime, adventure and mystery film directed by Sam Newfield, running about 64 minutes. “TWO DAZZLING DARLINGS SLUG IT OUT... and MIKE'S caught in the middle again!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Michael Shayne is a private detective who is disliked greatly by Pete Rafferty, local chief of police detectives. Rafferty notifies the newspaper press that he is going to close Shayne's agency, just as Michael is about to be hired by the wealthy Eleanor Ramsey, who is being blackmailed. She is the stepmother of what she considers to be two grown-up brats, Dorothy and Ernest, and she considers their father to be of little value to the world himself. They all conspire to get their hands on her money, even to the extent of attempting to hire Shayne to frame an insurance robbery. Mrs. Ramsey is murdered, and Rafferty is trying to pin the killing on Shayne, despite the fact that suspicion points to Buell Renslow, brother of the slain woman. Shayne's secretary, the fetching Phyllis Hamilton, decides to do a little detective work to help her boss.

Who’s in it. Murder Is My Business stars Hugh Beaumont as Michael Shayne, Cheryl Walker as Phyllis Hamilton, Lyle Talbot as Buell Renslow and Pierre Watkin as Arnold Ramsey, among others.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Murder Is My Business page.

If you liked it. Fans of Murder Is My Business tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.