A Close Call for Ellery Queen (1942): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1942, A Close Call for Ellery Queen is a crime, adventure and mystery film directed by James P. Hogan, running about 67 minutes. “Fiction And Radio's Foremost Mystery Buster Tackles His Most Baffling Case” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Two mysterious seamen come from Alan Rogers' past to blackmail him as he seeks to locate his missing daughters. Ellery Queen is called in by Stewart Cole, Rogers' secretary. Queen goes to the estate and finds one daughter already there and the second one expected. When she arrives, it is Ellery's secretary Nikki Porter posing as the daughter as Ellery had her intercept the real heiress after learning of a plot to swindle Rogers. The blackmailing seamen are killed at a waterfront café after getting the blackmail money, Rogers is suspected and Inspector Queen arrives to arrest him, but he is also found dead.

Who’s in it. A Close Call for Ellery Queen stars William Gargan as Ellery Queen, Margaret Lindsay as Nikki Porter, Charley Grapewin as Insp. Queen and Ralph Morgan as Alan Rogers, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.5/10, A Close Call for Ellery Queen has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch A Close Call for Ellery Queen page.

If you liked it. Fans of A Close Call for Ellery Queen tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, The Godfather Part II and The Dark Knight.