Private detectives Bill Crane (Preston Foster) and Doc Williams (Frank Jenks) have been summand to the Essex estate by John Essex (Raymond Parker) for a job. He invites the detectives to stay at the mansion and pose as houseguests while they investigate.
John tells the duo that he has been receiving threatening messages recently but doesn’t know from whom. The only indication in the notes is that they are from someone who calls himself “The Eye”. The notes imply that John owes money to someone and will kill him if he doesn’t get it. John maintains that he doesn’t owe anyone money.
At the estate they meet John’s sister, Linda (Frances Robinson) and their uncle, Major Barclay (E.E. Clive). Barclay is the trustee of the family estate. Other guests at the house include Dawn Day (Joyce Compton) and Carla Rodriguez (Kay Linaker) as well as Linda’s fiancé Tony Henderson (Robert Paige). Linda mentions to Bill that her brother owes money to a gambler, Steve Felson (Richard Lane). They learn that Barclay refuses to give John the money he needs.
That evening everyone goes to Steve’s casino, “The Plantation”. Bill learns that Carla and Steve are in league with each other in some way but he’s not sure how yet. During the evening Steve is shot to death, and Linda is kidnapped. Bill and Doc end up in the middle of a ransom demand and another murder. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has a secret they are trying to keep.
“The Last Warning” was released in 1938 and was directed by Albert S. Rogell. It is an American “B” mystery film. The movie is based on the 1938 novel “The Dead Don’t Care” by Jonathan Latimer.
The movie is the third and final film that features the Bill Crane and Doc Williams team. The other two films were, “The Westland Case” 1937 and “The Lady in the Morgue” 1938. All three films were part of a deal between Universal Pictures and Doubleday Publishing. The joint venture took several novels and adapted them to “B” films. The venture was referred to as the Crime Club. All the Crime Club films were identified by the use of a CC logo at the beginning and end of the film.
As with many of these films, most of it is comedy, especially between Bill and Doc. They appear to be both the lead actors and the comic relief. It’s not a bad film, but not all that engaging. It’s good for an hour’s respite.