When nightclub singer Margaret "the Canary" O'Dell (Louise Brooks) is found strangled, the list of suspects seems endless. With a jilted former lover (James Hall) accused of the crime, it's up to the suave and sharp-witted Philo Vance (William Powell) to unravel the mystery and uncover the real killer before it's too late. This early Paramount talkie served as the screen debut for S.S. Van Dine's popular literary detective.