The Housekeeper's Daughter 1939 DVD - Joan Bennett / Adolphe Menjou

Hilda decides to quit being a gun moll and visit her mother, who is the housekeeper for the Randall family. While the Randalls go on vacation, their son Robert stays behind to pursue a career as a reporter. Meanwhile, Benny, a meek flower vendor, trails showgirl Gladys Fontaine when mob chieftan Floyd forces her onto his houseboat. Fearing for Gladys' safety, Benny tries to poison Floyd, but Gladys accidentally drinks the poisoned coffee instead. In horror, Benny watches as Floyd disposes of Gladys' body in the river. The next morning, Robert reads about the incident and decides to cover the story, working with ace crime reporter Deakon Maxwell and photographer Ed O'Malley. During a police interrogation, they see Benny confess to the murder, and Robert, feeling sympathy, befriends him. After a night out, Benny, still uneasy, encourages a drunken Robert to call his editor with details about Gladys' demise. The following morning, Robert awakens with no memory but discovers he has scooped all other newspapers and is being praised as a hero. Robert's scoop causes Floyd to believe Robert has damaging information on him, leading Floyd to plot Robert's elimination. As gangsters descend on the Randall house, Deakon and Ed shoot fireworks from the roof. Mistaking the fireworks for gunshots, the mobsters open fire, and Benny's poisoned coffee starts taking a toll on the criminals. Police arrive just in time, saving the day. In the end, Robert announces his engagement to Hilda. Cast: - Joan Bennett as Hilda - Adolphe Menjou as Deakon Maxwell - John Hubbard as Robert Randall - William Gargan as Ed O'Malley - George E. Stone as Benny - Peggy Wood as Olga - Donald Meek as Editor Wilson - Marc Lawrence as Floyd - Lilian Bond as Gladys Fontaine - Victor Mature as Lefty - John Hyams as Professor Randall - Leila McIntyre as Mrs. Randall - Luis Alberni as Tony Veroni - Rosina Galli as Mrs. Veroni - Tom Dugan as Gangster - Gene Morgan as Gangster Runtime: 80 minutes.