Millionaire sportsman Hiram Brighton hires gumshoe Michael Shayne to keep his spoiled daughter Phyllis away from racetrack betting windows and roulette wheels. After Phyllis slips away and continues her compulsive gambling, Shayne fakes the murder of her gambler boyfriend, who is also romancing the daughter of casino owner Benny Gordon, in order to frighten her. When the tout really ends up murdered, Shayne and Phyllis' Aunt Olivia, an avid reader of murder mysteries, both try to find the identity of the killer.
Rank what matters in Michael Shayne: Private Detective (1940) — scenes, quotes, and characters from this title.
Who carries this title?
From this cast
Tap to nominate
Your take
Rate this title
Tap half or full stars · 0.5–10 scale
Be the first CineMood rating
Open communitySign in to save your rating.
None yet
See all
Lloyd Nolan
Michael Shayne
Marjorie Weaver
Phyllis Brighton
Joan Valerie
Marsha Gordon
Walter Abel
Elliott Thomas
Elizabeth Patterson
Aunt Olivia
Donald MacBride
Chief Peter Painter
Douglass Dumbrille
Benny Gordon (as Douglas Dumbrille)
Clarence Kolb
Hiram P. Brighton
George Meeker
Harry Grange
Charles Coleman
Ponsby
Adrian Morris
Al
Robert Emmett Keane
Larry Kincaid
Frank Orth
Steve
Irving Bacon
Fisherman
Don Brodie
Reporter (uncredited)
