The Walls Came Tumbling Down

An early, light noir with Christian plot points, Lothar Mendez’s The Walls Came Tumbling Down narrates the story of newspaper columnist Gilbert Archer (Lee Bowman), who takes it upon himself to investigate the apparent suicide of his close friend, Father Walsh (Francis Pierlot), who may have possessed a pair of special Bibles and/or a valuable painting called “The Walls of Jericho.” Archer encounters a series of eccentric characters who are searching for the Bibles, including the wealthy Bostonian Laura Browning (Marguerite Chapman), to whom Archer finds himself instantly attracted, and the creepy Matthew Stoker (George Macready) and his wife. The acting is strong, Wilfred Petitt’s script is a lot of fun (if a bit talky), and Charles Lawton’s camera works just fine, with several scenes featuring gorgeous compositions and low-key lighting, most notably when Archer searches for the painting behind walls. The film isn’t a bleak noir — rather, it’s earnest and tidy — but it’s a good, old-fashioned mystery that rewards careful viewing.