mark.waltz A superb thriller, this riveting nail biter is chock full of surprises that literally shock a few of the eight and might shock viewers as they get more intrigued by the goings on in this variation of Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians". Eight people of varying moralities are gathered together for a lavish party at a stranger's home where the staff knows nothing of their employer, and no host seems to be around. As they are about to leave, the radio goes on and a booming voice warns them about the impending dangers they face should they decide to leave, indicating that only the strong will survive, and that most of them will perish due to their immoral characters. The battle of wills between the apparently evil guests and the sinister evil of the host becomes drawn, with one guest getting their due right at the stroke of 11, and several others forced through panic into doing things they know might either shock them right then and there or send them to the electric chair over crimes they commit in their efforts to escape.The set up of this film is a mixture of gripping horror and light comedy, particularly through clumsy butler Vince Barnett who steals every moment that he is on screen, particularly in a drunk scene in a wine closet hidden within the elaborate kitchen setting. The cast of characters might not be all star players from Columbia's contract players, but they each get minutes to shine as they share their character (or lack of it) with other members of the party and the audience. Moments of panic leads to moments of intensity for the office, so this mystery/thriller gets to include genuine moments of terror as well, making this a combo mystery/horror film that keeps you guessing right up until the end. Donald Cook, Genevieve Tobin, Hardie Albright and Edward Ellis are the top billed guests, with Samuel S. Hinds and Nella Walker also recognizable for savvy classic movie watchers. The script, though, is the true star, intelligently written and sophisticated in its way of developing the terrors that go on right up until the end.

gridoon2018 Easy to be mistaken for a variation on Agatha Christie's famous "Ten Little Indians", this largely unknown movie is more like an inspiration! (it was based on a book written 9 years earlier than Christie's book). Beyond the surefire premise (8 people trapped in a penthouse by an unseen host, killed one by one based on their past sins), it's tightly scripted, and benefits from the absence of law enforcement officials, and little comic relief (the assistant butler). There is even character development! Roy William Neill's sprightly direction never lets you feel claustrophobic (well, not more claustrophobic than you're supposed to feel anyway....),and the actors, although not top-drawer names, manage to differentiate their characters sufficiently. If there is one thing I can say against the movie, it's that it cheats - partly: two vital clues are named at the unmasking of the host, but if you watch the movie again, only one of them is true! *** out of 4.

kidboots This is a suspenseful little mystery produced by Columbia, with imaginative and stylish use of lighting and camera angles. Genevieve Tobin plays Jean Trent and if you have never seen her in a film you have missed a really special actress. Her role in this movie is just a very pretty, frightened heroine but she could do much more. Hard to believe from this movie but given the chance she was sparkling, sassy and had a snappy way of delivering her lines that even the introduction of the code couldn't dampen (see her as a wise cracking Della Street in "The Case of the Lucky Legs" (1935)).Eight people are invited by a mysterious host to a dinner party to be held in his or her honour. As everyone gathers at the party, the host is absent and the servants have been issued with strict instructions to answer all questions with "I do not know"!! After exploring the grounds they find 8 coffins - "one for each of us" - and are then told by the host, who communicates through the radio, that at the strike of each hour one of them will die. The first one to die is Osgood, a cowardly crook, who plans to poison all the guests himself but cuts his finger on the poisoned cap. Just before the next victim, Margaret Chisolm (Nella Walker) is slain, she is exposed as a bigamist, who has made a name for herself in society, with money from her husband, who she has had locked up in an insane asylum. All eyes, of course, turn to Tim Cronin (Edward Ellis) - Osgood was his enemy and Mrs. Chisolm had snubbed his daughter. As the night slips away the guest's lives are exposed as each reveals secrets about themselves and each other.Even though my copy had a few minutes missing around the 20 minute mark, it doesn't take long to realise what is going on. The film is filled with actors you know, but can't quite place. Donald Cook was an under-rated actor of charm and sophistication who first came to notice playing James Cagney's responsible war weary brother in "The Public Enemy". Studios found him a dependable player and he found roles in a variety of films from Ruth Chatterton's brother in the teary "Unfaithful" (1931) to even playing her long lost son in "Frisco Jenny" (1933). Hardie Albright, who played Henry Abbott, was another actor who didn't live up to his initial build up.Highly Recommended.

the_mysteriousx This is a very tough-to-find classic studio horror film from the golden age of horror films. Above all, it deserves to be seen by more fans of the films of that era. While it is very obvious from the beginning as to who the killer is (fans of this type of film will know based on formula), the film is consistently entertaining and very well-directed. Unlike many slow and stagy productions from the early 30s, this one is very fluid and Roy William Neill, who would later direct many of the Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films, has an excellent grasp on how to effectively move his camera. It is refreshingly unpretentious and almost sickly stylish at times and not stagy as a Monogram and Mascot feature almost inherently at some level must be. It is Grand Guignol fun with a stylish Art-Deco apartment where eight guests are trapped by the titular "ninth guest", a voice from the radio that commands their ill-fated party. It is reminiscent of Ulmer's 'The Black Cat' from the same year, in how it uses a modern design to decorate its' house of horror. The cast is very good and includes Donald Cook, who next year made a fine Ellery Queen and Edwin Maxwell and Samuel S. Hinds lend their usual solid performances for this type of film. It was made by Colombia Pictures.