I can't deal with politics or the condition of this country anymore. Escapist fare like this keeps me going. Thanks for these films which transport us back to a different time.
@@graemesmith6721here we fucking go! Everybody is a racist, Nazi, fascist etc etc etc. The poster said "a different time" and you immediately went to victim mentality! You sound overly vaxxed
One of my favorite things about these old movies is the interior design and the clothing fashions of that era. We also have to remember that this film was made in the great depression which is amazing in itself.
Ordinary people of that time had about five different outfits but they were tailored to fit perfectly and cost a lot more than we pay for clothes today. Still, style was everything and it is wonderful to watch those movies full of class and beauty.
I love the lack of music in these old movies. its great to just enjoy the story without being battered by a soundtrack, after all i believe real life doesn't have a soundtrack playing all the time ;)
@@kindredspirit3875 thank you I believe I've seen the recentish BBC adaption shown around christmas time and enjoyed that so will probably enjoy the 1945 version as well!
Have you noticed how the more prominent American actresses of the 30s all spoke with english accents. Hillary Brooke was advised to do just that in order to get the better parts of sophisticated society ladies,so she came to England for a year and learnt to adopt the accent and as a result she never looked back.
This predates Agatha Christie just showing that there is nothing new under the sun. Thank you for this great, old movie - I love to go back in time and see how people acted in the movies and the way they used whatever they could to spin an interesting tale. 😊
I'm seeing a lot of petty complaints about the movie. Remember that this was the early 1930's, and sound films were still quite new. There was also a shortage of good screenwriters. Not a problem. Even if this reminds you of another movie, relax and enjoy something from a better period of American history than what we're going through now. There are no nude scenes, no sex scenes, no obscene language, and just enough violence to keep things rolling.
Great observation, although I can take good cussing now and then, I don't like nudity--I mean--after all! (Umm, This is all tongue in cheek--I trust you know that.)
Kelvin Torrence, Come to Florida and you can go to theaters, restaurants, beaches, zoos, sporting events, operas, schools, colleges, shopping at all the stores you want without wearing masks, etc etc. But you won't be seen quality movies in theaters like you see here.
This is not a documentary, nor social realism, but an amazing movie in so many ways from 1934. I never saw this before and like many other movies from the early 30's, I'm so impressed. And a bit puzzled why we salute still more and still worse movies and tv-series. Sure, the colors and the sound have improved, and computer animations etc. gives so many more opportunities, but in 99,9 percent, the manuscripts, acting and purpose to make each movie and tv-serie haven't improved equally. In fact just the opposite!! Thank you, Brandon (and others) to share these great old movies with all of us and keep them alive. :)
@@sherrihinton8567 Oh dear, I sure hope you will not be disappointed! My favorite movies are such a mix, and I've met talked movies with people who absolutely loved some and hated others from my top ten! But regarding us who love crime- and comedy movies from the 20's, 30's and 40's, I guess we have a lot of the same (or very much alike) movies at our top 100 of this category. Like The Maltese Falcon, Queen of Africa and Casablanca, just to mention 3 of my top 5, which just happens to be with Bogart. :D Danish TV hasn't shown many oldies with unknown actors, and until I was 24 years old in 1986, we had only one TV channel! And from all the channels we can buy today, NONE of them have these old b/w movies! And Danish Netflix also doesn't have any of these goodies. Their few "old" movies are the ones from 80's and 90's who have been shown on TV thousands of times! But with the internet, and especially the amazing people uploading these amazing movies on RUclips, have made it possible to watch so many amazing movies, actors and directors I would never have been able to watch and know about otherwise.
@@pirakoXX I certainly loved it. The movie by far is one of the better ones. It kept you going. There wasnt slows spots. Just my kind of movie. I too have changed the movies I look at. Movies past 1961 seem to have no attraction for me. I thank you. It's one o'clock in Arizona so now I can go to bed. I hope you have a wonderful week and I'll see you at the movies.(Ive always wanted to say that)
This was so well directed, incorporating elements of German Expressionism, and straight drama to give the entire movie its atmosphere. Some shots are still used to this day.
@John Omalley Sure They did. John Dillinger was gun down when he came out of the Biograph theater on July 22 1934. Large sign on theater said Air Cooled inside.
Every year when red carpet season goes into overdrive I think why don't the customers or designers get ideas from the gowns in films from 30s to the 50s. Not the overdone dresses with huge sleeves, lots of fur & trim . The ones that are so classic they look like they were designed in the last few decades. Simple, elegant, some with gemstones some plain, with straps & strapless.
What a great movie, l love the fact that it's black and white, so much better than the junk out there today. Please down load more, murder mysteries are the best for rainy weekends in fact any Day!
I have to admit, I'd always assumed that Agatha Christie had invented this format with "And Then There Were None" but this film predates that novel by five years!
There was also a Sherlock Holmes film. All the inheritors of a will were being bumpped off in a Masion. I think there was another Holmes one as well. About a league of gentlemen who had each made the others the beneficieries of life insurance. I can not remember the titles of the films or books though.
@@MikeGreenwood51one of those films was House of Fear, Holmes and Watson go to Scotland and investigate a series of murders happening to a group of men in an old castle or such. early 1940's film very good. hope that helps
it is a tried and true theme, from early 30's to the late 50's, good examples are The Thirteenth Guest, 1932 with Ginger Rogers, and House on Haunted Hill, 1959 with Vincent Price. both these films are worth seeing.
@@midnightchannel111 In the 20s and 30s Black and white camera work and set design became art forms in their own right. Totally unique art form. The art of light and shadow.
WOW! This was a great movie! Superbly directed is right! The camera told the story, speaking wordlessly as it moved across each scene. Especially at the beginning when the entire process of sending telegrams was filmed in rapid motion. Amazing for that time period! And the acting! Real horror, real tension. And the glamorous wardrobe! To say nothing of the sets with the soaring doorways, angled shots, and stark contrasts between light and dark. Very satisfying. Thank you very much for the upload.
*The story was written by Owen Davis who based it on a book he'd read by Gwen Bristow and Bruce Manning. For its conversion to screenplay, the studio likely already had Garnett Weston on its payroll as a staff writer and assigned him to it. *Weston seems to have had experience writing for the stage. As with most playwrights of that era, thinking he might have more success in the ever-climbing film industry, he'd likely gone to Hollywood from New York or Chicago. Though Weston stuck to his stage writing background, he scripted various "location" scenes early in the setup. Otherwise, the bulk of the drama unfolds on just three primary sets: the main room with entry, the kitchen and the balcony. *The story is along the lines of a "parlor drama" more than a whodunit, because the characters are winning or failing according to their personas and their past sins, even the perpetrator when finally revealed. The dialogue consciously steers the progression of the story for the audiences as much as does the voice on the radio. The voice lends a phantom-like aura that has power over them all. Though there are established stars acting, its otherwise an ensemble cast. There is very little musical overlay. Altogether, these make for a compelling yet economical film.
That was a REAL wall clock, it was actually IN the wall. Folks in the 30's were really into women's backs. This is a well written, superbly directed movie for any time. It suffered a bit from not having themed murders that we became used to from later films. Agatha Christie used the Ten Little Indian Verse, and speaking of verse, there are poetic justice murders, Alphabet Murders, and the The Abominable Dr. Phibes used the Plagues of Egypt. This did have a "challenge," identify and defeat the host and it would all be over. Not suggesting plagiarism, but I'd say Christie had read the novel 1930 The Invisibe Host by Gwen Brislow and Bruce Manning. And I'd say she improved on it with the themed murders. Christie's novel came out 9 years after The Invisible Host and 5 after the movie so maybe she did see this flick. The two stories have similar histories, made into plays with considerable input from the authors and then into movies with more changes approved or suggested by authors. And of course in movie tradition, after a lot of mistrust, the love interests escape and the villain dies. Would I watch it again? Yeah, there's some camera work and direction that's worth seeing and thinking about.
@@jean6872 Agatha Christie wasn't the best, but she startted with money, social status, and a flair for publicity as in her runaway act when her husband cheated.
It’s a pretty good mystery in the time-honored tradition of an unknown host inviting people to a dinner party when they get locked inside and die one by one. However I didn’t care for the moments of attempted slapstick comedy sprinkled about - as when one man struggles with a giant block of ice for the ice box, or the drunk looking for his pencil that rolled under the ice box.
If you enjoyed this film you may also like Roy William Neill's Black Angel, his last film made in 1946, starring Dan Duryea, Peter Lorre and Constance Dowling, who is interesting for a variety of reasons. I believe it is also on RUclips somewhere.
One of Woody Neill's early triumphs of director over script: Film students should watch it twice -- with sound and without-- to appreciate its lighting effects and camera angles.
Thank you for your simple, yet insightful comment! My studies and interests were, and are, in literature or "print media" but I've always loved b& w movies, pardon, films, and play them while I do other things, however, your simple use of the word student and suggestion of how to watch a film has spurred me to pay more attention to certain elements on the screen that I'll look up when I finish this but I imagine the narrative aspects coincide with literature and things like camera angle, movement and sound/music choice. Anyway, thanks again from an an avid learner!!
my wee granny was born in 1910 we used to watch the old black&white films at 2pm on channel 4,its nice trying to see if i recognise any of them i used to fall asleep myself watching them sometimes and i was only 18 lol
BBC and ITV also use to have great late night movies, so called "programme filler thrillers", I used to tape them or watch them coming home inebriated after a night's out.
My rating is 3.5 stars on 4, has the same ambiance as Then There Were None and the B Movie with George Zucco and Lionel Atwill Fog Island, those who like those kind of movies can watch the two I just mentioned here, there is more that my mind escape and All of You have a Nice day and enjoy those Great Classics and The Culture to Cultivate the mind. Take good care. P.S. No Vulgar language, this is what I Like. Those movies at that time the language was pure. But at times rough though.
Quite a suspenseful movie - in 1 h! Don't get impatient and miss the end. With all our modern advancements in electronics, it will be hard for us to imagine how anything like these murders can be done. As someone said elsewhere, it must have been an afternoon (matinee) movie - short, and potent - and no time to waste. Apparently housewives and other such bound to looking after the family, took short breaks and went to matinees in the US in those days.... Thanks for putting it on youtube - such a little gem!
Wow!! The Forefather of Ten Little Indians, And Then There Were None, Fog Island, House on Haunted Hill and a dozen more. I like that the couple were the survivors and you got to love a drunk butler!
I really enjoyed this movie after I watched it again on youtube. Brandon Siddall , thank you so much for posting it! After my initial viewing I was mad at Agatha Christie for basically putting her name on the plot from this film with 'Ten Little Indians' aka 'And Then There Were None'. But both films stand on their own. She improved on the idea and her twist was a better one. Every year my love of old B&W movies from all countries grows stronger. The actors are amazing. I truly love "the old dark house" films. The older the better!
@@jerryjohnson8485 Yes the original was so good. I kept imagining I needed to to get dry & warm because it was raining so hard the whole movie. (lol) But that mess of a remake in 1963 was horrible.
Pity none of the victims had any basic knowledge of electricity - It wouldn't have been a great deal of trouble to short out the electrified gate so you could climb over it - But I suppose that wouldn't have made a good plot for a suspense picture !
this film deserves to be restored. yes, the comedy doesn't work and is unnecessary, the radio speaking on cue is absurd. The acting is above standard. Clothing and especially the modern architectural sets are outstanding. as is the cinematography and the often unusual perspective and rakish angles. In a crisp restoration of its original black and white contrasts it would be breathtaking.
Such a great little movie! Unusual and intruiging . The fact I knew none of the cast didn't matter, they were all good . Thanks for downloading, I love old movies especially the good mystery and horror ones. :)
Hi, Donald Cook the dark haired guy was in a classic, "The Public Enemy" 1931. The older guy with glasses was Samuel Hinds, he was in many movies in the 30's and 40's I know this because I've watched older movies since childhood 🙂
Very good movie especially for the time. Funny how during the Great Depression when so many were dirt poor the entertainment of choice was often stories about the very rich in glamorous outfits.
Thank You for sharing this movie Mr Siddall, it is very appreciated and I have bookmarked the Horror Movie Project website. Take care and Have a Nice day.
Agatha Christie's plots were inspired by this film. Columbia Pictures never released this film on home video so the film fell into public domains resulting in poor duplicated copies. This copy is nice compared to other ones. thanks for sharing this important piece.
Hi! Yes I agree with You Mr Siddall of Your assessment of this movie, You are right on and for Mr Leonard Maltin to rate it 2.5 stars on 4, it say its all, because He is the most hard movie Critique there is, 2.5 You might say it is not much, but with the type of movies it is, it is honest. Edward Ellis played in The Thin Man with William Powell and Myrna Loy and Genevieve Tobin was a very good Actress at that time, the cast was good not excellent but good, but I agree it was superbly Directed.
Did you watch "And then there were none" with Charles Dance? The original was really good, but you want scary this is the way to go. It's more like a thriller. A must watch!!!
@@kickstart_1.3 The first four English language film adaptations are based on the play, which has a different ending (Christie herself made the change). The Russian, BBC, and Japanese versions use the book's ending.
i love this old movies i have been watching t hem since i was in my twenties i'm 78 now , the thing i love about this movies is thier dialogue , it's precious the way the actors talk to each other , did they really talk that way back in 30 's and 40's love it '' thank you so much for preservlng this old movies for the future generation, i truly hope that they enjoy this old movies as much i have. thank you so much. j.
Much better movie than "And Then There Were None" (which was way too campy with Barry Fitzgerald). This one has real suspense, drama and builds very nicely. Great movie. UCLA just did a restoration which I saw at the Film Noir Festival in LA. Hopefully, it will be released on DVD very soon. The print was great.
cor8129......I am always wondering why some people seem to think that because a movie was made in the 30s,40s,50s, etc....it would not be entertaining or well made and, are surprised to find that it is! There were intelligent people back then, too!
Has parallels to "AND THEN THERE WERE NONE" also known as "TEN LITTLE INDIANS" from a story by Agatha Christie. I did the play in high school. Love these old films and the art deco decor! Thanks for uploading it!
I didn't mind the modern era movies, once I got used to it. Then I kind of appreciated them for what they were. But SH belongs in the 19th century, I agree.
Oh, not at all, at least not recently. The arrested (and 'Politically Correct') criminal is actually the victim and the alleged victim is a liar. Case dismissed.
This is a SCREEN GEMS copy of the 50's. We want coming soon this movie restored with the original titles, beginning with the MPPDA certificate, and of course, with a good finishin' touches at the Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, CA.More than 80 years later, it's a good classic. A good thriller.
Oinophilos Really? Agatha Christie wrote countless mystery novels and short stories that were VERY original. The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd, The Mysterious Affair At Styles, Murder On The Orient Express.... and on...
@@deb7457 Sadly he's right. She wrote a book with an extremely similar plot to this, called "Ten Little Niggers" in November of 1939. It's title for the American market was changed to "And Then There Were None" in December of the same year. You can find multiple TV-series and audio-books of that title here on RUclips. Listen to one, and decide for yourself if she found her inspiration for that book from this movie.
I find it hard to believe that Christie saw an obscure American B movie and stole the story. This was around the time Britain stopped importing mysteries and horror films, so the odds of her having seen it is slim to none.
Two more great underrated, forgotten classic "old dark house" films are, "While the Patient Slept"(1935) starring Aline MacMahon and "Before Midnight" (1933) starring Ralph Bellamy. Both stars play characters that really raise the bar in the genre , on both films.
Watched this movie a couple years ago. I forgot my boyfriend watched it with me until he tried to recall it just based on a few details today-- we both breathed such a sigh of relief when we finally found it again!! Love this movie!
'You think I'm mad don't you? I can see it in your eyes; me mad? I'm not mad. Is a man mad because he kills his enemies?' I love the way the actor delivers these lines and feel like they should be lines people quote even if they don't remember where they come from.
People like that always consider that they're all right but that everyone else has a screw loose. I've known lots of folks like that, and I'm much relieved to be the only sane man on Earth.
@@dennisday2049And you're the ignorant Ultra Right. Kenneth Mitchell is correct in his observation, actually. Just because it isn't equal to today's standards of violence doesn't make them any less violent. Even more from that era were misogynistic. Many of these older movies regularly treated the smacking around and beating of Women as a necessity to "keep them in line", something that would never be written in a movie today.
@@dennisday2049: The only moron is you. Violence is violence, no matter how clever you cover it. But you're too ignorant to know that. Or you're an abuser yourself.
There was a way out the scripter didn't consider. A lighter could melt or burn away the insulation on the cut phone wires. Then they could be spliced together. I've often used a lighter in this manner,
Have to admire a movie with the opening line "Sorry sir, you can't send any swear words in a telegram." Got me hooked immediately, script writer with a sense of humor.
![The Thirteenth Guest (1932) [Mystery]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/71IJjCbbK7k/mqdefault.jpg)
![The Rogues Tavern (1936) [Horror] [Mystery]](/img/1.gif)
I can't deal with politics or the condition of this country anymore. Escapist fare like this keeps me going. Thanks for these films which transport us back to a different time.
plus, they are just plain good entertainment.
A time when America was in the depths of a depression and much of the country was segregated. You know, the "good old days!"
@@graemesmith6721here we fucking go! Everybody is a racist, Nazi, fascist etc etc etc. The poster said "a different time" and you immediately went to victim mentality! You sound overly vaxxed
One of my favorite things about these old movies is the interior design and the clothing fashions of that era. We also have to remember that this film was made in the great depression which is amazing in itself.
I'm enjoying the decor, too. Fun to see. Oh, that clock pendulum!
The Great Depression was for the common people, that's how the rich lived and still are.
Ordinary people of that time had about five different outfits but they were tailored to fit perfectly and cost a lot more than we pay for clothes today. Still, style was everything and it is wonderful to watch those movies full of class and beauty.
Not amazing, but noteworthy.
and just knowing and picturing that it was made like 90 years ago. it’s so crazy
I love the lack of music in these old movies. its great to just enjoy the story without being battered by a soundtrack, after all i believe real life doesn't have a soundtrack playing all the time ;)
watch "then there were none"
@@kindredspirit3875 thank you I believe I've seen the recentish BBC adaption shown around christmas time and enjoyed that so will probably enjoy the 1945 version as well!
Have you noticed how the more prominent American actresses of the 30s all spoke with english accents. Hillary Brooke was advised to do just that in order to get the better parts of sophisticated society ladies,so she came to England for a year and learnt to adopt the accent and as a result she never looked back.
Opening line: “I’m sorry, Sir, but you can’t send any swear words in a telegram.” It’s hard to remember an America like that.
Yeah, really. Foul mouths and foul manners are the norm today.
I LOVE THE TELEGRAM OPERATORS' SCENE AT THE BEGINNING. *THEY ARE AWESOME LADIES !!!*
Thank you for posting this film
Considering this is 86 years old, it's pretty good.
I liked that pendulum clock. Great idea.
This predates Agatha Christie just showing that there is nothing new under the sun. Thank you for this great, old movie - I love to go back in time and see how people acted in the movies and the way they used whatever they could to spin an interesting tale. 😊
I'm seeing a lot of petty complaints about the movie. Remember that this was the early 1930's, and sound films were still quite new. There was also a shortage of good screenwriters. Not a problem. Even if this reminds you of another movie, relax and enjoy something from a better period of American history than what we're going through now. There are no nude scenes, no sex scenes, no obscene language, and just enough violence to keep things rolling.
+Lee Larson These movies were built on talent not bullshit, who does who.
Great observation, although I can take good cussing now and then, I don't like nudity--I mean--after all! (Umm, This is all tongue in cheek--I trust you know that.)
Lily.
These are fun, just what I need these days. Beats reading the news.
No nudity, no obscenity, no sex, and only limited violence? What the ....heck, I'll watch it anyhow.
Very captivating and best of all no musical noises that drown out voices.
THAT is what ruined a lot of otherwise good movies. If someone could re-do these films and edit out the background noise, it would be an improvement.
Covid 19 got me watching these great old movies since we all now have,no movie theaters to go to anymore and my own hot popcorn to boot.
Me too 😁
Kelvin Torrence, Come to Florida and you can go to theaters, restaurants, beaches, zoos, sporting events, operas, schools, colleges, shopping at all the stores you want without wearing masks, etc etc. But you won't be seen quality movies in theaters like you see here.
It's been almost 20 years since I've been to the movie theater and I'm never going back. Today's movies are pure garbage.
Unless you're addicted to CGI, this is far better than most anything made in the last 20+ years.
This is not a documentary, nor social realism, but an amazing movie in so many ways from 1934.
I never saw this before and like many other movies from the early 30's, I'm so impressed.
And a bit puzzled why we salute still more and still worse movies and tv-series. Sure, the colors and the sound have improved, and computer animations etc. gives so many more opportunities, but in 99,9 percent, the manuscripts, acting and purpose to make each movie and tv-serie haven't improved equally. In fact just the opposite!!
Thank you, Brandon (and others) to share these great old movies with all of us and keep them alive. :)
I'm going to watch this movie tonight because of your comment. I'm sure I'll be pleased. Thank you
@@sherrihinton8567 Oh dear, I sure hope you will not be disappointed!
My favorite movies are such a mix, and I've met talked movies with people who absolutely loved some and hated others from my top ten!
But regarding us who love crime- and comedy movies from the 20's, 30's and 40's, I guess we have a lot of the same (or very much alike) movies at our top 100 of this category.
Like The Maltese Falcon, Queen of Africa and Casablanca, just to mention 3 of my top 5, which just happens to be with Bogart. :D
Danish TV hasn't shown many oldies with unknown actors, and until I was 24 years old in 1986, we had only one TV channel! And from all the channels we can buy today, NONE of them have these old b/w movies!
And Danish Netflix also doesn't have any of these goodies. Their few "old" movies are the ones from 80's and 90's who have been shown on TV thousands of times!
But with the internet, and especially the amazing people uploading these amazing movies on RUclips, have made it possible to watch so many amazing movies, actors and directors I would never have been able to watch and know about otherwise.
@@pirakoXX I certainly loved it. The movie by far is one of the better ones. It kept you going. There wasnt slows spots. Just my kind of movie. I too have changed the movies I look at. Movies past 1961 seem to have no attraction for me. I thank you. It's one o'clock in Arizona so now I can go to bed. I hope you have a wonderful week and I'll see you at the movies.(Ive always wanted to say that)
Agreed Pia!
This was so well directed, incorporating elements of German Expressionism, and straight drama to give the entire movie its atmosphere. Some shots are still used to this day.
Thank you for sharing this film made when acting was based on talent without gimmicks like nudity and foul language to attract the adolescent mind.
You should have seen PreCode movies, grandma.
FROM THE BEGINNING THEY COULD'VE SHORTED OUT THE GATE AND BE ON THEIR MERRY WAY, BUT THEN WE WOULDN'T HAVE A MOVIE.
Love these glamorous 30's flicks. Men in tuxedos , women in sparkling evening gowns. "Depression Era" audiences could forget their problems.
DJR
@John Omalley Sure They did. John Dillinger was gun down when he came out of the Biograph theater on July 22 1934. Large sign on theater said Air Cooled inside.
Her sparkling evening gown was gorgeous!
I made the comment that people haven't changed but you are so right about the nice clothes. The glamour even inspires today.
Every year when red carpet season goes into overdrive I think why don't the customers or designers get ideas from the gowns in films from 30s to the 50s. Not the overdone dresses with huge sleeves, lots of fur & trim . The ones that are so classic they look like they were designed in the last few decades. Simple, elegant, some with gemstones some plain, with straps & strapless.
What a great movie, l love the fact that it's black and white, so much better than the junk out there today.
Please down load more, murder mysteries are the best for rainy weekends in fact any Day!
Same here
Upload***
LODA LEGA thank you for the correction
I have to admit, I'd always assumed that Agatha Christie had invented this format with "And Then There Were None" but this film predates that novel by five years!
There was also a Sherlock Holmes film. All the inheritors of a will were being bumpped off in a Masion. I think there was another Holmes one as well. About a league of gentlemen who had each made the others the beneficieries of life insurance. I can not remember the titles of the films or books though.
@@MikeGreenwood51one of those films was House of Fear, Holmes and Watson go to Scotland and investigate a series of murders happening to a group of men in an old castle or such. early 1940's film very good. hope that helps
it is a tried and true theme, from early 30's to the late 50's, good examples are The Thirteenth Guest, 1932 with Ginger Rogers, and House on Haunted Hill, 1959 with Vincent Price. both these films are worth seeing.
Oh how I miss rotary phones, phone booths, $0.01 bubble gum and a hundred other things along with getting the Sunday newspaper. Lol
@@nadiaglasner4530 and a payphone was 5 cents. to ride the bus was a whopping 10 cents.
An ingenious, stylish mystery that remains as fascinating as ever. Director Roy William Neill's camera work and editing are themselves something else.
Yes,the camera angles and lighting were wonderful!
@@midnightchannel111 In the 20s and 30s Black and white camera work and set design became art forms in their own right. Totally unique art form. The art of light and shadow.
He directed all the brilliant Rathbone & Bruce Sherlock Holmes films 🧐🎩🔍
WOW! This was a great movie! Superbly directed is right! The camera told the story, speaking wordlessly as it moved across each scene. Especially at the beginning when the entire process of sending telegrams was filmed in rapid motion. Amazing for that time period! And the acting! Real horror, real tension. And the glamorous wardrobe! To say nothing of the sets with the soaring doorways, angled shots, and stark contrasts between light and dark. Very satisfying. Thank you very much for the upload.
*The story was written by Owen Davis who based it on a book he'd read by Gwen Bristow and Bruce Manning. For its conversion to screenplay, the studio likely already had Garnett Weston on its payroll as a staff writer and assigned him to it.
*Weston seems to have had experience writing for the stage. As with most playwrights of that era, thinking he might have more success in the ever-climbing film industry, he'd likely gone to Hollywood from New York or Chicago. Though Weston stuck to his stage writing background, he scripted various "location" scenes early in the setup. Otherwise, the bulk of the drama unfolds on just three primary sets: the main room with entry, the kitchen and the balcony.
*The story is along the lines of a "parlor drama" more than a whodunit, because the characters are winning or failing according to their personas and their past sins, even the perpetrator when finally revealed. The dialogue consciously steers the progression of the story for the audiences as much as does the voice on the radio. The voice lends a phantom-like aura that has power over them all. Though there are established stars acting, its otherwise an ensemble cast. There is very little musical overlay. Altogether, these make for a compelling yet economical film.
That was a REAL wall clock, it was actually IN the wall. Folks in the 30's were really into women's backs.
This is a well written, superbly directed movie for any time. It suffered a bit from not having themed murders that we became used to from later films. Agatha Christie used the Ten Little Indian Verse, and speaking of verse, there are poetic justice murders, Alphabet Murders, and the The Abominable Dr. Phibes used the Plagues of Egypt. This did have a "challenge," identify and defeat the host and it would all be over.
Not suggesting plagiarism, but I'd say Christie had read the novel 1930 The Invisibe Host by Gwen Brislow and Bruce Manning. And I'd say she improved on it with the themed murders. Christie's novel came out 9 years after The Invisible Host and 5 after the movie so maybe she did see this flick.
The two stories have similar histories, made into plays with considerable input from the authors and then into movies with more changes approved or suggested by authors. And of course in movie tradition, after a lot of mistrust, the love interests escape and the villain dies.
Would I watch it again? Yeah, there's some camera work and direction that's worth seeing and thinking about.
It did remind me a lot of Ten Little Indians/ And Then There Were None.
@@jonbolton3376 Agatha Christie must certainly have copied this story for her own novel which was published three years later.
@@jean6872 Agatha Christie wasn't the best, but she startted with money, social status, and a flair for publicity as in her runaway act when her husband cheated.
@@scallopohare9431 You make sense.
Great fun - lovely deco set.
It was tacky, and was cheaply done in the worst minimalist manner.
So glad an watch the old ones because I cant stand the new ones
I can't stand the new ones either
Marion Whittington my first job was telegram boy on the red bike
Marion Whittington 完全贊同您的說法，還是昔日明星接地氣富人氣💖
because they are trash designed to appeal to kids who needs constant dopamine hits in order to function
Hey Marion , your statement sounds like a gr8 slogan .
Greetings from Egypt , the land of the Pharos . 🔆🔆🔆
I remember watching this movie with my grandparents when I was a child. Thank you for uploading it.
Neat.
It has a slow beginning, but once it gets going you can't stop watching! Really good movie; I love all the twists & turns! Thanks for this great ride!
It’s a pretty good mystery in the time-honored tradition of an unknown host inviting people to a dinner party when they get locked inside and die one by one. However I didn’t care for the moments of attempted slapstick comedy sprinkled about - as when one man struggles with a giant block of ice for the ice box, or the drunk looking for his pencil that rolled under the ice box.
If you enjoyed this film you may also like Roy William Neill's Black Angel, his last film made in 1946, starring Dan Duryea, Peter Lorre and Constance Dowling, who is interesting for a variety of reasons. I believe it is also on RUclips somewhere.
I saw this movie a few years ago, well worth watching again. A good director good actors, great movie
Wow great film. I LOVE old black and white films. Thanks for sharing it.
I love watching these old mystery movies! This was good! Thank you for sharing :)
Very good
One of Woody Neill's early triumphs of director over script: Film students should watch it twice -- with sound and without-- to appreciate its lighting effects and camera angles.
Thank you for your simple, yet insightful comment! My studies and interests were, and are, in literature or "print media" but I've always loved b& w movies, pardon, films, and play them while I do other things, however, your simple use of the word student and suggestion of how to watch a film has spurred me to pay more attention to certain elements on the screen that I'll look up when I finish this but I imagine the narrative aspects coincide with literature and things like camera angle, movement and sound/music choice. Anyway, thanks again from an an avid learner!!
@Rosida Andriyana ......are you asking for the meaning of ...avid... or, if it used correctly... here??!
my wee granny was born in 1910 we used to watch the old black&white films at 2pm on channel 4,its nice trying to see if i recognise any of them i used to fall asleep myself watching them sometimes and i was only 18 lol
BBC and ITV also use to have great late night movies, so called "programme filler thrillers", I used to tape them or watch them coming home inebriated after a night's out.
Happy memories.
My Gran was also born in 1910 & we did the same!
thanks for upload i also watched it some where else and it cut off on me as well im glad i found yours i got to find out who was the 9th guest
"10 little Indians"- and "And Then there Were None" still like it
+deckard43 I thought the exact same thing
Me too. :) I think that's actually why I liked it. It was still different enough to keep me guessing ...
I posted above "And Then There Were None;" seems it came to mind for everyone.
Except this was made before that....!
I haven't watched And Then There Were None yet, but I've read it.
excellent acting and direction, production design too...
I think its a really good movie for the time it was written in. Good plot. I think the script was good too. I enjoyed it.
Pretty good mystery movie, and from 1934 how cool is that, thanks Brandon Siddall for bring us more good movies from the past.
Loved this! So this is where my love for this genre all began? Very cool. Thanks for uploading.
Thank you. This was a good suspense/murder mystery. I liked it a lot.
My rating is 3.5 stars on 4, has the same ambiance as Then There Were None and the B Movie with George Zucco and Lionel Atwill Fog Island, those who like those kind of movies can watch the two I just mentioned here, there is more that my mind escape and All of You have a Nice day and enjoy those Great Classics and The Culture to Cultivate the mind. Take good care.
P.S. No Vulgar language, this is what I Like. Those movies at that time the language was pure. But at times rough though.
Good movie! Love these mystery thrillers!!
Oh me too!
Quite a suspenseful movie - in 1 h! Don't get impatient and miss the end. With all our modern advancements in electronics, it will be hard for us to imagine how anything like these murders can be done.
As someone said elsewhere, it must have been an afternoon (matinee) movie - short, and potent - and no time to waste. Apparently housewives and other such bound to looking after the family, took short breaks and went to matinees in the US in those days....
Thanks for putting it on youtube - such a little gem!
Wow!! The Forefather of Ten Little Indians, And Then There Were None, Fog Island, House on Haunted Hill and a dozen more. I like that the couple were the survivors and you got to love a drunk butler!
I really enjoyed this movie after I watched it again on youtube. Brandon Siddall , thank you so much for posting it! After my initial viewing I was mad at Agatha Christie for basically putting her name on the plot from this film with 'Ten Little Indians' aka 'And Then There Were None'. But both films stand on their own. She improved on the idea and her twist was a better one. Every year my love of old B&W movies from all countries grows stronger. The actors are amazing. I truly love "the old dark house" films. The older the better!
The old dark house! now there's a good movie!!
@@jerryjohnson8485 Yes the original was so good. I kept imagining I needed to to get dry & warm because it was raining so hard the whole movie. (lol) But that mess of a remake in 1963 was horrible.
@@2004mojo it wasn't a remake, it was attempted murder of a great movie!!
@@jerryjohnson8485 Ok. (lol)
Pity none of the victims had any basic knowledge of electricity - It wouldn't have been a great deal of trouble to short out the electrified gate so you could climb over it - But I suppose that wouldn't have made a good plot for a suspense picture !
even in the 30ies electricity was not that wide spread and what we learn today about electricity in school at that time was only known by experts
this film deserves to be restored. yes, the comedy doesn't work and is unnecessary, the radio speaking on cue is absurd. The acting is above standard. Clothing and especially the modern architectural sets are outstanding. as is the cinematography and the often unusual perspective and rakish angles. In a crisp restoration of its original black and white contrasts it would be breathtaking.
A proper rendition in Color would be even better. Remember, the real world is in Technicolor.
Such a great little movie! Unusual and intruiging . The fact I knew none of the cast didn't matter, they were all good . Thanks for downloading, I love old movies especially the good mystery and horror ones. :)
Hi, Donald Cook the dark haired guy was in a classic, "The Public Enemy" 1931. The older guy with glasses was Samuel Hinds, he was in many movies in the 30's and 40's
I know this because I've watched older movies since childhood 🙂
I am so glad I found you.
This is a marvelous film.
Much better than most today.
Thanks for posting.
THIS IS SO GOOD TO REFLECT ON THE OLDIES...😎😎😎😎😎😎😎
This is one of my favorite movies. It's like Saw but without the gore, which I like, so I can snack while watching without getting grossed out.
I wish movies/films were made in black and white a lot of the time now. It's more atmospheric, surely film makers can see that?
Thanks for the film.
Totally, and can't stand when they colorize old movies
@@NewYorkWerewolf If you can have either one, the problem is solved. Colorization of a PRINT would do no harm.
Dear folks who complain, you don’t HAVE to watch these ya know?! 🤐
Such a Great Movie with the complete ending, i enjoyed this very much. Thanks.
Agreed!
Very good movie especially for the time. Funny how during the Great Depression when so many were dirt poor the entertainment of choice was often stories about the very rich in glamorous outfits.
Thank You for sharing this movie Mr Siddall, it is very appreciated and I have bookmarked the Horror Movie Project website. Take care and Have a Nice day.
Agatha Christie's plots were inspired by this film. Columbia Pictures never released this film on home video so the film fell into public domains resulting in poor duplicated copies. This copy is nice compared to other ones.
thanks for sharing this important piece.
She had many books published before this came out.
This movie must've been ahead of its time. Thank you for posting this gem.😊❤😊
Hi! Yes I agree with You Mr Siddall of Your assessment of this movie, You are right on and for Mr Leonard Maltin to rate it 2.5 stars on 4, it say its all, because He is the most hard movie Critique there is, 2.5 You might say it is not much, but with the type of movies it is, it is honest. Edward Ellis played in The Thin Man with William Powell and Myrna Loy and Genevieve Tobin was a very good Actress at that time, the cast was good not excellent but good, but I agree it was superbly Directed.
A blueprint for "And Then There Were None"? - I enjoyed this film very much...well acted and interesting, it's definitely worth watching!
Did you watch "And then there were none" with Charles Dance? The original was really good, but you want scary this is the way to go. It's more like a thriller. A must watch!!!
"And Then There Were None" was based on the Agatha Christie novel of the same name.
Kickstart 1.3 actually it was based on the play, the characters are different from the novel...
@@brooke7312 The characters are the same (mostly), but the ending is different.
@@kickstart_1.3 The first four English language film adaptations are based on the play, which has a different ending (Christie herself made the change). The Russian, BBC, and Japanese versions use the book's ending.
Thank you for the old movies. Better than Netflix.
I've been searching for this movies for weeks. I just had to watch it again. Thanks
i love this old movies i have been watching t hem since i was in my twenties i'm 78 now , the thing i love about this movies is thier dialogue , it's precious the way the actors talk to each other , did they really talk that way back in 30 's and 40's love it '' thank you so much for preservlng this old movies for the future generation, i truly hope that they enjoy this old movies as much i have. thank you so much. j.
Man this was a roller coaster ride! Wow!
Much better movie than "And Then There Were None" (which was way too campy with Barry Fitzgerald). This one has real suspense, drama and builds very nicely. Great movie. UCLA just did a restoration which I saw at the Film Noir Festival in LA. Hopefully, it will be released on DVD very soon. The print was great.
Oh my this was a wonderful movie. I enjoyed it very much thank-you.
Brilliant film - thanks for sharing. So many twists and turns.
Wow.....This was a very good movie, considering the year it was made. But it did leave me guessing who the killer really was. Thanks for posting this.
cor8129......I am always wondering why some people seem to think that because a movie was made in the 30s,40s,50s, etc....it would not be entertaining or well made and, are surprised to find that it is!
There were intelligent people back then, too!
Has parallels to "AND THEN THERE WERE NONE" also known as "TEN LITTLE INDIANS" from a story by Agatha Christie. I did the play in high school. Love these old films and the art deco decor! Thanks for uploading it!
Neill was a skilled director who really knew how to make a movie.
great film it really had me going all the way til the end😉
Thank you for sharing this. The other site that has this movie left off the end. Didn't subcribe to them,but I will for you!
Terrific film. Love Love Love oldies. Nothing like them. I watch them over & over again. They are all so good. Keep them coming.
As far as I know this movie based on Gwen Bristows novel "The invisible host" - indeed the blueprint for Agatha Christie's "And then there were none".
Neil directed the Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movies, thanks for the upload
I loved Rathbone except when they got into the modern era.
I didn't mind the modern era movies, once I got used to it. Then I kind of appreciated them for what they were. But SH belongs in the 19th century, I agree.
Great upload 😀 RWN also directed a couple of Universal horrors in the 40s. Crappy cheap monster mash-ups but amazing direction 👻
At 41;36 If those glasses on the table have poison in them, why didn't they pour it down the sink!? "Duh!"
"trials are such messy things" indeed they are, nice movie
Yes, top comment hands down
Love a good mystery.
These movies fill the bill
Oh, not at all, at least not recently. The arrested (and 'Politically Correct') criminal is actually the victim and the alleged victim is a liar. Case dismissed.
Great film thanks for sharing it.
Isn’t this the director who did the 13 basil rathbone Sherlock Holmes films, I absolutely loved all of those so no doubt I’ll enjoy this one
This is a SCREEN GEMS copy of the 50's. We want coming soon this movie restored with the original titles, beginning with the MPPDA certificate, and of course, with a good finishin' touches at the Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, CA.More than 80 years later, it's a good classic. A good thriller.
Great film for the movie buff. Thanx for posting. --M
Great movie...thank you for sharing
Agatha Christie's take on this theme came out int 1939, five years later. So she's not so original.
Oinophilos Really? Agatha Christie wrote countless mystery novels and short stories that were VERY original. The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd, The Mysterious Affair At Styles, Murder On The Orient Express.... and on...
@@deb7457 Sadly he's right. She wrote a book with an extremely similar plot to this, called "Ten Little Niggers" in November of 1939. It's title for the American market was changed to "And Then There Were None" in December of the same year. You can find multiple TV-series and audio-books of that title here on RUclips. Listen to one, and decide for yourself if she found her inspiration for that book from this movie.
Well, she might have not even know about this movie! Not all American movies came to Europe, as much as they don't now.
I find it hard to believe that Christie saw an obscure American B movie and stole the story. This was around the time Britain stopped importing mysteries and horror films, so the odds of her having seen it is slim to none.
Great little movie, actually the sound of the optical track puts me to sleep (one of my favorite noises) so I had to finish the film during the day :D
EmpyreanLightASMR
optical track?
Thank you! I really appreciate the older films; even in this one, there are manners and civility---even in murder. Quite the lesson!
Patti Willing Rd nothing like being civil while being mudered.lol
Riveting! Can't think of a better thriller to come out of the 30's.
Two more great underrated, forgotten classic "old dark house" films are, "While the Patient Slept"(1935) starring Aline MacMahon and "Before Midnight" (1933) starring Ralph Bellamy. Both stars play characters that really raise the bar in the genre , on both films.
Watched this movie a couple years ago. I forgot my boyfriend watched it with me until he tried to recall it just based on a few details today-- we both breathed such a sigh of relief when we finally found it again!! Love this movie!
So amazing the slightest things back then that embarrassed people when today anything goes.. love the classics!
Thank you for sharing this.
Meg raz Cute picture
Awesome on so many levels....
'You think I'm mad don't you?
I can see it in your eyes; me mad? I'm not mad.
Is a man mad because he kills his enemies?'
I love the way the actor delivers these lines and feel like they should be lines people quote even if they don't remember where they come from.
People like that always consider that they're all right but that everyone else has a screw loose. I've known lots of folks like that, and I'm much relieved to be the only sane man on Earth.
Well done mystery.
Thanks for posting.
Great find, thank you.
Have watched it several times and always enjoy it. Hope you do too. March, 2023.
Thank you for putting this up. Great movie.
Very good mystery. Thanks.
Really old movies that I enjoy. Despite lack of any advanced technology, these people produced good movies. Now all is killing and violence
Rasha Eladawy How many people die in this movie? And just because they don't show blood dose'nt make it any less violent.
@@kennethmitchell6184 The left speaks. We need a violence scale, please.
@@dennisday2049And you're the ignorant Ultra Right. Kenneth Mitchell is correct in his observation, actually. Just because it isn't equal to today's standards of violence doesn't make them any less violent. Even more from that era were misogynistic. Many of these older movies regularly treated the smacking around and beating of Women as a necessity to "keep them in line", something that would never be written in a movie today.
@@RealGRRRLz69 With your reply the words of Bugs Bunny come to mind about you, "What a maroon."
@@dennisday2049: The only moron is you. Violence is violence, no matter how clever you cover it. But you're too ignorant to know that. Or you're an abuser yourself.
There was a way out the scripter didn't consider. A lighter could melt or burn away the insulation on the cut phone wires. Then they could be spliced together. I've often used a lighter in this manner,
Have to admire a movie with the opening line "Sorry sir, you can't send any swear words in a telegram." Got me hooked immediately, script writer with a sense of humor.
It's amazing isn't it now you can say anything anywhere anytime no restrictions no governor on what we say
strange one - the Depression must have gotten to people, they were really evil