Ajouter une intrigue dans votre langueA crashed plane that had a shrunken head aboard is the only clue to a mystery involving a secret code.A crashed plane that had a shrunken head aboard is the only clue to a mystery involving a secret code.A crashed plane that had a shrunken head aboard is the only clue to a mystery involving a secret code.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
Bud Averill
- Museum Guard
- (uncredited)
Edward Earle
- E.R. Willard
- (uncredited)
John Elliott
- John the Butler
- (uncredited)
Fred Godoy
- Mendoza
- (uncredited)
Richard Hale
- Curator Raymond Halliday
- (uncredited)
Coulter Irwin
- Frank
- (uncredited)
Thomas E. Jackson
- Detective Captain Quinn
- (uncredited)
Frank Martin
- Narrator
- (uncredited)
Frank Mayo
- Gordon R. Mitchell
- (uncredited)
Mary Newton
- Karger's Nurse
- (uncredited)
Avis en vedette
We too often forget that director Heny Levin began his career at Columbia pictures directing such small budget movies. This one belongs to the I LOVE A MYSTERY list, several horror mystery features, under one hour length. A bit talkative, I admit, but also providing a pretty good atmosphere. Not the one Val Lewton's production made, though. This one is Ok, thanks to this atmosphere, no matter the story itself. Henry Levin will become famous with his VOYAGE TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, his masterpiece, and several other adventure action movies, finishing with "beach" flicks in the early sixties.
A woman thinks her daughter is out to kill her, and hires a detective agency to help her. "Devil's Mask" had a perfectly respectable cast, and a good solid script. With shrunken heads from south America, a panther, and even the use of hypnosis were all probably pretty new and exotic in 1946. (Although, when they try to put someone under hypnosis, they shine a bright light in the actor's eyes, and loudly tap a pencil over and over, so not sure how deeply the actor could have gone under....) The acting by some of the actors is a tad flat, and assistant detective Doc Long (Bart Yarborough) spouts more southern descriptive phrases than necessary, probably the reasons for the low rating on IMDb and membership in the "B Movie" club. The lead detective playing Jack Packard , Jim Bannon, had played detectives and cowboys, and was married to Bea Benaderet (Pearl Bodine, in the Beverly Hillbillies). Another interesting connection, Frank Wilcox, who plays Professor Logan, would also go on to be the oil company president on "Beverly Hillbillies". Also.... Mona Barrie and Bea Benaderet were both in "The First Time". Anita Louise, who plays the daughter Janet in Devil's Mask, was really only six years younger than the Mother Mitchell (Mona Barrie). good Whodunnit. no big glaring plot holes. no big car chase scenes.
Jack Packard, (Jim Bannon) plays the role with a duo of private investigators concerning a shrunken head found on the ruins of a crashed plane traveling from California to Latin America. There are many investigations among head hunters in the jungle and people being killed with deadly blow guns. There are family members who all mistrust each other and lots of mysterious people who appear to be the killers. Janet Mitchell, (Anita Louise) gave an outstanding performance and gave some romance to this black and white low budget film from 1946. Found this film to be rather boring and the story goes around and around in circles and never seems to end. However, this series was an old time radio show starring Jim Bannon which entertained many people during the radio era.
This is the second film to be based on the popular American radio programme 'I Love A Mystery', and I reckon it's an improvement over the first, the plot easier to follow, with stars Jim Bannon and Barton Yarborough having settled into their roles as private detectives Jack Packard and Doc Long.
This time around, Jack and Doc are hired by Louise Mitchell (Mona Barrie) who believes that her life is in danger from her stepdaughter Janet (Anita Louise), who thinks that her father was murdered by his wife while on safari, her suspicion fuelled by love letters between Louise and her dad's associate, Prof. Arthur Logan (Frank Wilcox). As the pair of private eyes investigate, they encounter Janet's somewhat shady love interest Rex Kennedy (Michael Duane), a killer with a deadly blowpipe, a crooked hypnotist, a savage black panther, an animal loving taxidermist, and a shrunken head containing a secret code.
Director Henry Levin maintains a snappy pace, Bannon and Yarborough make for a great pairing, and the plot is just the right amount of bonkers with being TOO preposterous.
This time around, Jack and Doc are hired by Louise Mitchell (Mona Barrie) who believes that her life is in danger from her stepdaughter Janet (Anita Louise), who thinks that her father was murdered by his wife while on safari, her suspicion fuelled by love letters between Louise and her dad's associate, Prof. Arthur Logan (Frank Wilcox). As the pair of private eyes investigate, they encounter Janet's somewhat shady love interest Rex Kennedy (Michael Duane), a killer with a deadly blowpipe, a crooked hypnotist, a savage black panther, an animal loving taxidermist, and a shrunken head containing a secret code.
Director Henry Levin maintains a snappy pace, Bannon and Yarborough make for a great pairing, and the plot is just the right amount of bonkers with being TOO preposterous.
"The Devil's Mask" (1946) is one of the "I LOVE A MYSTERY" series of B-movies produced by Columbia Studios, based on the then-popular radio show. Poker faced Jim Bannon heads up a duo of private detectives who appear in each of the mysteries.
This one begins after a shrunken head is found in the ruins of a crashed plane that was headed from California to Latin America. A woman, who believes that her step-daughter is planning to kill her, hires the pair of detectives.
The mystery deepens when the woman's butler is killed by a poison dart from a blow-gun similar to those used by the jungle tribe of head-hunters responsible for the shrunken head. Add a blackmailing psychiatrist, a crazy taxidermist, a ferocious black panther, a few nebulous characters of dubious repute, and you have an atmospheric little chiller that's most enjoyable.
You may be able to figure out who the killer is, but that won't stop you from searching out more of these neat little "I LOVE A MYSTERY" thrillers.
This one begins after a shrunken head is found in the ruins of a crashed plane that was headed from California to Latin America. A woman, who believes that her step-daughter is planning to kill her, hires the pair of detectives.
The mystery deepens when the woman's butler is killed by a poison dart from a blow-gun similar to those used by the jungle tribe of head-hunters responsible for the shrunken head. Add a blackmailing psychiatrist, a crazy taxidermist, a ferocious black panther, a few nebulous characters of dubious repute, and you have an atmospheric little chiller that's most enjoyable.
You may be able to figure out who the killer is, but that won't stop you from searching out more of these neat little "I LOVE A MYSTERY" thrillers.
Le saviez-vous
- AnecdotesSecond of the three 'I Love a Mystery' thrillers released by Columbia PIctures, based on the popular radio series of the same name that aired on the NBC radio network from 1939 to 1944.
- ConnexionsFollowed by The Unknown (1946)
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Détails
- Durée1 heure 5 minutes
- Couleur
- Rapport de forme
- 1.37 : 1
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By what name was The Devil's Mask (1946) officially released in India in English?
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