The Devil Plays

THE DEVIL PLAYS is about what happens when a group of people gather at a mansion to play a game called "Murder". When the clock strikes midnight, the game begins, "deaths" occur, and a mysterious woman lurks about.

Later that morning, the game becomes real when someone is found dead. The police arrive to start their investigation, with a house full of suspects. As the case broadens, the cops go outside of the mansion for clues.

Then, a second murder is committed, literally, under their noses! Making matters worse, the deed was done using the very same weapon... which was in police custody!

How is this possible?

A great old-old school murder mystery, complete with a gaggle of interesting characters, and a big, final revelation. Highly entertaining...

I am writing this review as a counterpoint to the other review. Although I agree with all that was written, it completely misses the point of why this movie is enjoyable. It is the chance to see several veteran players of the silent cinema playing without the restraint of being just bit actors and dress extras, which was their more frequent fate. Sure the material is junk and they would much rather have been working as stars at Metro or Paramount. But the reality was that this was their life, it was a living, and they kept soldiering on. Here is betting that they all had a good laugh after each scene and appreciated that in 1931 any job was a good job.

I liked the clever way this movie started, with guests as a pre-sailing get-together playing a game of "Murder", and then all too soon there's a murder for real!

It was short and entertaining, but all those characters with different motives (though they tied together) did get to be a bit much. Between murder, blackmail, attempted rape, drugged water, shady business deals, and so forth, they packed a lot into an hour!

You get the classic gathering of all the suspects at the end, which is always entertaining.

Not the best of the Pre Code films, but not the worst, either.

It's worth your time, since it'll take up so little of it.

Some movies aren't worth watching. This is one. There are too many vacuous characters and an insipid plot. The lines are delivered with a full second between speeches, as if they were waiting for the audience to absorb the silly dialogue. There is some humor and that's about all that makes it even slightly worthwhile. Don't bother.

A stiff, static early talkie mystery that has no recognizable (today) actors in it, which is especially impactful in the case of the men, who all pretty much look, sound and dress alike: it is particularly hard to tell those with a mustache apart. The killer seems to be chosen at random at the end, without much regard for sense or motivation. The budget is so low that the entire movie takes place in two or three (under-decorated) sets. There is some promise in the idea of a mystery-novel detective getting involved in a "real-life" murder....but so many other movies have used that idea better. *1/2 out of 4.