अपनी भाषा में प्लॉट जोड़ेंA group of people are stalked by a masked killer in an old mansion.A group of people are stalked by a masked killer in an old mansion.A group of people are stalked by a masked killer in an old mansion.
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams
- Dick Mallory
- (as Guinn Williams)
Billy Griffith
- James - the Butler
- (बिना क्रेडिट के)
Rodney Hildebrand
- Detective
- (बिना क्रेडिट के)
Horace Murphy
- Police Chief Murphy
- (बिना क्रेडिट के)
फ़ीचर्ड समीक्षाएं
Here's a film from the early sound era. This one, I'm pretty sure, was from good old Poverty Row, purveyors of wads of borderline unwatchable dreck from the olden days. This one was a little bit better than most of these cheapo programme filler efforts, as it has just enough interest to get it over the line but don't get me wrong, this is ropey stuff in many respects. It tells the tale of a prison break, where a convict escapes (in an impressively dangerous looking bit of stunt work involving being lifted on a bit of rope attached to a plane, from a speeding train), soon after this a mysterious villain called The Phantom begins a terror campaign. To a large extent, this is one of those tried and tested old dark house movies, which were a staple of many a low budget pot-boiler in the 30's. To this end, we have a large cast of characters in a big house, with secret passages, a cloaked villain and a cowardly maid (and chaffuer) - i.e. Aside from having a man in a gorilla suit, this features typical nonsense which many of these films have. But there's enough oddball extras to keep this interesting enough, like the creepy bellhop, with the bizarre accent. Its really not bad, as these types of old school Poverty Row efforts go.
For those who enjoy old films and are not put off by poor prints and bad quality sound, this hard to find film is quite fun. Break out the popcorn on a Saturday night in front of the TV. It is spooky and atmospheric, with a number of very funny, intentionally campy moments thrown in, much in line with The Old Dark House. I loved the bit where the reluctant visitor to the spooky old house was being chased around by one of the deranged looking inhabitants with a large stick. When he was finally cornered and was going to give himself up to whatever fate that awaited him, the ungainly old servant just lightly bopped the guy on the head and asked "Hey, did you lose this?" I was quite struck by the connection this film made with me, even though it was made almost 70 years ago.
I really enjoy classic horror, even the poverty row productions. This one, though,was tough to get through.
I agree with others who have said the acting is poor. They're also not well-rehearsed; especially at the beginning the actors are stepping on each others' lines.
I also have a problem with the editing. As the movie starts, it feels like we're cutting between three movies: a prison, the top of a train, and a helicopter. It becomes clear in a few how they connect, but the disjointed editing continues throughout the movie, making for jarring changes between scenes... sometimes lingering too long, sometimes not giving us enough setup or wrap-up.
I knew I was taking a risk when I started it. The description made it sound more like a murder mystery / police drama, and I should have trusted my gut on this one. It's played for laughs almost all the way through which is frustrating, and even when it's not intentional the laughs occasionally come anyway: when the phantom enters a room, it's truly laughable. (Watch carefully as no one makes any attempt to get away.)
You can watch it for free on Archive Dot Org, or on Tubi... but if you're looking for another Dracula or Frankenstein... this ain't it. It doesn't compare well to the. Basil Rathbone / Nigel Bruce mysteries about a decade later, either.
For completists only!
I agree with others who have said the acting is poor. They're also not well-rehearsed; especially at the beginning the actors are stepping on each others' lines.
I also have a problem with the editing. As the movie starts, it feels like we're cutting between three movies: a prison, the top of a train, and a helicopter. It becomes clear in a few how they connect, but the disjointed editing continues throughout the movie, making for jarring changes between scenes... sometimes lingering too long, sometimes not giving us enough setup or wrap-up.
I knew I was taking a risk when I started it. The description made it sound more like a murder mystery / police drama, and I should have trusted my gut on this one. It's played for laughs almost all the way through which is frustrating, and even when it's not intentional the laughs occasionally come anyway: when the phantom enters a room, it's truly laughable. (Watch carefully as no one makes any attempt to get away.)
You can watch it for free on Archive Dot Org, or on Tubi... but if you're looking for another Dracula or Frankenstein... this ain't it. It doesn't compare well to the. Basil Rathbone / Nigel Bruce mysteries about a decade later, either.
For completists only!
It starts with a prison break with a man about to be electrocuted jumping over the wall onto a moving train and then being picked up by a plane dangling a rope ladder! And that is just the first 5 minutes! Most of this is an "old dark house" style thriller about a mad killer called The Phantom who is out to kill a local district attorney (former D.W. Griffith regular Wilfred Lucas). The D.A.'s daughter (Allene Ray) and her reporter boyfriend (Guinn WIlliams) team up to catch the cloaked maniac and, in the tradition of movies like this, do a much better job than the cops who have surrounded the house. They trail the madman to an insane asylum where nobody, and I mean NOBODY! is playing with a full deck. For a one hour film the plot gets complicated with things like insanity, kidnapping, revenge and even brain transplants. The only thing missing was a gorilla, and if the plot had run another 10 minutes I'll one would have popped up! It all makes sense (well, sort of) at the end when the prison warden shows up to identify the mad killer. (You don't expect ME to reveal who it is, do you?) Also in the cast is The Clutching Hand himself, Sheldon Lewis. In a cap, tall hat and fright wig he is still playing the character he created for the 1916 serial THE EXPLOITS OF ELAINE and doing it rather well. Lweis was also the only actor to ever play Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde twice. Once in 1920 in the version filmed on location in New York to compete against the John Barrymore and again in 1929 in a one reel talkie short. Art? No way. Fun? You bet! See this one.
A prisoner named the Phantom is moments away from going to the chair when he climbs over the wall, jumps on top of a passing train and makes a get away when a plane flies down and picks him up. He then threatens the DA, even though he's not the DA who sent him up the river...and then things get complicated.
This is a movie from the early days of sound. Using silent footage with sound effects it broadens what could be done at reasonable expense with the then bulky sound equipment. As a result this film does things that many similar movies from the period couldn't, it goes outside the drawing room, the best example is the jail break at the beginning.
But while it goes places that other films didn't, and it has more twists than a pretzel factory, this film suffers from the same problem that countless other lower budget films did, and that is its limited by sound itself. There is no music and many scenes are staged simply to have people talk, a sequence at the beginning in the newspaper editor's office for example, goes on way too long just so we can hear the characters talking on the phone.
The movie itself is interesting up to a point, but at times it seems to want to get as many of the mystery conventions into the movie as possible so things keep spinning out for no real reason other than to make the film reach a reasonable length. The problem is that as interesting as the plot is, the film's age hinders full enjoyment of it.
If you're in the mood for an antique give it a try, otherwise steer clear.
This is a movie from the early days of sound. Using silent footage with sound effects it broadens what could be done at reasonable expense with the then bulky sound equipment. As a result this film does things that many similar movies from the period couldn't, it goes outside the drawing room, the best example is the jail break at the beginning.
But while it goes places that other films didn't, and it has more twists than a pretzel factory, this film suffers from the same problem that countless other lower budget films did, and that is its limited by sound itself. There is no music and many scenes are staged simply to have people talk, a sequence at the beginning in the newspaper editor's office for example, goes on way too long just so we can hear the characters talking on the phone.
The movie itself is interesting up to a point, but at times it seems to want to get as many of the mystery conventions into the movie as possible so things keep spinning out for no real reason other than to make the film reach a reasonable length. The problem is that as interesting as the plot is, the film's age hinders full enjoyment of it.
If you're in the mood for an antique give it a try, otherwise steer clear.
क्या आपको पता है
- ट्रिवियाSunray Films of Cleveland, Ohio made 8mm and 16mm film prints of this 1931 feature for sale to the public.
- गूफ़Throughout the film, various characters refer to Dr. Weldon as "Dr. Waldon".
- कनेक्शनReferenced in DVD/Lazerdisc/VHS collection 2016 (2016)
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