A Strange Adventure

So this film was made on Poverty Row, where actors went to make a quick buck when the big studios weren't underpaying them. The only thing that makes this film memorable compared to the dozens of others with more or less the same plot is the inclusion of Dwight Frye of Renfeild fame as one of the relatives.

An angry old man gathers his relatives for the reading of his will, after dissing many of them, he has a fainting spell and is found with a bad case of a dagger to the heart.

The rest of the movie is a detective and reporter romantic couple trying to unravel the case. It also includes a not-so-fun racist stereotype of the easily frightened black domestic employee... because that stuff was funny to people in the 1930's.

Like many of these early 1930's films, there's no music (they hadn't figured that out yet) and the blocking of the movie was more like a stage play.

Old man Wayne is about to read his will, All of the heirs are gathered. When his secretary and nephew makes a run at stealing, replacing and re-stealing a valuable gem Wayne calls the police. After the police arrive Wayne tells them to wait while he goes to tell the heirs just what he thinks of them. However before that can happen the old man keels over and dies. When he's lifted up a knife is sticking in his chest. More police are called and a detective (soon to be aided by a smart mouth reporter) tries to solve the crime. Good mystery is hampered by the lack of music (this was 1932 and many independent producers didn't use it) this movie is a slow go for the first half. Once things get moving its a good ride to the end with almost all of the suspects coming under suspicion and the sudden appearance of a dark robed figure trying to kill off the heirs. As the story progresses and more murders occur there are a couple of nice pre-code touches as we rather graphic hanging as well the the graphic end of the killer. Worth a look if you run across it.

This movie, known also as "Wayne Murder Case" is a typical drawing room murder mystery. A rich old man is sickly and dying, and before his death he decides to have a reading of his will to his family members. As he is about to read the will, in a room full of family members and police, he is murdered, but who did it? This film is a typical old dark house murder mystery, with Regis Toomey playing the lead detective. June Clyde plays the nosy reporter who will do anything to get the story. Dwight Frye has a very small role as a family member. Look for a degrading role played by Snowflake, of a black manservant.

This film was made in 1932 and is in the public domain and as such can be found on VHS and DVD.

A fairly good murder mystery of the Old Dark House variety. It has many of the cliches of the genre, but also avoids many of the usual cliches, & has an interesting storyline. June Clyde is cute & vivacious as a newspaper reporter. Regis Toomey is adequate as the police lieutenant. Dwight Frye is a bit nutty in a small roll (still recovering from his role in "Dracula"?). There are a couple of murders, but disappointingly, no secret passageways or doors & no thunderstorm. There is a mysterious figure walking around in oversized monk's robes, though, & that's pretty neat. Good effort by all, but falls a little short. I rate it 6/10.

Silas Wayne is about to read the benefactors of his will to his nearest relatives and associates (whom he all hates and thinks nothing of), when he fulfills the eternal movie cliché of dying just before he is about to read the stipulations. Two police officers (who were summoned by Wayne, so that he could reveal a criminal in his midst to) summon Detective Sergeant Mitchell to investigate the murder. Nosy Toodles (a newspaper reporter) also works to solve the crime with Mitchell, much to his regret. The prime suspect is Claude Wayne, nephew and secretary to the murdered man, who stole a valuable diamond which was to be given to Wayne's maid, Ms. Sheen, but a mysterious cloaked figure lurks the house that evening and strangles Claude Wayne and also tries to eliminate all the other murder suspects one by one. This movie was described on the title card as "A Monogram Melodrama" and the filmmakers emphasized that part to the fullest. It has plenty of murder mystery clichés and performances that are respective of the genre, but the film is badly directed by Whitman, with many scenes just taken forever to go on. June Clyde probably gives the only performance with any life in it, and Snowflake's "comedy" antics are somewhat painful to watch. The end does seem to come out of nowhere, since I thought a lot more substance would precede it. All in all, a decent poverty row mystery. Rating, 5.