Well that was a hoot! I think in terms of production it's a bit higher class than some similar movies, since it's WB and with pros like Milo Anderson and Perc Westmore on the production team. Milton Parsons was made for his role! One of my favorite scenes was when Mr. Poe fell off his perch, from eating the poisoned cherries. I tried to think logically whilst watching this film, but I gave that up pretty quickly. Thanks for the recommendation, Lorna!Lorna wrote: ↑November 27th, 2023, 8:47 am You know, I have a feeling I would catch hands from anyone actually living in 1942 for saying this, but OH WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE!!
I say this because I tripped quite by accident over an absolutely delightful little OLD DARK HOUSE MURDER MYSTERY THRILLER/UNINTENTIONAL LAUGH RIOT from WARNER BROS. called THE HIDDEN HAND made in 1942.
I have never seen anything quite like it- well, not that's not true- I have- the film itself is basically the result of someone throwing ONE FRIGHTENED NIGHT and NIGHT MONSTER and ARSENIC AND OLD LACE and THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE and YOU'LL FIND OUT and HOLD THAT GHOST and THE OLD DARK HOUSE into a BLENDER and the end result was directed by ED WOOD.
I would not have been THE LEAST BIT SURPRISED if THE ANDREWS SISTERS had showed up at the end.
I am sorry that I cannot ENLARGE PRINT HERE, because truly it needs to be said IN BOLD IN COLOR AND IN ALL CAPS AND IN SIZE 42 FONT THAT THIS MOVIE IS BANANNERS.
I'm going to copy and paste the plot from imdb because I don't have the mental capacity to recap it and I doubt my own sanity 12 hours after seeing this.
Peter Thorne (Craig Stevens)is a young attorney who works for an eccentric old woman, Lorinda Channing (Cecil Cunningham), who uses her insane brother, John Channing (Milton Parsons), to frighten her other relatives because they are after her money. Further complications arrive when another murderer arrives on the scene and plants the blame on John Channing.
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CECIL CUNNINGHAM (AUNT PATTY from THE AWFUL TRUTH) is OPENLY HOSTILE TO BEING IN THIS MOVIE, she is OBVIOUSLY NOT HERE IT, MOTHER. And while I don't ENTIRELY BLAME HER, because she's not right for the part (who the HELL would be is A WHOLE OTHER QUESTION) her costar MILTON PARSONS invests himself in the role of THE MANIAC KILLER 110% in spite of the fact that I'M SURE it was QUITE OBVIOUS to ALL INVOLVED that this movie was not going to rival CITIZEN KANE in terms of its impact on cinema of the time.
it's like watching JOHN MALKOVICH play THE RAYMOND MASSEY PART in ARSENIC AND OLD LACE.
I guarantee you HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS MOVIE!!!! (well, you HAVE, but you've never seen it DONE LIKE THIS)
THERE IS A SCENE AT THE VERY END THAT I REPLAYED 20 TIMES AND I LAUGHED HYSTERICALLY EACH TIME.
Oh man, people in 1942 really needed this movie, I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE SEEN AN AUDIENCE REACTION.
"I don't like that pigeon, and I don't think he likes me neither!"