The film starts in Asia, in 1913, when John Prendergast (Clay Clement), an archaeologist, in a drunken rage, kills one of the temple monkeys. He has a curse put on him by the temple priests. They predict that he will steal jewels and go off with them but he and his descendents will be cursed. His insolence seals his fate. A giant ape is ordered to kill him but Chandra (Joyzelle) the exotic dancer that he is involved with helps him escape.
Twenty years later they are found and the relatives of the original expedition meet at John Pren's house (he is now going by that name) to demand their share of the wealth. Pren tells them of the curse (2 English relations had been given their share - within a month they had been murdered) and stipulates that to claim their share they must stay in the house a week.
The first night a seance is held and one of the ladies, Mrs. Carfax, (Dale Fuller) the hypochondriac, is murdered. It is very clear that an ape has killed her. Gabby Hayes makes a surprise appearance as one of the guests - one with gambling debts - he is the next one murdered. He is found in an ape suit which immediately throws everyone off the scent. "I'm going to the zoo" "Sit down, you're in one right now!!!"
Joyzelle is the most interesting character in the film - she plays the inscrutable Chandra. Why she was billed as Laya Joy instead of Joyzelle may be the real mystery???? She didn't make many films and in most of them she was billed as "exotic dancer" but in "Just Imagine" (1930) she had a memorable part as twins, one good and one evil!!! In "House of Mystery" she had the second female lead - I admit that in a film of 62 minutes that is not something to boast about!!!
Things are not what they seem. Mr. Pren is not the benevolent old gentleman confined to a wheelchair - he is very predatory and wants the money for himself. The guests find a note and are persuaded to go to the police station - all except Ella Browning (Verna Hillie). She is persuaded to stay in the house by Mr. Pren, who wants to send Chandra away and marry Ella. Chandra has other ideas.
The film is okay. Everything is tidied up very quickly. It is like "The Mummy" meets "The Old Dark House".
Twenty years later they are found and the relatives of the original expedition meet at John Pren's house (he is now going by that name) to demand their share of the wealth. Pren tells them of the curse (2 English relations had been given their share - within a month they had been murdered) and stipulates that to claim their share they must stay in the house a week.
The first night a seance is held and one of the ladies, Mrs. Carfax, (Dale Fuller) the hypochondriac, is murdered. It is very clear that an ape has killed her. Gabby Hayes makes a surprise appearance as one of the guests - one with gambling debts - he is the next one murdered. He is found in an ape suit which immediately throws everyone off the scent. "I'm going to the zoo" "Sit down, you're in one right now!!!"
Joyzelle is the most interesting character in the film - she plays the inscrutable Chandra. Why she was billed as Laya Joy instead of Joyzelle may be the real mystery???? She didn't make many films and in most of them she was billed as "exotic dancer" but in "Just Imagine" (1930) she had a memorable part as twins, one good and one evil!!! In "House of Mystery" she had the second female lead - I admit that in a film of 62 minutes that is not something to boast about!!!
Things are not what they seem. Mr. Pren is not the benevolent old gentleman confined to a wheelchair - he is very predatory and wants the money for himself. The guests find a note and are persuaded to go to the police station - all except Ella Browning (Verna Hillie). She is persuaded to stay in the house by Mr. Pren, who wants to send Chandra away and marry Ella. Chandra has other ideas.
The film is okay. Everything is tidied up very quickly. It is like "The Mummy" meets "The Old Dark House".