Review of The Hidden Hand

I think that in the past six months alone, I have watched at least 6 films and reviewed them that had the often told plot line of a family gathering where an aging relative expresses their displeasure over their family's greed and ends up being murdered for their honesty. In this film's storyline, there's a bit of an "Arsenic and Old Lace" twist with the presence of a crazy uncle (Milton Parsons) posing as the butler, never seen by his greedy nephews and their money-grubbing wives. Matriarch Cecil Cunningham (in one of her hammiest performances) plots to have herself put into a death-like trance to test them after she announces that her devoted secretary (Elizabeth Fraser) will inherit the majority of her estate. But a greedy doctor is ultimately tested and Cunningham is indeed buried alive inside the family crypt. Twists and turns in this plot line make it a fun programmer with a short running time and amusing dialog. Comical black actor Willie Best provides some of the film's funniest moments as a devoted servant, while psychotic Parsons' eyes alone also deliver both chills and chuckles. This may not be no "Old Dark House" in the realm of Hollywood classics, but for a plot that has been repeated probably 50-100 times, what results is a far cry better than most in this genre.