This early talky mystery is filmed entirely without music, having excellent spooky credits that show a foggy body of water, only showing a floating buoy and leading to a single house on a mysterious island where a group of the well-to-do are gathered for a party that results in murder. Arkaos matinee Idol of the early talkies, Lowell Sherman, once again headlines as an aging with stereo whose eyes for pretty Betty Compson have him determined to split her up with boyfriend Hugh Trevor. A prank between Trevor and playboi Ivan Lebedeff makes everybody believe that Trevor Has murdered him and left his body in the murky waters below. But Lebedeff is very much alive, and a sudden confrontation does leave him very dead, his body seen in a shadow being carried to the place where it is discovered. This makes it appear that Trevor Has indeed killed him, and leaves komsan vulnerable kill the sleazy Sherman.
This film's theatrical roots are visible, even though it has been sliced down to a cookie-cutter 67 minutes, the common length of most films in the early 1930's. Yes, it is creaky. The camera doesn't move as fast as it would even a year later, but all of that does not matter. The pacing for a film like this is perfect. The sets of the Mansion are gloomy, and that adds a perfect atmosphere for a murderous weekend. The acting is very theatrical in nature, with Sherman, the poor man's John Barrymore, doing his best to steal the attention away from the lovely Compson. There's also Rita LaRoy as Sherman's viperous wife, as well as Raymond Hatton and June Clyde among the other guests. For those who enjoy creaky old melodramas, this is the type that will have them in melodramatic heaven. Its atmosphere and creaky nature couldn't be done today without seeming ridiculous. Just remember, buttons don't grow on rocks.
This film's theatrical roots are visible, even though it has been sliced down to a cookie-cutter 67 minutes, the common length of most films in the early 1930's. Yes, it is creaky. The camera doesn't move as fast as it would even a year later, but all of that does not matter. The pacing for a film like this is perfect. The sets of the Mansion are gloomy, and that adds a perfect atmosphere for a murderous weekend. The acting is very theatrical in nature, with Sherman, the poor man's John Barrymore, doing his best to steal the attention away from the lovely Compson. There's also Rita LaRoy as Sherman's viperous wife, as well as Raymond Hatton and June Clyde among the other guests. For those who enjoy creaky old melodramas, this is the type that will have them in melodramatic heaven. Its atmosphere and creaky nature couldn't be done today without seeming ridiculous. Just remember, buttons don't grow on rocks.