Albert Ray

This fun to watch “B” mystery is another old oil great for a stormy night. Frances Hyland’s screenplay based on a story by Kurt Kempler is typical of minor formula mysteries of the early 1930s, but a young Ginger Rogers and Lyle Talbot give this Allied Pictures offering just enough zip and nostalgia to make it a nice one for fans. They made a cute couple around this time, filming another “B” mystery together called The Thirteenth Guest, also directed by Albert Ray.

A Shriek in the Night starts off with a bang as a man named Harker falls to his death from his own apartment complex. Reporter Lyle Talbot is on the scene trying to get a scoop on the hot news story but Ginger, cute as can be, may have the inside track. She had been posing as Harker’s secretary for a rival paper in order to explore his ties to an underworld boss. The cops question everyone but the most fun for the viewer is derived from watching Ginger and Talbot as they try to get the scoop first. There is some fun byplay between the two when they inevitably, of course, fall for each other.

A serpent card given the victim and a second murder add some mild spice to the mystery. Someone may have to save Ginger from the murderer near the end, and who does so will come as a surprise. While certainly no masterpiece, as these little early “B” mysteries go, this one is very entertaining for buffs. Ginger’s fans will love this look at her just as she was getting on her way.… (mehr)

“You're going for a ride with me.” — Winston

“Where to?” — Marie

“My apartment.” — Winston

“She’d be safer in jail.” — Captain Ryan

This fun “B” mystery from Monogram has Lyle Talbot as playboy detective Phil Winston and Ginger Rogers as Marie Morgan. Armitage Trail’s story, as adapted by Frances Hyland is a blend of spooky old house mystery and early 1930s detective fun, making this one perfect to put in your rainy-night pile. Trail also wrote Scarface, filmed the same year as this one. Albert Ray directs a cast which also includes J. Farrell Macdonald, Paul Hurst, Erville Alderson, and Frances Rich.

Marie Morgan (Ginger) arrives by taxi one night up at an old spooky house. Supposedly deserted for 21 years, she is shocked to discover the phone still working. Dust, cobwebs, and furniture still covered would indicate that the house isn't inhabited, yet something lurks. After opening a mysterious letter from her father, she recalls the dinner party from her childhood when 13 relatives were summoned by her father, but the last never arriving. Leaving her a numerical clue of 13–13–13, she has little time to ponder its meaning before it’s confirmed that she definitely isn’t alone in the spooky old house. A shot rings out in the dark and the waiting taxi driver skedaddles out of there.

To reveal more of the plot would ruin much of the fun, and one particular surprise in this enjoyable little “B” mystery. Lyle Talbot is excellent as the cool playboy detective Phil Winston, called upon by his uncle on the force, Captain Ryan (J. Farrell Macdonald), for help every time there’s a tough case. A hooded killer, secret passages, an ingenious method of murder, and a nice cast make this one worth the trip to 122 Old Mill Road. Lyle Talbot, a very young Ginger, and some rather frank pre-code elements make this early “B” stand out for fans.… (mehr)