User reviews

Old lady gathers her greedy relatives in her gloomy isolated mansion for a reading of her will. Not long after, she winds up dead. Welcome to an old dark house thriller, friends. Yes, it's fairly repetitive of many other such thrillers or comedies but it's pretty entertaining at times. It has an excellent cast, most of which unfortunately have little to do. Broderick Crawford stars in an early role. He's equal parts leading man and buffoon. The kind of part Wayne Morris would have been playing over at WB. Bela Lugosi has a small, thankless part. He spends most of the movie ominously lurking in the shadows and peering in windows. Hugh Herbert provides the movie's comic relief. For the uninitiated that means he fidgets and talks to himself, punctuating every other sentence with "woo hoo." It's not very funny but I found it harmless enough. Maybe I'm just used to Herbert by now. Others may find him irritating so be warned. The rest of the cast includes Basil Rathbone, Gale Sondergaard, Anne Gwynne, Gladys Cooper, and Alan Ladd before he made it big. I agree with another reviewer that this probably would have worked better as an Abbott & Costello movie. Despite the relatively short runtime, it begins to feel overlong as it nears the hour mark. It's enjoyable enough but flawed. Still, anything Universal was putting out in the horror/thriller field in the 1940s was worth watching.

That isn't saying that The Black Cat is a bad film, in fact to me it's pretty good. Just that considering the cast and idea it could have been better than it was.

What did let The Black Cat down in particular is Hugh Herbert, whose comedy was always an acquired taste(not a fan personally to be honest) but here he is very over-utilised and really got on my nerves. Bela Lugosi despite looking appropriately ghoulish(that ghoulish close-up is the most memorable his performance gets) and does a good job with his screen time but is wasted, not just because he doesn't have much to do but also his material is not an awful lot to write home about. The film really drags in the middle and not all the script works. The mystery parts are great and Crawford's quip to Rathbone was a delight but parts are a little melodramatic and the comedy with Herbert was like Herbert himself, more annoying than funny.

The Black Cat looks great though, it's very elegantly photographed and the sets/scenery are beautiful and creepy. The music is a little intrusive in places but it's effectively eerie and has a lot of energy as well. The mystery while having pacing issues in the middle is very compelling and suspenseful mostly, with a truly gripping ending that took me completely by surprise. The direction is never too flashy or simplistic and most of the acting is just. Gale Sondergaard is effectively mysterious and the personification of elegance, while Alan Ladd before he made it big plays it straight and more than decently and Gladys Cooper brings bags of class to her role. Broderick Crawford is likable and a lot of fun, his material works far better than Herbert's and he's much better used. Basil Rathbone does his usual solid job in a role that suits him very well and Anne Gwynne is sympathetic and not bland.

All in all, pretty good but could have been great considering the cast. 6/10 Bethany Cox

The Black Cat is directed by Albert S. Rogell and written by Robert Lees and Robert Neville. It stars Basil Rathbone, Hugh Herbert, Broderick Crawford, Bela Lugosi and Gale Sondergaard. Music is by Hans J. Salter and cinematography by Stanley Cortez.

Henrietta Winslow, a cat-loving old dear, is coming to the end of her days. Tonight her parasitic family have gathered at the Winslow mansion to rub their hands with glee as Henrietta's will is read out. But.......

.....Henrietta knew that whom the black cat follows – dies!

"That house is doubly blest. Which to the feline friends gives rest"

It's hardly a classic from the old dark house murder mystery treadmill, but The Black Cat is enormous fun and gets the sub-genre staples spot on. It's a big old fashioned mansion that is host to the creepy shenanigans, complete with secret passageways, revolving booths, suits of armour and roaring fires. There's even a creepy cat crematorium annex in the grounds as well! Naturally it's a stormy night, and naturally the collection of weasels and deviants start getting bumped off one by one. Cue much shrieking, blaming, dodging and the odd red herring. The mystery element is strong, with a good reveal preceding a fiery finale, and there's some high energy antics thrown in for good measure; the latter concerns Crawford's character who jumps through armour, leaps off a balcony and constantly falls down on the floor. Cast are working on a par with the material, with the highlights being Crawford, Sondergaard (who is deliciously spooky) and Herbert (who is the Lou Costello type comedy relief).

More comedy than creeper, but a comfortable recommendation for fans of similar movies. 6.5/10

I say "attempts" because most of the comedy just falls flat. This could have been a great little thriller if Broderick Crawford and Hugh Herbert's bumbling around in the dark could have been omitted. Instead, this film comes across more inane than sinister.

I give it 6/10 because the mystery is good enough and the atmosphere is pure Universal horror. The background of the story is that a wealthy elderly lady has provided her estate as a haven for homeless cats, complete with creepy crypt and crematorium for them when they die. She has just dodged another bout with death through illness when she decides to read her will to her greedy relatives ahead of time. Shortly afterwards the elderly woman dies mysteriously, followed by the discovery of an addendum to the will, followed by the mysterious deaths of other members of the household, all during the period of one dark and stormy night. For some reason Universal figured the presence of an investigating protagonist would not be enough for this one - that injecting some bumbling good guys in the spirit of Abbott and Costello would be a good idea, but they (Broderick Crawford and Hugh Herbert) just distract the viewer from the mystery aspect with their lame attempts at humor.

The sad part of this film is how little Bela Lugosi is given to do. At this point in his career he is pretty much relegated to walking around and looking creepy.

The housekeeper's name (Gale Sondergaard) was "Abigail Doone".

Review: Even tho' this is a Great film, the first person to be murdered should've been Hugh Herbert! With his presence, this film can't decide whether it's a mystery trying to be a comedy, or vice-versa. It's STILL a great, spooky film, tho! Norm Vogel

I like this one. It's a far cry from 'The Black Cat' (1934) - two completely different films in every way minus the title and Bela Lugosi being in both of them.

The one unfortunate thing about this movie is Bela Lugosi and Basil Rathbone's parts are smaller than I would have liked for them to be. I wish the two of them had more screen time but the movie is fun to watch regardless.

The mystery in this film is kinda easy to solve but still has you wondering if your guess is right or not as to whodunit.

The movie seems more like an Abbott and Costello film as other reviewers mentioned - it really does. Something about the particular style of comedy. So if you like Abbot and Costello films then I think you might get a kick out of The Black Cat 1941.

7/10

Given one of the most abused titles in cinema history (innumerable films were supposedly inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's short story but few, if any, bothered to be faithful to it), the plot of this one could go in any direction. Universal had already used the title for one of its most stylish (and potent) horror offerings in 1934, so the 'remake' tried something entirely different: an old dark house comedy-chiller on the lines of THE CAT AND THE CANARY (itself brought to the screen several times, the most recent up to that time emanating from 1939). As always with this kind of film, we get a plethora of characters brought together for the hearing of a will and then starting to die violently one by one; the cast is notable and eclectic – including two horror stars (Basil Rathbone and Bela Lugosi: the latter was also in the earlier version, where his role was far more substantial), whereas the comedy is supplied by Broderick Crawford (proving surprisingly adept and likably accident-prone!) and the insufferable Hugh Herbert. Of course, there is a damsel-in-distress (pretty Anne Gwynne, also serving as Crawford's love interest) being invariably the one to receive the lion's share of the fortune possessed by the dotty (and cat-loving) owner of the estate; also on hand are Gale Sondergaard (as the sinister housekeeper, a virtual reprise of her role in the aforementioned version of THE CAT AND THE CANARY) and Gladys Cooper and Alan Ladd(!) as mother and son (the former is married to Rathbone, but he carries on an affair with another relative present). Being definitely a B-movie, the film is best compared to similarly modest ventures in this vein: even so, not involving recognizable comics (such as THE GORILLA [1939] did with The Ritz Brothers) or a horrific figure (a' la NIGHT MONSTER [1942]) – both films, incidentally, feature Bela Lugosi in an almost identical (and equally thankless) part – the film ends up not satisfying anyone…even if it is harmless enough as entertainment, the eerie atmosphere well up to par and the identity of the villain (who perishes flamboyantly in a blaze) a genuine surprise.

This is a fairly typical old dark house comedy of the sort that was popular in the wake of the Bob Hope Cat and the Canary of a couple of years earlier. Gale Sondergaard is even on hand, as in the earlier film; and this one, while hardly brilliant, has some wonderful photography and great (and exceedingly familiar) standing sets. It's a routine reading of the will plot, with the usual suspects, here more lively than usual, with Runyon refugee Broderick Crawford, Gold Diggers alumnus Hugh Herbert, deerstalker- and meerschaum-less Basil Rathbone, and a sadly defanged Bela Lugosi, in a minor role. If one goes for old-fashioned studio thrillers and isn't too demanding of dialog, which is far from clever, or plot, which isn't too ingenious, this one might be just what the doctor ordered on a dark and rainy night.

Relatives are gathered at the mansion to hear the rich old lady's will. Looking for a bargain, real estate agent Broderick Crawford and antique dealer Hugh Herbert crash the party, much to the annoyance of both the family and the old lady herself, who is not planning to die just yet.

Soon there is a mysterious death and Crawford sticks around to sort the suspects. Nephew Basil Rathbone is very suspicious; his wife Gladys Cooper is also behaving oddly; grouchy young relative Alan Ladd is offensive to just about everyone. Then there's Gale Sondergaard as the appropriately spooky housekeeper, and Bela Lugosi as the handyman who doesn't say much but always seems to be hanging around.

Crawford dashes up and down stairs chasing clues, and also finds time to romance Anne Gwynn, another potential heir who may or may not be interested in him. Hugh Hubert is strictly comic relief, wandering from room to room picking up antiques and muttering to himself, looking and behaving an awful lot like Lou Costello.

One funny scene: Crawford spots Lugosi out in the rainy yard, hoisting a sack into the back of a wagon. Crawford races out, grabs away the bag and tears it open, expecting a dead body - and instead releases a load of cats who quickly scatter, much to the chagrin of Lugosi, who was taking them in out of the rain and now has to go round them all up again.

No real thrills here but it's fun - definitely more spoof than thriller.

1941's "The Black Cat," not to be confused with Bela Lugosi's 1934 classic, is merely another 'Old Dark House' murder-mystery in a comic vein, in the wake of 1939's "The Cat and the Canary." The unfunny comedy relief is supplied by Hugh Herbert, while the remainder of the stalwart cast maintain interest throughout, despite a severely dragging middle in which virtually nothing of interest happens, one red herring topping another. The young Broderick Crawford is certainly likable, and pairs nicely with lovely Anne Gwynne, but top-billed Basil Rathbone is reduced to playing a weasely scoundrel, fooling around with beautiful Claire Dodd behind the back of desperate wife Gladys Cooper, to the annoyance of her devoted stepson (Alan Ladd). Henrietta Winslow (Cecilia Loftus) has been at death's door for some time, but makes certain that her many cats will be taken care of, along with longtime housekeeper Abigail Doone (Gale Sondergaard) and caretaker Eduardo Vidos (Bela Lugosi); when she gets stabbed to death with a long hatpin, hardly anyone bats an eye in the assumption that the old lady simply fell on it. One of the nicer aspects of the film is that the titular black cat actually becomes the hero during the admittedly thrilling climax, first alerting Crawford to his girl's danger, then causing a falling candle to set the killer ablaze. Claire Dodd was enjoying a resurgence at Universal ("In the Navy," "The Mad Doctor of Market Street"), where she had previously starred in 1934's "Secret of the Château," while the relatively unknown Alan Ladd remained a year away from stardom in "This Gun for Hire" (he's actually the only one sporting a gun for protection!). Lugosi is genuinely amusing but sadly wasted with less than 4 minutes screen time, happily hamming it up in numerous gag photos on set; Gale Sondergaard, the one cast member from "The Cat and the Canary," remains stuck in dour mode, the attractive actress allowing her uniform to call attention to an impressive bosom. No classic but entertaining (the screenwriters better known for the 1948 "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein"), "The Black Cat" appeared 4 times on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater, while its 1934 counterpart was served up on 8 occasions.

Hoping that wealthy, cat-loving matriarch, Henrietta Winslow (Cecilia Loftus) lies near death, her greedy relatives, led by the snobby Montague Hartley (Basil Rathbone), gather at her mansion for the imminent reading of the will. Vexing them all, the old woman lives, and decides to read them her will anyway. Henrietta soon meets with a terrible "accident", and the homicidal hellishness commences.

THE BLACK CAT is another "old dark house" mystery / comedy set in a gargantuan estate, complete with secret passages and a kitty crematorium! The obligatory thunderstorm arrives just in time for the perfect evening. Stars Broderick Crawford as the kindly Hubert Smith, Gale Sondergaard as the intimidating housekeeper, Abigail, and Bela Lugosi as the lurking groundskeeper, Eduardo.

A fun, fiendish film with a nice twist in its tale!...

An old lady gathers her family together to tell them how her fortune will be bequeathed. However, they discover they will not inherit until her housekeeper and all her cats die. Following the death of the old lady, the race begins to find a murderer.

Comedy horror based on an 1843 short story by Edgar Allan Poe. A fine cast is led by Broderick Crawford, Basil Rathbone and Gale Sondergaard, with Alan Ladd in a lesser role. Sadly though this has horror but not enough comedy and is inferior to other films in this genre.

In no way affiliated with the 1934 film of the same name Universal's 1941 movie The Black Cat is a frustrating mishmash of ideas and tone. On one hand it is a quintessential studio picture from the era that fits like a comfy pair of well-loved slippers: familiar sets, faces, music, and sheen that will put a Universalphile like myself in a warm place. On the other it demonstrates Universal's eternally frustrating tendency to squander great personalities, promote actors we aren't particularly interested in at the expense of these legends, sell the film as if it were a spooky melodrama, and poison the horror well with unfunny comedy bits. One bit of unintentional intrigue is supplied by the casting of Alan Ladd - yes, THAT Alan Ladd - about a year before he exploded into superstardom. Ultimately this particular endeavor is diverting enough but regrettably emerges as a missed opportunity.

The Black Cat takes place on the estate of the wealthy and eccentric Henrietta Winslow (Cecilia Loftus) whose love of cats has left her property overrun with the felines. Henrietta is frequently at death's door with various maladies and now appears ready to kick the bucket; her menagerie of greedy relatives has congregated to await the inevitable and see what they'll collect. In an effort to jump start the process Montague Hartley (Basil Rathbone) has sent for Gil Smith (Broderick Crawford) to appraise the furnishings and prepare the sale of the house. Henrietta once again miraculously recovers and, after reading a portion of her will, is bumped off. Her demise is staged to look like an accident but Gil doesn't buy it and sets out to prove she was murdered while the others scramble to possess the elusive will that keeps disappearing.

The conception of The Black Cat was likely as Universal's answer to such current comedy hits as The Cat and the Canary and Ghost Breakers, both starring Bob Hope at Paramount. Those efforts expertly combined the creeps with Hope's popular wisecracking, trembling hero routine and resulted in two big successes. Unfortunately, the script concocted by Robert Lees, Fredric I. Rinaldo, Eric Taylor, and Robert Neville can never decide what it wants to be and fails to be either mysterious or comedic. In fact, the unfunny comedy bits by Broderick Crawford and most egregiously Hugh Hubert conflict terribly with any melodramatic atmosphere the film conjures up. The one theme they hit upon that could have resulted in a much better film had they explored it properly is the title character that keeps appearing around dead bodies and near those potentially marked for death. There are passing references to it being a symbol of ill omen that, in the film's most effectively creepy moment, results in housekeeper Abigail Doone (Gale Sondergaard) exploding into raucous hysterics. As it is this charcoal feline exists mainly to justify the title.

Director Albert S. Rogell employs all of the familiar trappings associated with these spooky house films: sliding panels, revolving walls, secret passages, clutching hands, and hooded figures up to no good. He incorporates one particularly striking transition when he zooms into Bela Lugosi's eyes and then dissolves into the headlights of the car being driven by Broderick Crawford. Rogell manages to drum up occasional suspense but it usually becomes quickly diffused by the overblown antics of Crawford and Herbert. The familiar Universal sets, props, and Hans J. Salter archive music are used to advantage and gives the film a comfortable, familiar feeling.

One of primary strengths of The Black Cat is its formidable ensemble cast. Future Sherlock Holmes adversaries Basil Rathbone and Gale Sondergaard promote the melodramatics; Rathbone submits one of his patented twitchy efforts as Hartley while Miss Sondergaard is a hoot as the malevolent housekeeper Abigail. The glamour is provided by sexy Anne Gwynne as the most innocent of the brood who's perky personality is on display to great advantage. Cast as essentially the lead is Broderick Crawford shamelessly mugging his way through the shenanigans and dropping ineffectual quips when he isn't running all over the place like a maniac. More dignified is Gladys Cooper as Rathbone's suffering wife who knows her husband has blown his bankroll on some bad business deals while also conducting an affair with foxy Claire Dodd. As for the most famous names cast to disadvantage here - Bela Lugosi and Alan Ladd - both deserved much better. Lugosi is saddled with the minuscule role of the estate's grungy cat keeper Eduardo who mainly peers through windows a la Ygor and exists mainly to divert suspicion. As for Ladd, it is almost impossible to believe after watching this performance he was imminently destined to become one of the biggest motion picture stars in the world. His character is a juvenile, whiny punk who's supposedly a whiz at chemistry (cue the guffaws); except for one brief moment when he menacingly warns Rathbone to "break it off" with his side chick Ladd is very pedestrian. However, the one nuclear bomb that almost incinerates the entire picture is Hugh Herbert as the unbearably irritating Mr. Penny. Herbert's "Woo Hoo" schtick rarely varies in his film career and he dials it up to 11 here; not sure if Director Rogell thought it was funny or didn't bother to reign him in. I cannot conjure up a more vexing turn by an actor - free from any redeeming feature - in any Universal film I've seen.

In sum The Black Cat is a pleasant enough picture and will likely be enjoyed when not pondering the possibilities of a better script and more judicious use of its stellar cast. A fresh viewer tuning in expecting a spooky thriller will likely be disappointed; it's best to temper that enthusiasm and enjoy the charms it offers. My pet peeve with Hugh Herbert is likely a personal issue as I cannot stand the performer in virtually everything and he's at his absolute worst here; those sharing my rancor will despise the way he damages the film. Otherwise The Black Cat merits a viewing for its provocative Universal milieu and the appearance of melodramatic heavyweights Rathbone, Sondergaard, and Lugosi not to mention a pre-stardom Alan Ladd.

The Black Cat is 'suggested by the story by Edgar Allen Poe', which is another way of saying that it has almost nothing to do with Poe's oft-told tale of the macabre. This film is, in fact, yet another 'old dark house' murder mystery, in which the greedy relatives of a cat-crazy old woman gather in an spooky mansion on a stormy night waiting for her to drop dead. However, instead of dying naturally, the old dear is killed with a knitting needle, someone turning to murder to get their hands on the money.

This could have been a thoroughly enjoyable thriller -- it certainly has some great names in the cast, including Basil Rathbone, Bela Lugosi, Alan Ladd and the beautiful Anne Gwynne -- but like so many horror films of the era, it is ruined by some terrible comedy, Hugh Herbert as clumsy antiques dealer Mr. Penny being the main culprit. He's in far too many scenes and his signature 'woo-hoo' laugh is enough to make one wish they could reach into the screen and shake the man firmly by the throat. Broderick Crawford as realtor Gil Smith handles his comedic role better -- one comic relief should have been more than enough.

While there's some fun to be had with all of the expected genre tropes -- the raging storm, the creepy housekeeper (Gale Sondergaard), the shifty cat-wrangler (Lugosi), the secret passageways etc. -- The Black Cat would have been so much more entertaining without all of the 'woo-hoos'.

4.5/10, rounded up to 5 for the line "He thinks he's Sherlock Holmes", spoken about Rathbone's character.

Terror strikes the hearts of Henrietta Winslow's relatives and servants when they spot "The Black Cat" in this 1941 comedy/mystery starring Basil Rathbone, Broderick Crawford, Hugh Herbert, Gale Sondergaard, Gladys Cooper, Cecilia Loftus, Bela Lugosi, and in a small role, Alan Ladd. Nothing new about the plot - or the mansion, which looks mighty familiar. Henrietta Winslow (Loftus) is an old, rich woman whose greedy relatives are waiting for her to die, except she keeps defying the laws of nature. To put their minds at ease, she reads her will, eliminating the codicil that says no one collects anything until her housekeeper Abigail (Sondergaard) and all her many cats are dead. Crawford and Herbert come along; they're interested in the contents of the house. Soon, Henrietta is found dead with a black cat nearby, which seems to signal death each time it appears.

There is the obsequious rainstorm, the secret passages, the will that goes missing, the suspicious-looking gardener (Lugosi), an adulterous affair, and people running all over the place. Broderick Crawford, whose flair for comedy rarely had a chance to be exercised, is very funny, as is Hugh Herbert, who plays his associate. They really keep the film lively. Rathbone, Cooper and Ladd play it very straight, as they should, and Sondergaard gives it the sinister, over the top performance that must accompany a film like this. And don't forget those cats and those darling kittens.

Highly recommended. As someone mentioned, it's doesn't have the non-stop wit of a Bob Hope comedy, but it's fun just the same.

Any relation between the 1934 masterpiece of the same title and this rubbish, is simply non- existent!

This 1941 film is a bore and painfully unfunny. Abbott and Costello might have made something of this plot but as it is, this is one of "Universal's" worst horror films. Basil Rathbone and Alan Ladd are wasted and Bela Lugosi has nothing to do except scowl once in a while.

This little gem has long been one of my favourites: since I taped it in the '80's my daughter and I have watched it dozens of times, and although the 1934 horror film may be better it's still lovely to watch. Universal Pictures in the 1940's could churn out inconsequential family entertainment films like this so seemingly effortlessly and all with a special atmosphere that marked them apart from their bigger and richer rivals. Russell Gausman as set director did his usual fantastic job of creating something gorgeous to look at from nothing and the nitrate-film photography by Stanley Cortez was beautifully brooding, when the comedy allowed.

Relatives with secrets and problems assemble at a dying old lady's spooky old house to find out how much they'll inherit from her when the day comes. Or whether her army of beloved pampered cats will get it all. Dapper Basil Rathbone had the biggest problems of them all - but was he the one who murdered the old lady, or was she killed from kindness after all? There could have been some mysterious feline power at work, Alan Ladd looked like he'd shoot everyone for a nickel, Gladys Cooper was very demure even if very strong, Gail Sondergaard (her line "Two is equal to one" matched her "Sometimes they get into the machinery" from Cat And The Canary) and Bela Lugosi were as creepy as ever, Claire Dodd was plain nasty and John Eldredge just too dumb to be real. However I don't care what anybody says the lovely Anne Gwynne was never going to be Guilty in my eyes! Chunky Broderick Crawford and Hugh Herbert bumble through it all as the hero and light relief – this was a big vehicle for Herbert to woo-hoo his way through too. His over-zaniness can be a problem at times – was he and Crawford there in place of some songs or Abbott & Costello and overall did he help or detract? And what the Hell was Anne Gwynne supposed to see in Broderick Crawford anyway??

Maybe it helps to have seen it when young to see it now through rose-tinted spectacles. It can be too melodramatic at times, especially during the otherwise gripping climax, but with plenty of lovely smoky visuals and a rich atmosphere to wallow in I've always enjoyed watching this and hope to many more times.

1941's The Black Cat is neither a remake of the 1934 Karloff-Lugosi film of the same name, nor does it bear the slightest relation to the same-named Edgar Allan Poe story (as if the 1934 picture did!) The fact that the heroes are played by Hugh Herbert and Broderick Crawford is indication enough that the 1941 film wasn't meant to be taken entirely seriously. SPOOF all the way . t all begins when elderly cat fancier Henrietta Winslow (played by legendary vaudeville impressionist Cecilia Loftus) is murdered by a scheming relative. At the reading of the will, Henrietta's heirs discover that the old dear has left her entire fortune to her pet felines. No one will get a penny until all the cats join their ancestors in Tabby Heaven. Several more murders occur, as suspicion is cast on such shady types as Mr. Hartley (Basil Rathbone), Abigail Doone (Gale Sondergaard) and family butler Eduardo (Bela Lugosi in yet another red-herring role). By the time that bumbling Mr. Penny (Herbert) and Hubert Smith (Crawford) figure out who the real killer is, heroine Elaine Winslow (Anne Gwynne) is on the verge of meeting her doom as well. Billed last, Alan Ladd has practically nothing to do as one of the heirs. Hardly one of the classic Universal horror efforts. Still the film The Black Cat had a good murder mystery plot line and although mainly absurd I found it very enjoyable . I recommend this movie

This picture is directed by a studio hack: The production values are hilariously terrible. The acting is hammier than a German deli, and the plot? Well, there is no plot. But this is a fun film to watch. Broderick Crawford plays a virile Lou Costello in tandem with a Vaudeville partner similar to Ed Wynn. Miss Gwynne is a very strong woman, and Basil Rathbone is the most likely candidate to be the villain. Alan Ladd, in an early career appearance, is terribly miscast as a swell, and Bela Lugosi is fairly wasted in his superfluous role.

This should have been called a night at the Fun House. The set is more like a fun house than a real house. The actors appear to be suffering from sleep deprivation, as they are awoken every fifteen minutes, by another incident. Despite all these horrible foibles, the film is fun to watch. Enjoy.