THE DARK HOUR
US, 1936, 64 minutes, Black-and-white.
Ray Walker, Berton Churchill, Irene Ware, Hobart Bosworth, Hedda Hopper, E.E.Clive, Harold Goodwin, William V. Mong, Miki Morita.
Directed by Charles Lamont.
This is what crime supporting features in the mid 1930s were like. And, in retrospect, perhaps at the time, it is very much in the Agatha Christie vein, a body in the library, detectives, interrogations, many suspects, truth and lies, tangled motivations.
A young detective, courting the niece of the murder victim, is the main investigator, relying on the help of the veteran retired detective and neighbour. They are played by Ray Walker and Berton Churchill. An unpleasant businessman is found dead at his desk, stab wounds, no blood, then drops on the floor, a missing weapon, then the discovery of manipulation of gas complicating the deaths.
The two detectives operate rather privately, some connection with the police, but it is definitely not a police thriller mystery. And the range of suspects: the niece herself acting very suspiciously and not telling the truth, very British butler played by E.E.Clive, the niece’s aunt, a vigorous society scene-stealing celebrity, played by veteran Hollywood gossip columnist, Hedda Hopper, the scientist doing experiments next door, a mysterious Asian character, and the rather infirm and bewildered brother of the deceased.
Audiences will enjoy the various unmaskings but, in the last few minutes, there are quite a number of hypotheses showing how so many of the suspects might have committed the murder. Which leaves the audience pondering all these possibilities before they decide whodunnit.
For audiences interested in the B movies of the 1930s – but, younger audiences may find the style of filmmaking too antiquarian.
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This is a small-budget 1930s murder mystery, nothing particularly special.
We are introduced to a range of characters, especially a mean old millionaire, uncle to the heroine, Elsa, critical of her suitors, clashing with his brother, not popular with the neighbours. After several gruff scenes, he is murdered.
One of the suitors for the niece is a detective who teams up with an elderly detective next door and, together, they pursue solving the mystery.
There are many many suspects including the staff at the house, the butler, the cook, a scientist living in the working who is keen on marrying the niece for her money, they quickly looked in the window, Hedda Hopper playing Mrs Tallman. There are many interviews, hypotheses, and some more murders with people behaving rather suspiciously.
When the murder is solved, it emerges that it is the victim's brother who is jealous, wanting money, defiant. However, when everything seems solved, the various of the hypotheses that could have been in play, included a scenario where the older detective himself is the killer and it scenario where it could have been Mrs Tallman.
