Rich old maid Mary (Aline MacMahon) is a soft touch for beggars. On Christmas Eve, she invites one (Basil Rathbone) into her home and gives him some food. He leave but returns later with his wife and baby, tricking Mary into letting them stay. Soon he's invited more people to stay at Mary's home. Before she can have them thrown out, they've taken her prisoner.
Intriguing premise for a movie made in the '30s. It's hard to dislike anything with a cast that includes Aline MacMahon, Basil Rathbone, and Dudley Digges. It's even got Frank "Hee Haw" Albertson in it. So it's a good cast with a good story. Still, it feels a little flat. It's not a particularly gritty or suspenseful movie. Had it been made at Warner Bros around that time I imagine it would have had a little more edge to it. More than watchable, though. This was remade in 1951 but I haven't seen that one yet.
Intriguing premise for a movie made in the '30s. It's hard to dislike anything with a cast that includes Aline MacMahon, Basil Rathbone, and Dudley Digges. It's even got Frank "Hee Haw" Albertson in it. So it's a good cast with a good story. Still, it feels a little flat. It's not a particularly gritty or suspenseful movie. Had it been made at Warner Bros around that time I imagine it would have had a little more edge to it. More than watchable, though. This was remade in 1951 but I haven't seen that one yet.