Perennial second-from-the-left-cop-in-the-station-house, George Guhl, has a featured role, would you believe, in Monogram's 1941 tale, Murder by Invitation, which turns out to be a sort of Mrs Longfellow Deeds Meets the Cat and the Canary. With halfway competent direction and a halfway appropriate budget, this may well have turned out as sleeper of the year. The money is there all right, but Phil Rosen's direction is strictly from hunger. The picture's potential is unrealized. Obviously left largely to their own devices, the players do what they can to salvage the film. Although inclined to over-act, I thought Sarah Padden carried off the main role with a fair amount of conviction, although other reviewers disagree. George Guhl was a big letdown, and I was also disappointed that Marian Marsh was simply just another pretty blonde in this outing and no longer the charismatic charmer of Beauty and the Boss.
28 Reviews
Relatives gather in old dark house for murder, laughs
csteidler10 June 2013
Rich old Aunt Cassie considers herself "the only sane person in a family of nitwits." She invites her greedy relatives to the creaky family mansion—instructing them to arrive on Friday at midnight—where she will decide which of them will inherit her millions. Needless to say, it's not long before the murders start
.
Vanishing corpses, secret passageways—murder spoof elements abound in this extremely goofy murder mystery. Assorted crackpot characters include several shifty relatives, an oddball sheriff, and a snoopy neighbor.
Sarah Padden cackles gleefully as the eccentric Aunt Cassie. Wallace Ford is tough to dislike as wisecracking newspaper reporter Bob White. Marian Marsh is lively and likable as White's assistant Nora, although she isn't given much to do except keep up with Ford's jokes and detective work.
This Monogram production is certainly a cheapie: while some scenes look like they may have been rehearsed, others definitely don't. However a sense of good natured fun carries the picture along, and joviality mostly makes up for lack of production polish.
Also livening up this B mystery are a few cute comments alluding to the fact that this is, in fact, a B mystery. Just past the midway point, for example, Ford discusses the two missing corpses: Dead bodies, he says, always go missing in murder mysteries and "it generally happens just past the middle of the picture."
It ain't profound but it's pretty easy viewing for those who enjoy good silly lowbrow fun.
And what a great closing line!
Vanishing corpses, secret passageways—murder spoof elements abound in this extremely goofy murder mystery. Assorted crackpot characters include several shifty relatives, an oddball sheriff, and a snoopy neighbor.
Sarah Padden cackles gleefully as the eccentric Aunt Cassie. Wallace Ford is tough to dislike as wisecracking newspaper reporter Bob White. Marian Marsh is lively and likable as White's assistant Nora, although she isn't given much to do except keep up with Ford's jokes and detective work.
This Monogram production is certainly a cheapie: while some scenes look like they may have been rehearsed, others definitely don't. However a sense of good natured fun carries the picture along, and joviality mostly makes up for lack of production polish.
Also livening up this B mystery are a few cute comments alluding to the fact that this is, in fact, a B mystery. Just past the midway point, for example, Ford discusses the two missing corpses: Dead bodies, he says, always go missing in murder mysteries and "it generally happens just past the middle of the picture."
It ain't profound but it's pretty easy viewing for those who enjoy good silly lowbrow fun.
And what a great closing line!
Watchable, as a comedy
jonfrum20001 December 2010
This is a comedy using the murder mystery genre as background. The main characters are a bit stiff - especially considering this was made in 1941 - but it's not a bad hour spent. The story revolves around old aunt Cassie, whose odd 'uh-heh' laugh is closer to caricature than character-defining. The newspaper columnist who serves as the detective in this film, is played by Wallace Ford. He and his secretary (?) and photographer play their stereotypical roles no better than the stereotypes you'd expect. The sheriff - presumably from New York somewhere, as that's where the court case was heard - sounds more like an Okie than an upstate New Yorker, and follows his own stereotype of the hayseed lawman, accent included. Of course, he's a buffoon as well, asking the newspaper columnist for advice at every turn.
So we know the flaws. Still, this was a B movie, intended as filler, and that's how we should judge it. There's nothing about it that made me want to hit the stop button - unlike some stinkers - and for fans of 1930s mysteries, it's an acceptable detour into comedy. Not laugh out loud comedy, but light amusement. It's out of copyright, and I found it on a 5 CD collection Mystery and Murder: 25 Crime Classics at my library. So it was worth every penny I paid for it.
So we know the flaws. Still, this was a B movie, intended as filler, and that's how we should judge it. There's nothing about it that made me want to hit the stop button - unlike some stinkers - and for fans of 1930s mysteries, it's an acceptable detour into comedy. Not laugh out loud comedy, but light amusement. It's out of copyright, and I found it on a 5 CD collection Mystery and Murder: 25 Crime Classics at my library. So it was worth every penny I paid for it.
A cut-rate cut-up CAT AND THE CANARY
Richard_Harland_Smith21 March 2000
No doubt prompted by the success of Elliot Nugent's 1939 remake of THE CAT AND THE CANARY, Monogram's MURDER BY INVITATION is a spit polishing of dusty doings distinguished by a cagey awareness of its own derivativeness. Like the imperiled teens of Wes Craven's SCREAM, the dramatis personae here heirs to a sizeable legacy - enter into danger with full knowledge of the rules of the game - with comic star Wallace Ford (FREAKS) even cracking: `I'm the handsome young juvenile of this story he never gets hurt.'
Supporting the ever-watchable Ford is a cast of faces familiar from the Poverty Roll payroll: Sarah Padden (THE MAD MONSTER), Dave O'Brien (THE DEVIL BAT, REEFER MADNESS), Minerva Urecal (THE CORPSE VANISHES) and John James (DEVIL BAT'S DAUGHTER), as well as Marian Marsh (Trilby to John Barrymore's SVENGALI) and Gavin Gordon (Lord Byron in THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN). A former Edison camera man turned prominent silent film director (ABRAHAM LINCOLN), Phil Rosen exhibits little enthusiasm for George Bricker's scenario, and seems grateful that the conventions of the murder mystery allow characters to remain seated for long stretches at a time. French cameraman Marcel Le Picard also shot the low-rent SPOOKS RUN WILD and VOODOO MAN.
Not a must-see film, but undemanding fun for fans of the murder mystery - and Wallace Ford never disappoints.
Supporting the ever-watchable Ford is a cast of faces familiar from the Poverty Roll payroll: Sarah Padden (THE MAD MONSTER), Dave O'Brien (THE DEVIL BAT, REEFER MADNESS), Minerva Urecal (THE CORPSE VANISHES) and John James (DEVIL BAT'S DAUGHTER), as well as Marian Marsh (Trilby to John Barrymore's SVENGALI) and Gavin Gordon (Lord Byron in THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN). A former Edison camera man turned prominent silent film director (ABRAHAM LINCOLN), Phil Rosen exhibits little enthusiasm for George Bricker's scenario, and seems grateful that the conventions of the murder mystery allow characters to remain seated for long stretches at a time. French cameraman Marcel Le Picard also shot the low-rent SPOOKS RUN WILD and VOODOO MAN.
Not a must-see film, but undemanding fun for fans of the murder mystery - and Wallace Ford never disappoints.
Disappointing!
JohnHowardReid5 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Perennial second-from-the-left-cop-in-the-station-house, George Guhl, has a featured role, would you believe, in Monogram's 1941 tale, "Murder by Invitation", which turns out to be a peculiar amalgamation of Mrs. Longfellow Deeds Meets the Cat and the Canary.
With halfway competent direction and a halfway appropriate well- healed budget, this effort may well have turned out as sleeper of the year. The money is there all right, but Phil Rosen's direction is strictly from hunger. The picture's potential drama is never realized.
Obviously left largely to their own devices, the players do what they can to salvage the film. Although inclined to over-act, I thought Sarah Padden carried off the main role with a fair amount of conviction, although other reviewers disagree.
George Guhl was a big letdown, and I was also disappointed that Marian Marsh was simply pictured as just another pretty blonde in this outing and no longer the charismatic charmer of "Beauty and the Boss".
With halfway competent direction and a halfway appropriate well- healed budget, this effort may well have turned out as sleeper of the year. The money is there all right, but Phil Rosen's direction is strictly from hunger. The picture's potential drama is never realized.
Obviously left largely to their own devices, the players do what they can to salvage the film. Although inclined to over-act, I thought Sarah Padden carried off the main role with a fair amount of conviction, although other reviewers disagree.
George Guhl was a big letdown, and I was also disappointed that Marian Marsh was simply pictured as just another pretty blonde in this outing and no longer the charismatic charmer of "Beauty and the Boss".
"There's the smartest crazy woman I ever saw."
classicsoncall2 July 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Well you'll have yourself some fun with this murder mystery even if it turns out to be somewhat nonsensical by the time it's over. The family of sixty five year old Cassandra 'Cassie' Denham (Sarah Padden) is trying to have her declared incompetent so they can get a crack at her three million dollar estate. How nephew Garson (Gavin Gordon) figured he could argue that point by mentioning a five hundred dollar unsecured loan she made to someone on a handshake just made me shake my head. Who was the real crazy one here?
During the course of the story, one of the characters mentions that it has all the elements of a good murder mystery, if by that you mean a midnight invitation to a spooky old mansion, a mysterious set of eyes under a hooded mask peering through sliding doors, and a pair of bodies falling out of a closet more than once. I was surprised they didn't use the old lights out trick here as that would have been standard for the era and quite to be expected.
Even with the dead bodies turning up, this one never gets to be all that serious, as New York Evening Star reporter Bob White (Wallace Ford) keeps things light with photographer sidekick Eddie (Herb Vigran) and girl friend Nora O'Brien (Marian Marsh) along for the ride. You won't believe Aunt Cassie's solution to the problem of turning up the murderer; I think she really might have been crazy after all. You don't want to think too much about this one once the final credits roll because when it's all over, the three million was in Confederate bills and the house was up in flames. On top of that, Cassie was going to get married. If you tried to come up with this yourself, you wouldn't be able to do it.
During the course of the story, one of the characters mentions that it has all the elements of a good murder mystery, if by that you mean a midnight invitation to a spooky old mansion, a mysterious set of eyes under a hooded mask peering through sliding doors, and a pair of bodies falling out of a closet more than once. I was surprised they didn't use the old lights out trick here as that would have been standard for the era and quite to be expected.
Even with the dead bodies turning up, this one never gets to be all that serious, as New York Evening Star reporter Bob White (Wallace Ford) keeps things light with photographer sidekick Eddie (Herb Vigran) and girl friend Nora O'Brien (Marian Marsh) along for the ride. You won't believe Aunt Cassie's solution to the problem of turning up the murderer; I think she really might have been crazy after all. You don't want to think too much about this one once the final credits roll because when it's all over, the three million was in Confederate bills and the house was up in flames. On top of that, Cassie was going to get married. If you tried to come up with this yourself, you wouldn't be able to do it.
A failed mystery with some truly great moments.
case-5019 November 2014
This is the kind of film, where you will really have a hard time deciding if you like it or not. Basically it is nothing more than a very, very clichéd murder mystery, but it is fully aware of that and make no secret about it. And that is what almost saves this one. But only almost.
There is nothing here that we haven't seen dozens, hundreds of times: old rich lady with greedy relatives, who are all sweet and lovely with her in one minute and try to put her in an asylum the next. We have the ambitious, but pretty much clueless local sheriff, the clever reporter (Wallace Ford), who does all the job the police should, his pretty assistant and all those other stock characters that pop up at all the similar films. Did I mention the old house, filled with hidden corridors? And that the old lady decides the invite all the would-be heirs to her house at midnight? Sounds familiar? Sure it does.
But what makes this one stand out is that it is not just completely aware of its clichéd nature, but actually makes fun of itself all the time. And these in-jokes provide easily the best moments of the movie. The scene where Ford states, that he can't die, as he is the handsome young hero or when they even go as far as mentioning their most obvious inspiration, The Cat and the Canary (which had a hugely successful remake two years before this came out), referring to its similar invited-at-midnight theme...? Priceless! But my personal favorite is probably when Ford states that "There comes a time in every murder mystery, when all the corpus delicti are missing and it generally happens just past the middle of the picture." Guess what happens in the movie and when. But we even know who's going to be the first victim, way before the actual murder takes place. This self-reflection really works fine.
The problem is that beside this the film has nearly nothing to offer. The screenplay is pretty badly written: the opening scene at the court already puts our expectations pretty low (the wisecracking lady is pretty funny, but the lawyer's complete lack of evidence make the whole scene very awkward), no surprises, no suspense, the characters are mostly very shallow (after they get killed, you will have a hard time remembering who some of the victims were) and even the motives are rather pointless. And while the actors are OK, there aren't any memorable performances.
Too bad. With a bit more effort, it could be a little gem, like the rather similar, but far superior One Frightened Night (1935 - also starring Wallace Ford), which worked wonders with its similarly minimal budget. But this way, this hardly passes as a time-passer.
There is nothing here that we haven't seen dozens, hundreds of times: old rich lady with greedy relatives, who are all sweet and lovely with her in one minute and try to put her in an asylum the next. We have the ambitious, but pretty much clueless local sheriff, the clever reporter (Wallace Ford), who does all the job the police should, his pretty assistant and all those other stock characters that pop up at all the similar films. Did I mention the old house, filled with hidden corridors? And that the old lady decides the invite all the would-be heirs to her house at midnight? Sounds familiar? Sure it does.
But what makes this one stand out is that it is not just completely aware of its clichéd nature, but actually makes fun of itself all the time. And these in-jokes provide easily the best moments of the movie. The scene where Ford states, that he can't die, as he is the handsome young hero or when they even go as far as mentioning their most obvious inspiration, The Cat and the Canary (which had a hugely successful remake two years before this came out), referring to its similar invited-at-midnight theme...? Priceless! But my personal favorite is probably when Ford states that "There comes a time in every murder mystery, when all the corpus delicti are missing and it generally happens just past the middle of the picture." Guess what happens in the movie and when. But we even know who's going to be the first victim, way before the actual murder takes place. This self-reflection really works fine.
The problem is that beside this the film has nearly nothing to offer. The screenplay is pretty badly written: the opening scene at the court already puts our expectations pretty low (the wisecracking lady is pretty funny, but the lawyer's complete lack of evidence make the whole scene very awkward), no surprises, no suspense, the characters are mostly very shallow (after they get killed, you will have a hard time remembering who some of the victims were) and even the motives are rather pointless. And while the actors are OK, there aren't any memorable performances.
Too bad. With a bit more effort, it could be a little gem, like the rather similar, but far superior One Frightened Night (1935 - also starring Wallace Ford), which worked wonders with its similarly minimal budget. But this way, this hardly passes as a time-passer.
The old dark house
blanche-231 December 2021
"Murder by Invitation" is a B film from 1941 starring Wallace Ford as Bob White, a reporter who covers the trial of an elderly woman (Sara Padden) whose relatives want to have her declared insane so they can have her $3 million. She proves that she's very far from insane in an amusing court scene.
She then invites her family to her estate for the weekend. She wants to observe all of them and decide which family member is most deserving of her money. She wants them to arrive at midnight, which makes some of them nervous. Not long after they settle in, relatives start dying.
Good B with Wallace Ford and Marian Marsh as an attractive couple, and Sara Padden is quite sprightly as the dowager. The end is interesting and fun.
She then invites her family to her estate for the weekend. She wants to observe all of them and decide which family member is most deserving of her money. She wants them to arrive at midnight, which makes some of them nervous. Not long after they settle in, relatives start dying.
Good B with Wallace Ford and Marian Marsh as an attractive couple, and Sara Padden is quite sprightly as the dowager. The end is interesting and fun.
"I'm the only sane person in this family of nitwits"!!!!
kidboots29 November 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Marian Marsh should have been a much bigger star. In my opinion, she was unforgettable in "Five Star Final" (1931) when she hysterically cried "Why did you kill my mother"!!!! As it was she was one of the most beautiful starlets of the early 30s, who opted for marriage rather than fame. In this, one of her last films, she is stunning and it is a pity she didn't make more films.
A family is trying to get their aunt declared mentally incompetent, so they can get their hands on her $3 million dollar fortune. She sends each of them a letter saying if they want to stay in her will, they will have to come to her mountain lodge at 12 midnight.
When one of the relatives is murdered Bob White (Wallace Ford) ace reporter is called in to cover the story. Along with his very smart and sassy secretary O'Brien (Marian Marsh) he tries his best to solve the crime.
This is a good comedy mystery where everyone seems to have a motive, even the aunt. The aunt has her suspicions about her neighbour - an odd old gentleman, who likes to wander the garden at midnight, smelling the roses!!! He had asked her to marry him many years ago and she couldn't make up her mind!! Aunt Cassandra (Sarah Padden) has a strange idea about how to catch the murderer - she has already given $3 million dollars to photographer Eddie, for safe keeping. She now declares she will burn down the stately lodge, thinking the murderer, who is only after her money will panic and reveal themselves.
Recommended.
A family is trying to get their aunt declared mentally incompetent, so they can get their hands on her $3 million dollar fortune. She sends each of them a letter saying if they want to stay in her will, they will have to come to her mountain lodge at 12 midnight.
When one of the relatives is murdered Bob White (Wallace Ford) ace reporter is called in to cover the story. Along with his very smart and sassy secretary O'Brien (Marian Marsh) he tries his best to solve the crime.
This is a good comedy mystery where everyone seems to have a motive, even the aunt. The aunt has her suspicions about her neighbour - an odd old gentleman, who likes to wander the garden at midnight, smelling the roses!!! He had asked her to marry him many years ago and she couldn't make up her mind!! Aunt Cassandra (Sarah Padden) has a strange idea about how to catch the murderer - she has already given $3 million dollars to photographer Eddie, for safe keeping. She now declares she will burn down the stately lodge, thinking the murderer, who is only after her money will panic and reveal themselves.
Recommended.
Zany comedy-mystery that entertains
coltras3510 April 2021
The avaricious relatives of a rich old woman unsuccessfully try to have her declared insane, so they can divide up her money. To show them that there are no hard feelings, she invites them to her estate for the weekend so she can decide to whom she actually will leave her money when she dies. Soon, however, family members begin disappearing.
Very good mystery comedy with plenty of secret passages and disappearing corpses. The humour is snappy and quite zany, and it's just a brisk hour of good fun. A nice film to unwind and just relax. Plenty of oddball characters - especially like Aunt Cassie played by Sarah Padden, who cackles a lot. Her idea of how to trap the murderer is odd, yet fresh. If you like old mystery's with secret panels and passages, then this is a good one to watch.
Very good mystery comedy with plenty of secret passages and disappearing corpses. The humour is snappy and quite zany, and it's just a brisk hour of good fun. A nice film to unwind and just relax. Plenty of oddball characters - especially like Aunt Cassie played by Sarah Padden, who cackles a lot. Her idea of how to trap the murderer is odd, yet fresh. If you like old mystery's with secret panels and passages, then this is a good one to watch.
She Is, Indeed, Nuts!
Hitchcoc3 September 2008
This is a formula piece. It's been done a hundred times. The greed of the relatives causes them to try to get the old lady committed. Their motives are so obvious that any chance they had goes down the tube within minutes. Now they're in over their heads and have to use their resources to survive. Meanwhile, the red herrings start swimming upstream. I should have hated it, but the crazy overacting and general being of the film are rather pleasant in a maniacal sort of way. The conclusion is satisfying and justice is done. The one drawback is that the bad guys are so pathetic and incompetent that they don't pose much of a threat.
Enjoyable Murder/Comedy
dbborroughs25 April 2004
An old lady is taken to court by her heirs because they feel she is wasting her fortune and that she should be put away for her own safety. Turning the tables on the greed family in the courtroom she insists that any of her heirs who want a piece of her money show up at her house that night. What happens next is a very enjoyable murder/comedy as people start dying as every scrambles to find the fortune.
Anyone expecting anything other than a silly time should stay as far away from this movie as possible. Yes, there is a mystery, but there are a good bunch of laughs as well, as reporter Wallace Ford and his girl wander among the crazies trying to get a story while trying to stay alive.
I really like this film, especially the old lady that who is smarter than the relatives who are trying to put her way. This is a good friend of a movie that I'll take out now and again when I need to just sit and veg.
If you come across it, by all means give it a try, we all need to laugh now and then.
Anyone expecting anything other than a silly time should stay as far away from this movie as possible. Yes, there is a mystery, but there are a good bunch of laughs as well, as reporter Wallace Ford and his girl wander among the crazies trying to get a story while trying to stay alive.
I really like this film, especially the old lady that who is smarter than the relatives who are trying to put her way. This is a good friend of a movie that I'll take out now and again when I need to just sit and veg.
If you come across it, by all means give it a try, we all need to laugh now and then.
For those who love "The Cat and the Canary"
mark.waltz9 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
So does apparently eccentric matron Sarah Padden, the spinster matriarch of a greedy family who wants to put her in a nut house so they can get their grungy hands on her fortune of $3 million. She invites them all to spend a week in her mountaintop mansion where you know what starts to happen. You've seen this all before, but right from the beginning, this film's tongue is so far into its cheek that the laughter starts rolling as soon as the old dear takes the stand in her defense. Padden is adorable, insulting her family and outlandishly insufferable in-laws (which includes Minerva Urecal, the "poor man's" Marjorie Main) and even columnist Wallace Ford whom she admits to that she reads his column but didn't reveal it on the stand because it might hurt her case.
While this plot line has been overdone (often very predictably), it has never been done so fun, and you can see elements of later comedies with the same theme ("Murder By Death" and "Clue") in its short 64 minute running time. A film so much fun deserves a higher rating because the laugh quotient is greater than normal. To say more would spoil the delights.
While this plot line has been overdone (often very predictably), it has never been done so fun, and you can see elements of later comedies with the same theme ("Murder By Death" and "Clue") in its short 64 minute running time. A film so much fun deserves a higher rating because the laugh quotient is greater than normal. To say more would spoil the delights.
Old Dark House Mystery
sbibb122 February 2005
Thsi film is one of those Old Dark House murder mystery films that Hollywood was so fond on in the 1940s. This B movie stars Wallace Ford as a popular newspaper columnist and Marian Marsh as his secretary/girlfriend.
A rich old lady (Sarah Padden) is claimed to be insane by her family and is taken to court. The court declares her sane. Shrotly thereafter she invites all her family members to her mansion in upstate New York to spend the week so that she can watch over them to decide who to leave her $3 million estate. One by one family members are murdered, with the killer seemingly hiding and watching from hidden passageways that are throughout the house.
A typical second feature film, this movie is somewhat enjoyable, but for those of you who are used to suspenseful spooky house movies, this is not what you are looking for. This movie is in the public domain and as such can be easily found on DVD and VHS.
A rich old lady (Sarah Padden) is claimed to be insane by her family and is taken to court. The court declares her sane. Shrotly thereafter she invites all her family members to her mansion in upstate New York to spend the week so that she can watch over them to decide who to leave her $3 million estate. One by one family members are murdered, with the killer seemingly hiding and watching from hidden passageways that are throughout the house.
A typical second feature film, this movie is somewhat enjoyable, but for those of you who are used to suspenseful spooky house movies, this is not what you are looking for. This movie is in the public domain and as such can be easily found on DVD and VHS.
Not great but it does have a great sense of irreverence and it is fun.
planktonrules1 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
"Murder By Invitation" is what's often referred to as 'an old dark house film'. This is because quite a few films like it were made--films where a group of people find themselves at a spooky old house--and they are killed off one by one. Interestingly, this film goes far as even talk about this sort of film when one of the characters mentions early on that this reminds her of "The Cat and the Canary"--one of the earliest and perhaps most famous of the genre. I liked this gentle poke at this sort of film cliché. And, in addition to being an old dark house film, it's also a 'know-it-all reporter film'--another very, very popular sort of film from the era.
The story is about a wacky old lady whose greedy relatives can't wait for her to die so they can get her fortune. The film begins with them unsuccessfully trying to have her ruled incompetent by the court so they can get the cash. When that doesn't work, she invites all these jerks to her home for a mysterious midnight meeting--at which point she says she insists they all stay a week so she can figure out which ones should inherit the estate. But, soon after they arrive, bodies start to pile up. So, by the end, it's up to this wacky old lady to work out the solution to the murders--and WOW is her plan nutty! While this film is low-budget and occasionally the writing and acting are not great, the overall picture is actually very good. Why? Because it's so darn irreverent in its sensibilities. I mentioned the one "Cat and Canary" comment above, but I also like the ways the film made fun of things such as the Hays Office, Ferdinand the Bull (from the Munro Leaf book) as well as Philo Vance and other film detectives. Well worth seeing--I almost gave this one a 7.
Ferdinand Philo Christopher Hays
The story is about a wacky old lady whose greedy relatives can't wait for her to die so they can get her fortune. The film begins with them unsuccessfully trying to have her ruled incompetent by the court so they can get the cash. When that doesn't work, she invites all these jerks to her home for a mysterious midnight meeting--at which point she says she insists they all stay a week so she can figure out which ones should inherit the estate. But, soon after they arrive, bodies start to pile up. So, by the end, it's up to this wacky old lady to work out the solution to the murders--and WOW is her plan nutty! While this film is low-budget and occasionally the writing and acting are not great, the overall picture is actually very good. Why? Because it's so darn irreverent in its sensibilities. I mentioned the one "Cat and Canary" comment above, but I also like the ways the film made fun of things such as the Hays Office, Ferdinand the Bull (from the Munro Leaf book) as well as Philo Vance and other film detectives. Well worth seeing--I almost gave this one a 7.
Ferdinand Philo Christopher Hays
Same old, same old
VADigger20 January 2022
Virtually indistinguishable from the scores of other comedy/mysteries so popular in the 30s and 40s. All the cliches are here - wealthy dowager, hidden fortune, isolated country house, hidden passages, venal relatives, intrepid reporter with his comic sidekick and wisecracking "doll", bumbling police detective - all that is missing is the dark and stormy night. Fun performances by some great character actors are about all that set this movie apart. There are better ways to spend your time.
If these murders don't stop I'll never gonna get that car greased!
kapelusznik186 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
****SPOILERS***When the attempt to declare Cassie Denham, Sarah Padden unable to take care of her finances as well as herself failed she turns the tables on her greedy relatives including her shyster nephew Grason,Gavin Gordon, who tried to get her committed. That's by her inviting them to stay the weekend at her place in the Catskill Mountains "Graylock" in order for them to get a piece of her three million dollar fortune.
It's at "Graylock" that things start to get a bit creepy with a number of the guests including Garson ending up dead with Cassie suspected in murdering them. It turns out that Cassie has hidden't the three million dollars somewhere in the house and is using it a bate to get the real killer to expose him or herself as well by killing off all his competition for the money. That in order to do the job of knocking off all of her greedy relatives for her. The big surprise is what Cassie has planned at the very end of the movie in setting the place on fire, yes she has fire insurance, and see who's the one who'll run into to the place to get his or her hands on the money, the three million, hidden there. That would expose the killer and exonerate her at the same time.
***SPOILERS***Were also giver hot shot reporter Bob White, Wallace Ford, and his pretty assistant Nora O'Brien,Marian Marsh, a chance to do their thing in the movie for more or less comedy relief. In the end the killer or killers are finally exposed or smoked out by them freaking out when the mansion 'Greylock" is put to the torch by Cassie and after being arrested by the police lead by Sheriff William Boggs, George Guhl, who invited himself in and admit their involvement in the murderers. The biggest surprise of all in Cassie's three million dollar fortune that she had hidden turned out to be confederated or funny money dating back to the Civil War! That Cassie's parents kept in the hope that the South will rise again!
It's at "Graylock" that things start to get a bit creepy with a number of the guests including Garson ending up dead with Cassie suspected in murdering them. It turns out that Cassie has hidden't the three million dollars somewhere in the house and is using it a bate to get the real killer to expose him or herself as well by killing off all his competition for the money. That in order to do the job of knocking off all of her greedy relatives for her. The big surprise is what Cassie has planned at the very end of the movie in setting the place on fire, yes she has fire insurance, and see who's the one who'll run into to the place to get his or her hands on the money, the three million, hidden there. That would expose the killer and exonerate her at the same time.
***SPOILERS***Were also giver hot shot reporter Bob White, Wallace Ford, and his pretty assistant Nora O'Brien,Marian Marsh, a chance to do their thing in the movie for more or less comedy relief. In the end the killer or killers are finally exposed or smoked out by them freaking out when the mansion 'Greylock" is put to the torch by Cassie and after being arrested by the police lead by Sheriff William Boggs, George Guhl, who invited himself in and admit their involvement in the murderers. The biggest surprise of all in Cassie's three million dollar fortune that she had hidden turned out to be confederated or funny money dating back to the Civil War! That Cassie's parents kept in the hope that the South will rise again!
Mediocre whodunit
gridoon20247 March 2011
Warning: Spoilers
This is a cheap and antiquated production - upon seeing it, if one didn't know better, one might assume that there was almost no advancement in any areas of filmmaking between, say, 1931 and 1941, which of course is not true. The script has some knowing moments of satire at the genre (the outsider who comes in the "last 3 pages", the disappearing corpses "just after the middle of the picture", the closing gag about the Hays office, etc.), and fairly unpredictable culprit(s), but the final twist leaves a bad taste behind since it renders the preceding deaths both meaningless and avoidable. As the eccentric and sharp-tongued aunt, Sarah Padden is the best out of a generally B-level cast. ** out of 4.
fun courtroom start
SnoopyStyle12 July 2023
Cassie Denham is on trial. Her relatives want her declared mentally incompetent and institutionalized. They want her $3 million fortune. She's as sharp as a tack and the case is promptly dismissed. Later, all the relatives get invited to her home at the same time for a family gathering.
This opens with a courtroom scene. I don't always love those, but this one is fun. It's a good start and the central premise is pretty interesting. This becomes a whodunnit murder mystery, but it may be better to make a horror thriller out of it. The family gathers at the mansion at midnight. They could be waiting for Cassie to declare on dispersing her fortune as they get killed off one by one. That would be a more exciting movie. As it stands, I'm lost on the characters. More people keep arriving. The rooms don't look grand enough for a mansion. This could have been so much better. I do like the final twist. I love the start and the end.
This opens with a courtroom scene. I don't always love those, but this one is fun. It's a good start and the central premise is pretty interesting. This becomes a whodunnit murder mystery, but it may be better to make a horror thriller out of it. The family gathers at the mansion at midnight. They could be waiting for Cassie to declare on dispersing her fortune as they get killed off one by one. That would be a more exciting movie. As it stands, I'm lost on the characters. More people keep arriving. The rooms don't look grand enough for a mansion. This could have been so much better. I do like the final twist. I love the start and the end.
Bargain-Basement Agatha Christie
phildtm20 October 2013
I won't rehash what the other reviewers have said, other than to say that most were a bit too generous. Even though this B-movie had a running time of only 67 minutes, it seemed to me more like 3 hours, as the whole story was so tedious. Everything about it is flat and stale - the production values, the acting, the writing, and especially the "humor". I am guessing it seemed old hat even in 1941. I gave it a watch because Marian Marsh was in it, and she was incredibly captivating in several of her films of the 1930's. Here she is mostly wasted. There is one basic principle shortchanged here, and it is one that I believe is basic to any kind of drama (comedy or serious, from wild fantasy to kitchen-sink realism) - the sense that those involved in the production - from the writer to the director to the actors - are playing for keeps, giving it their best. That doesn't happen here - everyone seems to be "phoning it in".
nothing to see here... go back to your homes.
ksf-220 June 2023
No blockbuster names in this one. A family tries to put the rich old grandmama into an old folks home so they can enjoy her money. She proves in court that she has complete control of her mind, and invites everyone up to her house for a family meeting. Then the bodies start piling up! The picture is quite washed out, and it probably has little to no chance of a restoration. And at times, the background music is so loud, we can't hear what the actors are saying. Even when there is no music. Talkies had been around for ten years, so this was just a low budget issue. Nothing too special about this script... just kind of stumbles along. Although they do break the 4th wall a couple times. An odd moment when one of the actors mentions that it's usually just about now when the dead bodies disappear in the moving pictures. Some fun bits where grandma moves through the secret doorways and hallways. And the newspaper man makes a crack about the hays office. A shortie, from monogram, at only 67 minutes. It's just okay. Picture and sound are pretty rough, and the ending was too predictable for words. Released in june of 1941, just before the united states was pulled into world war two. Directed by phil rosen. He had worked with edison, according to his bio here on imdb.
Poverty row murder mystery with just a fair plot
SimonJack26 June 2022
"Murder by Invitation" is a poverty row murder mystery made by Supreme Pictures and distributed by Monogram. Except for the few leads in these films who were able to go on to major studios and have good careers, most of the cast of these films are little known beyond their time. The lead in this film, Wallace Ford, was successful moving into Television in the 1950s. Some others did the same, but for the rest, there were short and longer careers mostly in B movies of this type.
While the plot is a fair one and has some intrigue, the screenplay, filming and technical production are all lower grade. Some of the acting is wooden, and a couple of roles are corny. There's not much to recommend this film, except for the interesting mystery. One just has to be able to tolerate the holes, poor quality, weak script, terrible background music, and barely fair acting at the best. The script makes a couple of attempts at humor, but they are quite lame. Can anyone think of a more far out murder mystery film than this where a bumbling rural sheriff asks a newspaper journalist for his advice and hunches?
Here are some sample lines.
Nora O'Brien, "I still think you shouldn't attend this hearing. Suppose they make a mistake and try you. You know, there's two schools of thought about the sanity of columnists." Bob White, "Quiet."
Nora O'Brien,, "Don't you worry about a thing, Aunt Cassie." Cassandra Denham, "Why should I worry? I'm the only sane person in a family of nuts."
Nora O'Brien, "I don't like this, Sherlock." Bob White, "Chin up, Watson."
While the plot is a fair one and has some intrigue, the screenplay, filming and technical production are all lower grade. Some of the acting is wooden, and a couple of roles are corny. There's not much to recommend this film, except for the interesting mystery. One just has to be able to tolerate the holes, poor quality, weak script, terrible background music, and barely fair acting at the best. The script makes a couple of attempts at humor, but they are quite lame. Can anyone think of a more far out murder mystery film than this where a bumbling rural sheriff asks a newspaper journalist for his advice and hunches?
Here are some sample lines.
Nora O'Brien, "I still think you shouldn't attend this hearing. Suppose they make a mistake and try you. You know, there's two schools of thought about the sanity of columnists." Bob White, "Quiet."
Nora O'Brien,, "Don't you worry about a thing, Aunt Cassie." Cassandra Denham, "Why should I worry? I'm the only sane person in a family of nuts."
Nora O'Brien, "I don't like this, Sherlock." Bob White, "Chin up, Watson."
Zany film that works in spite of itself!
MarcoAntonio110 August 2005
Talk about screwy films! "Murder By Invitation" almost takes first place! A daffy old lady, Aunt Cassie (a terrible performance by Sarah Padden who seems to be reading her lines off of cue cards) invites her greedy relatives to her country estate for the weekend and murders start to pop up all over the place. A reporter (Wallace Ford) and his secretary (Marian Marsh) arrive at the estate to get the scoop. Minerva Urecal (whom I usually like) overacts here as one of Aunt Cassie's relations. J. Arthur Young is totally offbeat as Trownbridge Montrose (Aunt Cassie's neighbor). Dave O'Brien is good, as usual, though as the estate's chauffeur. Zany dialog is almost unbelievable at times and Ford (although likable) is too old to be pretty Marsh's sweetheart boss. In spite of itself, "Murder By Invitation" is a film that works, although I don't quite know how!
Secret passageways and disappearing corpses
greenbudgie1 March 2021
The eccentric Aunt Cassie Denham is the defendant in a sanity trial brought against her by her nephew Garson Denham. The truth is that Aunt Cassie is rich and owner of Greylock Estate in the mountains of Virginia. And her family want her out of the way so they can own her wealth but Judge Moore throws the case out of court through lack of evidence. After the trial all the family members receive a sinister invitation to gather together at Greylock Manor on a Friday at the stroke of midnight. It seems that Cassie wants them all close to her for a period so she can decide which one among them will be her heir.
One of the family gets stabbed in the library while reading a book entitled 'The Fine Art Of Murder.' Sheriff Boggs is called in to investigate and is joined by a columnist for the New York Evening Register. The columnist is played by Wallace Ford whose best moment for me is when he finds himself talking to a miniature copy of Rodin's The Thinker in his room. A hand comes from behind an art picture panel when he's not looking and replaces the statuette with a note telling him to leave Greylock. Greylock Manor is filled with secret passageways that had once been used by spies in a past conflict.
A good character to look out for is Aunt Cassie's neighbor Trowbridge Montrose who can be seen in his garden putting poison in the rose spray liquid. He roams his garden at night and snoops through the windows of Greylock Manor giving people the shivers. The actors Gavin Gordon and Minerva Urecal make a good husband wife team who are after Aunt Cassie's money. There are three murders and corpses that keep disappearing in this entertaining mystery.
One of the family gets stabbed in the library while reading a book entitled 'The Fine Art Of Murder.' Sheriff Boggs is called in to investigate and is joined by a columnist for the New York Evening Register. The columnist is played by Wallace Ford whose best moment for me is when he finds himself talking to a miniature copy of Rodin's The Thinker in his room. A hand comes from behind an art picture panel when he's not looking and replaces the statuette with a note telling him to leave Greylock. Greylock Manor is filled with secret passageways that had once been used by spies in a past conflict.
A good character to look out for is Aunt Cassie's neighbor Trowbridge Montrose who can be seen in his garden putting poison in the rose spray liquid. He roams his garden at night and snoops through the windows of Greylock Manor giving people the shivers. The actors Gavin Gordon and Minerva Urecal make a good husband wife team who are after Aunt Cassie's money. There are three murders and corpses that keep disappearing in this entertaining mystery.
Paint By Numbers Script
Lechuguilla22 October 2017
A rich old woman with an annoying chuckle invites her relatives over to her big house for a week, so that she can study them "just like a scientist studies rats in a laboratory." Her rationale is to determine which one of the relatives deserves her $3 million dollars when she dies. The light, overall tone of the film conveys the impression that the film was intended as a parody of murder mysteries.
The protagonist is Bob White (Wallace Ford), a "famous columnist", who worms his way into the house, after a murder occurs. Eventually, an inept sheriff also shows up. So there's no famous detective or crime solver, like a Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes, and the story suffers because of that.
I incorrectly guessed the identity of the killer, but I wasn't that drawn in to the story to begin with. There are too many suspects, and the script gives them little or no characterization. Absence of a well-known detective doesn't help, and neither does the lighthearted tone. The end provides a bit of interesting irony to the underlying theme.
B&W photography is acceptable, I suppose, given the era. Scratchy sound effects and clearly audible static are annoying. Casting and acting are marginal. Background music is nondescript, manipulative, and in some scenes too loud.
With its contrived, paint-by-numbers script, its barely passable visuals and audio, and its cheap sets, "Murder By Invitation" is not a movie I would care to watch again.
The protagonist is Bob White (Wallace Ford), a "famous columnist", who worms his way into the house, after a murder occurs. Eventually, an inept sheriff also shows up. So there's no famous detective or crime solver, like a Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes, and the story suffers because of that.
I incorrectly guessed the identity of the killer, but I wasn't that drawn in to the story to begin with. There are too many suspects, and the script gives them little or no characterization. Absence of a well-known detective doesn't help, and neither does the lighthearted tone. The end provides a bit of interesting irony to the underlying theme.
B&W photography is acceptable, I suppose, given the era. Scratchy sound effects and clearly audible static are annoying. Casting and acting are marginal. Background music is nondescript, manipulative, and in some scenes too loud.
With its contrived, paint-by-numbers script, its barely passable visuals and audio, and its cheap sets, "Murder By Invitation" is not a movie I would care to watch again.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
