The Thirteenth Chair (1929)

Although his murdered friend was by all accounts a scoundrel a true "bounder" Edward Wales is determined to trap his killer by staging a seance using a famous medium. Many of the 13 seance ... See full summary »

Director:

Tod Browning

Writers:

Bayard Veiller (from the play by), Elliott J. Clawson (dialogue continuity),

Stars:

Conrad Nagel, Leila Hyams, Margaret Wycherly

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Conrad Nagel	...	Richard Crosby
Leila Hyams	...	Helen O'Neill
Margaret Wycherly	...	Madame Rosalie La Grange
Helene Millard	...	Mary Eastwood
Holmes Herbert	...	Sir Roscoe Crosby
Mary Forbes	...	Lady Crosby
Bela Lugosi	...	Inspector Delzante
John Davidson	...	Edward Wales
Charles Quatermaine	...	Dr. Philip Mason (as Charles Quartermaine)
Moon Carroll	...	Helen Trent
Cyril Chadwick	...	Brandon Trent
Bertram Johns	...	Howard Standish
Gretchen Holland	...	Grace Standish
Frank Leigh	...	Professor Feringeea
Clarence Geldart	...	Commissioner Grimshaw (as Clarence Geldert)

Storyline

Although his murdered friend was by all accounts a scoundrel a true "bounder" Edward Wales is determined to trap his killer by staging a seance using a famous medium. Many of the 13 seance participants had a reason and a means to kill, and one of them uses the cover of darkness to kill again. When someone close to the medium is suspected she turns detective, in the hope of uncovering the true murderer.

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Plot Keywords:

seance | medium | confession of crime | author | nobility | 

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Taglines:

THE THRILL SENSATION OF THE YEAR! The celebrated mystery play that ran a year on Broadway! A Talking Picture you mustn't miss!

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 October 1929 (USA)

Also Known As:

The 13th Chair

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Completed July 16 1929, the first sound feature in which Bela Lugosi's famous Hungarian tones were heard.

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Quotes

Inspector Delzante: [Interrogating a suspect, consulting his notes] Perhaps this will refresh your memory.

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Connections

Version of The Thirteenth Chair (1919)

User Reviews

Gripping Whodunit

This isn't a typical Tod Browning film. It's more or less a very basic filming of a stage play (I gather; I don't know that for sure, but it feels very stagey) about a group of rich people who hire a medium to find out who killed their friend (and, to some of the group, an enemy). When they go into their seance, right as the name of the killer is about to be spoken, one of the men in the circle, the one who was succeeding at questioning the medium, is stabbed in the back. They then call a detective (Bela Lugosi) who grills them, trying to discover who murdered both of these men. I don't generally like whodunits, especially the Clue variety, where a detective gathers all the suspects in a room and attempts to root out the real killer, but The Thirteenth Chair is exceptionally written. The characters, and there are many, are quite well developed. The climactic scene, while asking that we suspend our disbelief, is truly suspenseful. See this gem if you ever get the chance. 9/10.