The Thirteenth Chair (1929)

Director:

Tod Browning

Writers:

Bayard Veiller (play)
Elliott J. Clawson (dialogue continuity)

Release Date:

19 October 1929 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

Try and Guess It! The thrilling mystery play that baffled and gripped Broadway for a solid year is here as a Talking picture with every chill and gasp intact!

Plot:

Although his murdered friend was by all accounts a scoundrel a true "bounder" Edward Wales is determined...

Plot Keywords:

Medium | Seance | Author | Murder | Runaway

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Conrad Nagel	...	Richard Crosby
Leila Hyams	...	Helen 'Nellie' O'Neill
Margaret Wycherly	...	Madame Rosalie La Grange
Helene Millard	...	Mary Eastwood
Holmes Herbert	...	Sir Roscoe Crosby
Mary Forbes	...	Lady Alice Crosby
Bela Lugosi	...	Inspector Delzante
John Davidson	...	Edward 'Ned' 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)

Also Known As:

The 13th Chair (USA) (promotional title)

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric System)

Certification:

USA:Passed (certificate number not assigned at release)

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The play opened in New York City, New York on 20 November 1916 and ran for 328 performances. The cast included Margaret Wycherly, who is also in the movie, and Walter Young.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Version of The Thirteenth Chair (1919)

Fine Early Talkie Murder Mystery

Directed by Tod Browning, The Thirteenth Chair is a well-written and acted murder mystery from a time (1929) when, due to primitive sound recording techniques, the camera had to remain in one place during a scene. The result is that the movie, while well-designed, is rather static visually. It more than makes up for this by having an exciting, if at times rather hard to follow plot, and an ingenious script with enough twists and turns in the plot to satisfy most mystery fans. For claustrophiles the movie is a delight: no one goes ANYWHERE in this film. There are some interesting visual and spatial peculiarities in the movie, such as very high ceilings on the sets, and more obviously fake than usual exteriors just outside the windows. People have a way of assembling in rooms rather than just sitting there or milling around, which gives the movie an offbeat, ritualistic feeling; probably typical enough in the theater of the time, but unusual in a film.

The actors, notably Margaret Wycherly, are quite good, with Bela Lugosi giving an energetic reading of a shrewd police detective in a quite different key from his later work. One can't help but wonder what sort of screen actor Lugosi might have become had he not been typecast in horror roles. Leila Hyams is radiant as one of the chief suspects, and it's remarkable that she didn't become a bigger star, on looks alone. There is no pace to speak of in the film, as the story proceeds by dialog, and by people entering and exiting rooms on cue. Nor are there any of the typical Browning flourishes, as the movie seems anonymously directed. But the script is very tight, and there are some surprises along the way, and moments of unexpected warmth and feeling that make this a watchable and satisfying antique.