Curtain at Eight (1933)

An elderly detective sets out to find who murdered a stage actor.

Director:

E. Mason Hopper

Writer:

Edward T. Lowe Jr. (screen story)

Stars:

C. Aubrey Smith, Dorothy Mackaill, Paul Cavanagh

Cast

Complete credited cast:
C. Aubrey Smith	...	Jim Hanvey - Detective
Dorothy Mackaill	...	Lola Cresmer
Paul Cavanagh	...	Wylie Thornton - Actor
Sam Hardy	...	Martin Gallagher - Captain of Detectives
Marion Shilling	...	Anice Cresmer
Russell Hopton	...	Terry Mooney - Reporter
Natalie Moorhead	...	Alma Jenkins Thornton
Hale Hamilton	...	Major Manning
Ruthelma Stevens	...	Doris Manning
Arthur Hoyt	...	Watkins - Night Watchman
Dot Farley	...	Ella - Party Guest
Jack Mulhall	...	Carey Weldon

Storyline

An elderly detective sets out to find who murdered a stage actor.

---

Plot Keywords:

based on novel | number in title

---

Genres:

Mystery

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

Backstage Mystery

Filming Locations:

Mack Sennett Studios - 1712 Glendale Blvd., Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Majestic Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

User Reviews

Almost 'Curtains' for "Curtain At Eight"

"Curtain At Eight" is only 61 minutes long, and I can't figure out if that's an asset or a detriment. It should have been longer to allow more plot development and it suffers from an editing problem - some scenes seem to be out of sequence and continuity suffers as a result.

On the other hand, maybe it's a blessing it was wrapped up quickly, as the production in general and the acting in particular is too stagey. There were no exterior shots and I thought that Sam Hardy, as the Detective Captain, nearly sank the whole picture with his outrageous overacting and obnoxious demeanor. He detracted from every scene he was in. C. Aubrey Smith and the female actresses were quite good, and the women were attractive (always enjoy watching Dorothy Mackaill), given that this was 1933, and this was an early 30's production through and through.

The mystery was above average and accounted for my rating - after all, the play's the thing, right? It was a whodunnit right up until the final scene, and with lots of suspects to choose from.

Interesting and marginally entertaining.