House of Mystery (1934)An ancient curse and a killer ape are contained inside an old dark mansion. Director:William Nigh |
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House of Mystery (1934)An ancient curse and a killer ape are contained inside an old dark mansion. Director:William Nigh |
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| Cast overview: | |||
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Ed Lowry | ... |
Dylan 'Jack' Armstrong
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Verna Hillie | ... |
Ella Browning
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John Sheehan | ... |
Harry Smith
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Brandon Hurst | ... |
Hindu Priest
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Joyzelle Joyner | ... |
Chanda
(as Laya Joy)
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Fritzi Ridgeway | ... |
Stella Walker
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Clay Clement | ... |
John Prendergast aka John Pren
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| George 'Gabby' Hayes | ... |
David Fells
(as George Hayes)
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Dale Fuller | ... |
Mrs. Geraldine Carfax
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Harry C. Bradley | ... |
Prof. Horatio Potter
(as Harry Bradley)
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Irving Bacon | ... |
Police Insp. Ned Pickens
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Mary Foy | ... |
Mrs. Hyacinth Potter
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Sam Godfrey | ... |
Jerome Ellis
(as Samuel Godfrey)
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An ancient curse and a killer ape are contained inside an old dark mansion.
An archaeologist (Clement) offends the Hindu spirit of Khali whilst on the Sub-Continent, then returns to England with his ill-gotten gains peddling a ruse that the fortune he's amassed is tainted by debilitating visions of apes crushing his windpipe, in an attempt to put off suspicion and the investors in his expedition who've come to collect their dues.
Comedy-thriller is nothing more than a haunted house romp, with Clement starring as the charlatan John Prendergast (aka Pren), fond of the liquor and the ladies, particularly his nubile house nurse Hillie which upsets his faithful Indian servant-woman Joy. Irving Bacon is quite amusing as the detective without a clue, while Sheehan does a pretty good Groucho Marx impersonation as Scotland Yard incognito.
Mild slapstick and witty dialogue couple with some innovative camera angles and dolly tracking, unusual for 1934 cinematography leave an impression, but otherwise, there's little to entertain even at barely 62 minutes brief.