Murder by Invitation (1941)

The 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 ... See full summary »

Director:

Phil Rosen

Writer:

George Bricker (screenplay)

Stars:

Wallace Ford, Marian Marsh, Sarah Padden

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Wallace Ford	...	Bob White
Marian Marsh	...	Nora O'Brien
Sarah Padden	...	Aunt Cassandra ('Cassie') Hildegarde Denham
Gavin Gordon	...	Garson Denham
George Guhl	...	Sheriff William Boggs
Wallis Clark	...	Judge Moore
Minerva Urecal	...	Maxine Denham
J. Arthur Young	...	Trowbridge Cadwallader Montrose
Herb Vigran	...	Eddie (as Herbert Vigran)
Phillip Trent	...	Larry Denham (as Philip Trent)
Dave O'Brien	...	Michael, the Chauffeur
Hazel Keener	...	Mary Denham
Isabel La Mal	...	Martha Denham (as Isabelle LaMal)
Lee Shumway	...	Eric, the Gardener
John James	...	Tom Denham

Storyline

The 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.

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Plot Keywords:

estate | remake | murder | sheriff | killing | 

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Taglines:

THE HOUSE of a THOUSAND SHADOWS!

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 June 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

Murder at Midnight

Company Credits

Production Co:

Monogram Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

67 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Aunt Cassandra Hildegarde Denham: Trowbridge Montrose, what were you doing snooping around outside my window at 1 o' clock in the morning?
Trowbridge Cadwallader Montrose: I was walking through my garden, I always walk through my garden at 1 o' clock in the morning.

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Connections

References The Cat and the Canary (1939)

User Reviews

No Marsh Like a Beauty and the Boss Marsh

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.