A group of people are stalked by a masked killer in an old mansion.
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Title: The Phantom (1931)
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| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams | ... | Dick Mallory (as Guinn Williams) | |
| Allene Ray | ... | Ruth Hampton | |
| Niles Welch | ... | Sam Crandall | |
 |
Tom O'Brien | ... | Police Sgt. Pat Collins |
| Sheldon Lewis | ... | The Thing | |
| Wilfred Lucas | ... | Dist. Atty. John Hampton | |
|
|
Violet Knights | ... | Lucy - the Maid |
| William Gould | ... | Dr. Weldon | |
| Bobby Dunn | ... | Shorty - the Chauffeur | |
|
|
William Jackie | ... | Oscar - the Lunatic |
A group of people are stalked by a masked killer in an old mansion.
When a dangerous killer escapes from the local gaol, police suspect he may come after the DA as retribution for his incarceration. Assigned to protect the DA (Lucas), bull-nose detective (O'Brien) settles in for a long night that ends up turning into a fracas when "The Phantom" enters the house via a secret labyrinth of ducts and concealed passages, threatening the DA's daughter (Ray) before disappearing into the night. Fortunately, novice reporter (Williams) has a hunch "The Phantom" might be heading for a local mental sanitarium leading to a terrifying encounter with the residents of the local loony-bin.
There's some mild chuckles and feint thrills in his uneven comedy-thriller, but the acting seems quite stilted at times and the tension seems to be constantly nobbled by ill-timed humour. Williams is the strongest performer as the young, assertive reporter keen to solve the mystery to earn a pay increase that will fund his ensuing matrimonials with the DA's daughter.
I found the jittery housekeeper (Knights) a tad over-bearing, her incessant shrills and dramatics becoming old very quickly, while combined with her vertically challenged boyfriend, the Chauffeur Shorty (Dunn) the pair added a touch of farce to the proceedings that I felt were unnecessary diversions (perhaps padding). Nevertheless, it's coherent and at barely one hour in duration, nothing if not efficient.