Overview of the thirteenth chair, 1937, directed by george b. I dont generally like whodunits, especially the clue variety, where a detective gathers all the suspects in a room and attempts to root out the real killer, but the thirteenth chair is exceptionally written. Apparently the sound version was shot in tandem with a silent version, but unfortunately, the silent version is considered lost. All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other. Lugosi as delzante intentionally throws the film off into bizarrely. The thirteenth chair 1937 the thirteenth chair 1937.
The supporting cast features bela lugosi, whom browning would direct as dracula two years later. The thirteenth chair is a 1929 film about a phony medium who tries to prove her protege innocent of murder. See the full list of the thirteenth chair cast and crew including actors, directors, producers and more. The picture is based on a 1916 play of the same name by bayard.
In this mystery, the second film version of a popular broadway play, an amiable but phony medium takes a runaway under her wing. It also doesnt help that brownings film is his first sound effort, and it still struggles with a lot of the difficulties of early sound films. Winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Both films tell more or less the same story, based on a melodramatic mystery play. Nevertheless, its a rewarding film experience for those who can endure the first half hour. Its more or less a very basic filming of a stage play i gather. The thirteenth chair is a 1929 american precode mystery film directed by tod browning. Now the detective lewis stone must try and figure out which person done it. The thirteenth chair 1929 classic horror film board. The thirteenth chair 1929 is tod brownings first sound film and a real curio.
The thirteenth chair isnt so much an antiquated early talkie as it is a straightforward screen version of an antiquated stage play, and, as such, of great historical value. Trinaesta stolica je americki kriminalisticki film snimljen 1929. Perhaps not a horror film but im interested in buying the warner archive double bill of the thirteenth chair. The picture is based on a 1916 play of the same name by bayard veiller. Friday the th return to crystal lake fan film full. With john alvin, ethel barrymore, joan evans, arthur franz. Unfortunately though the thirteenth chair plays a lot like bad theater mixed together with all the. The thirteenth chair 1937 a medium holds a seance to clear her daughter of murder in colonial india.
A fan film for the fans with no budget and what started with a few fans sitting around in a room, spawned this fan film that i hope you will. Seitz, with dame may whitty, madge evans, lewis stone, at turner classic movies. Their dinner guests include edward wales, a man preoccupied with discovering who murdered his best friend, killed in a surprise attack with a. Temeljis e na istoimenoj kazalisnoj predstavi bayarda veillera. The thirteenth chair is a film which suffers from a lot of the issues which plague the early sound era. The second half features a compelling murder mystery.
It is the first sound film directed by cult legend tod. As usual he dominates his role and make the thirteenth chair 1929 classic horror film board. There are two other versions of the film one made in 1919 and one made in 1937i have not seen either. The thirteenth chair is the 1929 film version of a creaky play by bayard veiller. View the tcmdb entry for the thirteenth chair 1937.
The thirteenth chair 1929 the hitless wonder movie blog. The films largest asset is the incomparable dame may whitty, who brings imperious bluster to her phony psychic and carries the entire film on her back. The thirteenth chair is a film directed by tod browning with conrad nagel, leila hyams, margaret wycherly, helene millard, year. Although the obsession with all things bela lugosi may.
Inspector marney of scotland yard travels to calcutta to investigate the murder of leonard lee, a generally despised man in these parts. Seitz with dame may whitty, madge evans, lewis stone, elissa landi, year. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title the thirteenth chair. It was based on a play of the same name by bayard veiller.
The thirteenth chair 1930 cast and crew a medium margaret wycherly holds a seance to clear her daughter leila hyams of murder in colonial india. The film has some very stilted performances as the actors struggle with dialogue, the visual storytelling is. Read the full synopsis of the thirteenth chair, 1937, directed by george b. Essentially a oneroom murder mystery in the agatha christie mold, the thirteenth chair is fun in the moment but ultimately unmemorable. The almost complete psychotronic encyclopedia of film. In fact, as a supposedly primitive sound film, the whodunit dates rather well, director tod browning ingeniously using sound to complement the mysterious goingson. Filmed in the spring of 1969, this comedy about the hunt for a chair that has very valuable jewels in it was to be sharon tates final film before the manson family invaded her bel air home and butchered she and her guests. Tod brownings 1929 the thirteenth chair plan 9 crunch. The complete prc michael shayne mystery collection classicflix silver series. Crosby on the verge of announcing their sons engagement to mrs. Sharon does a great job in the film and her penchant for comedy was beginning to peak. The thirteenth chair is a film directed by george b. The thirteenth chair 1937 05071937 us mystery 1h 6m user score.
Seitz, based on the 1919 stage play by bayard veiller, and starring dame may whitty, lewis stone, madge evans, and elissa landi. This version of the thirteenth chair is actually better than the previous one thanks in large. I dont know that for sure, but it feels very stagey. This volume from the cornell university librarys print collections was scanned on an apt bookscan and converted to jpg 2000 format by kirtas technologies. John wales, who did consider lee a friend his best friend. The thirteenth chair photos view all photos 1 movie info. The thirteenth chair 1937 trailer turner classic movies.
Google the title and perhaps youll find some online vendors of rare films that. Although his murdered friend was by all accounts a scoundrel a true bounder edward wales is determined to trap his killer by staging a seance using a famous medium. They then call a detective bela lugosi who grills them, trying to discover who murdered both of these men. Clawson and joseph farnham, based on the 1916 play by bayard veiller. Crosbys secretary, an attractive young woman of slightly mysterious antecedents. Humorously inspiring books and observations about band and music education. A phony psychic tries to solve a murder that took place during her seance. This film proves that in 1929 a lot of talking films were still primitive and although most of the cast seemed reasonably at ease with dialogue, john davidsons. The thirteenth chair 1929 directed by tod browning. The thirteenth chair is a 1937 american mystery film directed by george b. The third movie version of the thirteenth chair 1937, the intriguing mystery about a murder during a seance.
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