The 9th Guest (1934)

One of my all time favorites.

Load of rubbish!!

Lack of good storyline.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

A superb thriller, this riveting nail biter is chock full of surprises that literally shock a few of the eight and might shock viewers as they get more intrigued by the goings on in this variation of Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians". Eight people of varying moralities are gathered together for a lavish party at a stranger's home where the staff knows nothing of their employer, and no host seems to be around. As they are about to leave, the radio goes on and a booming voice warns them about the impending dangers they face should they decide to leave, indicating that only the strong will survive, and that most of them will perish due to their immoral characters. The battle of wills between the apparently evil guests and the sinister evil of the host becomes drawn, with one guest getting their due right at the stroke of 11, and several others forced through panic into doing things they know might either shock them right then and there or send them to the electric chair over crimes they commit in their efforts to escape.The set up of this film is a mixture of gripping horror and light comedy, particularly through clumsy butler Vince Barnett who steals every moment that he is on screen, particularly in a drunk scene in a wine closet hidden within the elaborate kitchen setting. The cast of characters might not be all star players from Columbia's contract players, but they each get minutes to shine as they share their character (or lack of it) with other members of the party and the audience. Moments of panic leads to moments of intensity for the office, so this mystery/thriller gets to include genuine moments of terror as well, making this a combo mystery/horror film that keeps you guessing right up until the end. Donald Cook, Genevieve Tobin, Hardie Albright and Edward Ellis are the top billed guests, with Samuel S. Hinds and Nella Walker also recognizable for savvy classic movie watchers. The script, though, is the true star, intelligently written and sophisticated in its way of developing the terrors that go on right up until the end.

Eight people, every one of whom has got something to hide - from crooked politicians to greedy businessmen to fake 'society ladies' - are invited by telegram to a 'party' in a penthouse high upon a skyscraper; which, as soon as they all arrive, turns into a 'prison', and the party into a deadly 'game' between the eight guests and their mysterious 'host', who communicates with them only via a radio. And he predicts that, before the night will be over, either they or he will die - and slowly, the eight trapped people start suspecting each other of being the 'hidden' host...Does that sound familiar to us? It CERTAINLY does: Agatha Christie's famous novel "Ten Little Indians", which was made into the MAGNIFICENT thriller "And Then There Were None", runs pretty much along the same lines... Now, "The Ninth Guest" may seem to us like being on a somewhat smaller scale at first than Rene Clair's masterpiece - BUT not only does it predate that classic movie by 11 years, but it ALSO predates Agatha Christie's novel, which was first published in 1939! So the general idea originated from HERE...And seen as a classic murder mystery in itself, it's really one of the most suspenseful ever made, with a brilliant cast that conveys the psychological aspect of mutual suspicion and strong tensions PERFECTLY, as well as the conflict between despair and the will to survive... And there are some names among it that are QUITE well-known to fans of classic movies: Donald Cook would soon play the famous writer-sleuth Ellery Queen in "The Spanish Cape Mystery", and later became a TV star, just like Hardie Albright, who appeared in many a comedy and gangster movie in the 30s and 40s; and then there is, of course, lean-and-hungry Edward Ellis - the 'Thin Man' (no, not Nick Charles, of course, but the REAL 'thin man' Clyde Wynant, around whom the story of the original "Thin Man" movie revolved)! And director Roy William Neill, who did a FANTASTIC job in creating this claustrophobic atmosphere, later directed many of the 'Sherlock Holmes' movies starring Basil Rathbone. So the whole crew certainly IS a guarantee for an hour of CLASSIC 'whodunit' entertainment - a 'must' for every fan of the genre, and not only!

The best thing about this movie is its basic premise - eight people are invited by an unknown person to attend a party in an Art Deco designed penthouse. Once there, through a radio, they are informed by the "ninth guest" that it is impossible for them to leave because all the exits have been electrified and the phones disabled. The radio voice then informs them that each one of the guests will die. And one by one, the guests do start to die. It is fascinating how reminiscent this plot is of Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None,' her most famous book published five years after this movie. Of course, her book and the films later based on it are far superior to this movie. The two leads, Donald Cook and Genvieve Tobin really aren't given much to do and their characters are pretty bland. Even so, the 'Ninth Guest' is intriguing and sufficiently entertaining to be worth a watch.

This is a suspenseful little mystery produced by Columbia, with imaginative and stylish use of lighting and camera angles. Genevieve Tobin plays Jean Trent and if you have never seen her in a film you have missed a really special actress. Her role in this movie is just a very pretty, frightened heroine but she could do much more. Hard to believe from this movie but given the chance she was sparkling, sassy and had a snappy way of delivering her lines that even the introduction of the code couldn't dampen (see her as a wise cracking Della Street in "The Case of the Lucky Legs" (1935)).Eight people are invited by a mysterious host to a dinner party to be held in his or her honour. As everyone gathers at the party, the host is absent and the servants have been issued with strict instructions to answer all questions with "I do not know"!! After exploring the grounds they find 8 coffins - "one for each of us" - and are then told by the host, who communicates through the radio, that at the strike of each hour one of them will die. The first one to die is Osgood, a cowardly crook, who plans to poison all the guests himself but cuts his finger on the poisoned cap. Just before the next victim, Margaret Chisolm (Nella Walker) is slain, she is exposed as a bigamist, who has made a name for herself in society, with money from her husband, who she has had locked up in an insane asylum. All eyes, of course, turn to Tim Cronin (Edward Ellis) - Osgood was his enemy and Mrs. Chisolm had snubbed his daughter. As the night slips away the guest's lives are exposed as each reveals secrets about themselves and each other.Even though my copy had a few minutes missing around the 20 minute mark, it doesn't take long to realise what is going on. The film is filled with actors you know, but can't quite place. Donald Cook was an under-rated actor of charm and sophistication who first came to notice playing James Cagney's responsible war weary brother in "The Public Enemy". Studios found him a dependable player and he found roles in a variety of films from Ruth Chatterton's brother in the teary "Unfaithful" (1931) to even playing her long lost son in "Frisco Jenny" (1933). Hardie Albright, who played Henry Abbott, was another actor who didn't live up to his initial build up.Highly Recommended.