SECRET OF THE BLUE ROOM

US, 1933, 66 minutes, Black and white.
Lionel Atwill, Gloria Stuart, Paul Lukas, Edward Arnold, Onslow Stevens, William Janney, Robert Barrett, Muriel Kirkland, Russell Hopton, Elizabeth Patterson.
Directed by Kurt Neumann.


This film is based on a German novel and original screenplay by Eric Philippi. It was remade in 1938 as The Missing Guest and again in 1944, with some song and dance routines, Murder in the Blue Room.

This is a brief murder mystery with a twist. It is set in a mysterious house – with mysterious doors and secret staircases. It opens atmospherically with a birthday party for Gloria Stuart (64 years before Titanic) who also has a song. Stories are told about murders in an upstairs room, the Blue Room, which has been shut since.

The young woman has three possible suitors. One of them, William Janney, offers to sleep in the blue room – and the next morning, he has disappeared. Another suitor, Onslow Stevens, offers to sleep there the next night and is found shot dead.

The servant of the house, Robert Barrett, seems to be signalling to a stranger outside the house. The owner of the house, Lionel Atwill, seems to be behaving strangely and suspiciously. Finally, the third suitor, Paul Lukas, offers to stay the night in the room. However, they have called in the local police, a rather sombre and dictatorial Edward Arnold. There is a shooting – but they have set up a dummy, have found the secret passage and arrest the original suitor who had set up the whole situation to get rid of his rivals.

There are also explanations about the mysterious stranger being the brother of the owner and the father of the young woman.

Standard material but a strong cast.