THE ROGUE'S TAVERN (1936) 4 out of 10 stars Time to Read: 1:21 min Late night, silly fun...

November 14, 2024

THE ROGUE'S TAVERN (1936) 4 out of 10 stars Time to Read: 1:21 min Late night, silly fun...

Late night, silly fun...

THE ROGUE'S TAVERN (1936)

4 out of 10 stars Time to Read: 1:21 min

BASIC PLOT:

A group of people end up at a crowded inn on a stormy night. They've all been sent telegrams to lure them here, and they're being killed off, by what they first think is a wild dog, but what's really a taxidermied canine.

Also present are a police detective, Jimmy Kelly, and his fianceé, Marjorie Burns, who have stopped here to get married, and are eagerly waiting for the justice of the peace to arrive.

The hotel owners, Mr. & Mrs. Jamison (John Elliott & Clara Kimball Young) are here as well, and are on the suspect list. So is a strange, lurking man, in thick glasses, who is listening behind every door.

But who sent the telegrams, and can Jimmy (Wallace Ford) & Marjorie (Barbara Pepper) figure it out before anyone else dies?

Joan Woodbury as
Gloria Robloff

WHAT WORKS:

*CREEPY ATMOSPHERIC It's a dark and stormy night, and the beginning really sets the stage.

*FUN SCOOBY DOO TYPE MYSTERY This is just silly fun, don't expect anything serious.

*LOTS OF SUSPECTS There's lots of suspects, and even more come later (who's the mysterious stranger, in the thick glasses, who's hiding in the shadows?), which makes for an entertaining whodunnit.

Lots of suspects

*JOAN WOODBURY IS GREAT AS THE FORTUNE TELLER Joan Woodbury is excellent as the weird fortune teller, Gloria Robloff. I love the close-ups of her face, it adds to the eerieness, and is NOT over the top for this type of melodrama.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK:

*ENGAGED COUPLE IS A BIT SILLY Jimmy Kelly (Wallace Ford) & Marjorie Burns (Barbara Pepper) are pretty silly as the engaged, bickering couple. But they do work well together, and she is as smart as he is, so that makes it a bit less annoying. It doesn't work because it seems to go with a different type of film - a comedy/mystery - and this is a crime driven, melodramatic, atmospheric mystery. The motives are too dark for their type of levity.

Jimmy & Marjorie

TO RECOMMEND, OR NOT TO RECOMMEND, THAT IS THE QUESTION:

*If you're in the mood for some old, silly fun, give this a try. It's light, not a serious mystery at all, but if you enjoy that type of thing, it's not bad.

CLOSING NOTES:

*I HAVE NO CONNECTION TO THE FILM, or production in ANY way. This review was NOT written in full, or in part, by a bot. I am just an honest viewer, who wishes for more straight forward reviews (less trolls and fanboys), and better entertainment. Hope I helped you out.