The Ghost Walks

The Ghost Walks
The Ghost Walks
Directed by	Frank R. Strayer
Written by	Charles Belden
Produced by	Maury M. Cohen
Starring	John Miljan; June Collyer;
Cinematography	M.A. Anderson
Edited by	Roland D. Reed
Production; company	Invincible Pictures Corp.
Distributed by	Chesterfield Pictures
Release date	December 1, 1934;
Running time	69 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Ghost Walks is a 1934 American comedy mystery film^[1] directed by Frank R. Strayer starring John Miljan and June Collyer.

Plot

On a stormy night, a theatrical producer, his secretary, and playwright Prescott Ames are stranded when their car skids off the road and gets stuck. The three take refuge in the nearby home of Dr. Kent, a friend of Ames's. One of Kent's patients, who is staying at the house, is acting strangely, and the others in the house tell the newcomers that she is behaving this way because it is the anniversary of her husband's murder. At dinner, the group begins exchanging accusations about the murder, when suddenly the lights go out, and soon afterwards comes the first in a series of mysterious and fearful events.

The producer thinks all the strange occurrences are part of a ploy to get him to produce a play for Ames: One of the other characters exclaims, "These fools think we are putting on a play for their benefit!" The dinner-party was a scene from Ames's play, but when a madman sneaks into the house and tries to graft different body parts on the theatrical producer and his secretary, they realize it isn't a play.

Cast

John Miljan as Prescott Ames
June Collyer as Gloria Shaw
Richard Carle as Herman Wood
Henry Kolker as Dr. Kent
Johnny Arthur as Homer Erskine
Spencer Charters as a Guard
Donald Kirke as Terry Shaw aka Terry Gray
Eve Southern as Beatrice
Douglas Gerrard as Carroway (billed as Douglas Gerard)
Wilson Benge as Jarvis
Jack Shutta as Head Guard
Harry Strang as Guard

Reception

Wanda Hale of the New York Daily News gave the film two out of four stars, highlighting "several funny scenes, with Johnny Arthur and Richard Carle as the comics. Then, too, there is the suave John Miljan and the lovely June Collyer and Eve Southern to add romance to the horrors."^[2]

In 1997, author Michael R. Pitts complimented the plot element of the dress rehearsal in the film's first act, and wrote: "While the remainder of the film does not quite live up to these early scenes, it is a well-modulated melodrama which never seems to take itself too seriously."^[3]

References

^ "Loew's Offerings". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. January 20, 1935. p. 2E. Retrieved July 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Hale, Wanda (March 30, 1935). "Criterion Presents Thrills and Chills". New York Daily News. New York, New York. p. 29. Retrieved July 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Pitts, Michael R. (1997). Poverty Row Studios, 1929-1940: An Illustrated History of 55 Independent Film Companies, with a Filmography for Each (2005 reprint ed.). McFarland & Company. p. 102. ISBN 978-0786423194.

External links

The Ghost Walks at IMDb
The Ghost Walks at the TCM Movie Database
The Ghost Walks is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
Synopsis at AllMovie

This 1930s horror film-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "Loew's Offerings". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. January 20, 1935. p. 2E. Retrieved July 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[2] Hale, Wanda (March 30, 1935). "Criterion Presents Thrills and Chills". New York Daily News. New York, New York. p. 29. Retrieved July 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[3] Pitts, Michael R. (1997). Poverty Row Studios, 1929-1940: An Illustrated History of 55 Independent Film Companies, with a Filmography for Each (2005 reprint ed.). McFarland & Company. p. 102. ISBN 978-0786423194.

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