The Dark Hour

A Chesterfield old-dark-house mystery directed by Charles Lamont. Two brothers, eccentric misers feared and hated by everyone in their household, have made a habit of threatening to cut off their heirs — so when one of them is murdered at midnight during a thunderstorm, nearly everyone is a suspect. Retired detective Jim Landis (Ray Walker) must sort out which heir pulled the trigger while reporter Elsa Carson (Irene Ware) gets in the way. Hedda Hopper, a year away from becoming Hollywood's most feared gossip columnist, appears as one of the scheming relatives. The film's copyright was not renewed; it is in the public domain in the United States.