Old School Murder Mystery Films

The Lady Vanishes

The 39 Steps

Village of the Damned

Jennifer

Not a single one of the films named at r1, r2, or r3 is a murder mystery.

r1 and r2 named spy thrillers. r3 named a science fiction thriller.

Also, r1/r2 is the same person as OP, so he is--incorrectly!--answering his own question.

What about The Old Dark House (1963)?

Based on a novel by J. B. Priestley. It has a good cast of character actors- Tom Poston, Joyce Grenfell, Peter Bull, Mervyn Johns, and Robert Morley.

The Old Dark House is a remake of a better, earlier film

The Thirteenth Chair

R8 I think you are right! This looks very good! I want to read the novel first.

Directed by James Whale with all star cast- Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Eva Moore, Raymond Massey, Gloria Stuart, and Charles Laughton.

This is definitely on my list. Thank you for the recommendation!

Lady of Burlesque

I like this one, not sure if it’s the type of movie you’re looking for. Also check out the Hildegard Withers series with Edna Mae Oliver.

Lucille Ball on the trail of a serial killer in foggy London

r10, it's a good one. Directed by James Whale (who was family and really talented)

Moss Rose

Hangover Square

The Lodger

The Spiral Staircase

This one is interesting. It’s an anthology film but the setup is that a guy ends up in a house with a bunch of strangers that he’s had recurring dreams about. Each guest has a spooky story to tell.

Thanks for the recommendations!

R13 Lured looks good! Another great cast of stock actors- Lucille Ball, George Sanders, Charles Coburn, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Robert Coote, Alan Napier, and Boris Karloff

this might be too recent for you OP but if not it’s worth a watch.

Witness for the Prosecution 1957

Based on Agatha Christie's play A veteran British barrister must defend his client in a murder trial that has surprise after surprise. Nominated for 6 Academy Awards

-Best Picture Arthur Hornblow Jr. -Best Actor in a Leading Role Charles Laughton -Best Actress in a Supporting Role Elsa Lanchester -Best Director Billy Wilder -Best Sound, Recording Gordon Sawyer (Samuel Goldwyn SSD) -Best Film Editing Daniel Mandell

You girls are slow:

Laura (1944)

New York City Police Department detective Mark McPherson is investigating the murder of a young, beautiful, highly successful advertising executive, Laura Hunt, killed by a shotgun blast to the face just inside the doorway of her apartment...

R15 I love Peggy Cummins, so thanks for the recommendation

The Thin Man (1934) is one of my favorite movies.

Please keep the recommendations coming!

"Forbidden Planet"

R26, me too. She was good in Gun Crazy

The Blue Dahlia, with Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake

What about Bunny Lake is missing?

I have been wanting to see it for years. Isn't it a murder mystery? Directed by Otto Preminger, and starring Laurence Olivier, Keir Dullea, Carol Lynley, and Clive Revill.

Dark Waters

Temptation

The Cat and the Canary

The Black Phone

The Margaret Rutherford series of mysteries from the 1960s.

The Old Dark House is on YouTube

Séance on a Wet Afternoon

There are some good ones here

I came across "Murder by Invitation " on Tubi. If you see this, there will be many other 1930s/1940s B mysteries that are of terrible quality but somewhat fun. The copyright must be expired on these. I especially like the comedic mysteries that were popular then.

Look for "One Body Too Many" with Jack Haley and Jean Parker.

Avatar

I am Curious (Yellow)

Old Yeller

Hello, Dolly!

I just discovered City of the Dead. It is not a murder mystery per se, but it looks like a lot of fun. Stars Christopher Lee and Venetia Stevenson

I was thinking of mentioning that movie r42 but that's the folk horror genre. Check out Night of the Eagle about a Donna Reed looking housewife performing witchcraft. Featuring a sexy Peter Wyngarde showing bulge.

That Donna Reed looking housewife was Miss Janet Blair, r43.

Inner Sanctum

Dead Man's Eyes

This one was based on the same novel as Night of the Eagle, which was mentioned above

It's certainly a snappier title, r47.

Margaret Rutherford, "the British battleship," as she was called.

r48 but does it have furry chests?

[Quote]What about Bunny Lake is missing?

Not a murder mystery. It's about the search for a missing child

[Quote]I just discovered City of the Dead. It is not a murder mystery per se, but it looks like a lot of fun. Stars Christopher Lee and Venetia Stevenson

Aka Horror Hotel A supernatural thriller

Ten Little Indians 1965 a good film version of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None

The hairy chest is supplied by Hugh O' Brian

r42 The interesting thing about City of the Dead is that some of the plot elements and gags are very similar to Psycho and it looks like they were being filmed at nearly the same time.

Homicidal, which is campy as hell

Saw that at the drive-in, r53.

Two on a Guillotine

This might have helped steer the gays, OP.

The Mirror Crack’d opens with a several minutes of a b/w drawing room mystery, Murder at Midnight, with all the suspects assembled for the naming of the culprit.

Those minutes are not in the available clip; instead, here is the film breaking down, with Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple solving the movie mystery for the frustrated parishioners.

[bold]Green for Danger[/bold] (1946) Classic British mystery, based on the novel by Christianna Brand.

A patient dies on the operating table in a rural English hospital during WWII, and one of the nurses claims to have evidence that he was murdered. When she is subsequently killed, Inspector Cockrill (Alistair Sim) of Scotland Yard investigates.

R59, good choice. I really like that one.

R58 thank you! I tried to find a clip of the Murder at Midnight segment, but couldn't.

The Spiral Staircase could be considered a murder mystery I think.

The 1940's And Then There Were None is a better version of the Christie book than the mediocre 60's Ten Little Indians, despite the hunky Hugh O'Brien.

R62 sure, but the 1965 Ten Little Indians is my favorite. It has more "atmosphere" than the 1940's one. I love the actors in the 1960's one- Hugh O'Brien, Shirley Eaton, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Dennis Price, Leo Genn, etc.

Departing from OP’s old movie request, I suggest the 2015 BBC adaptation of And Then There We’re None, which holds closer to the dark conclusion in Christie’s novel.

R59 - yes, I also remember "Green for Danger" being an excellent film.

I agree with your assessment of the 1965 film and don't forget Fabian R63

Eight people go to an Austrian castle at the invitation of a mysterious host. They are then informed that each of them is a killer and all will meet their death by the end of the weekend. All start dying one-by-one. Released with a two-minute murder break to allow the audience to guess the killer. The second of three versions of this Agatha Christie mystery, following 1945's AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, and pre-dating 1975's TEN LITTLE INDIANS. This version, however, is the only one to retain Christie's original ending.

Haunted Honeymoon

Not only does the 2015 BBC adaptation of "And Then There Were None" hold closely to Christie's original novel, it also features Aiden Turner wearing nothing but a towel.

Dementia 13

Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte

"The Case of the Black Cat" with Ricardo Cortez as Perry Mason

"Topper Returns" 1941

Midnight Lace (1960) with Doris Day.

Would Gaslight be considered a murder mystery?

R74 I think "Gaslight" is considered a psychological thriller, even though there has been a murder and the murderer is eventually discovered.

The Ghost Breakers (1940)

Since you love the Thin Man series, have you seen the Philo Vance movies William Powell starred in prior to those? My favorite of the bunch is The Kennel Murder Case (1933).

What about The Uninvited (1944)?

Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, Cornelia Otis Skinner, Alan Napier, Gail Russell, and Mr. Donald Crisp.

Take your pick from the numerous entries in the long-running Charlie Chan movie series.

For example there is:

Charlie Chan in Shanghai

The Penguin Pool Murder (1932)

Mazurka (1935, Germany) , starring Pola Negri

A woman is put on trial for murdering a predatory musician.

The Case of the Lucky Legs (1935)

The Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933)

This one is more of a horror film than a traditional mystery. But the early color is beautiful and Glenda Farrell is a lot of fun as a wisecracking reporter/amateur sleuth.

Thunder on the Hill (1951)

Voice of Merrill aka Murder Will Out (1952)

British film starring Valerie Hobson. A convicted female blackmailer is found murdered in her flat and suspicion falls on three men, all of whom the police believe may have had reason to wish her dead.

Street of Chance (1942)

After Frank Thompson (Burgess Meredith) recovers from a head injury, he is shocked to discover that a year has passed, and that he's wanted by detective Joe Marucci (Sheldon Leonard) in connection with a murder about which he knows nothing. After retracing his steps, he meets Ruth (Claire Trevor), who turns out to have worked with Frank -- known to her as Danny -- at the estate where the murder was committed.

The Dark Corner (1946)

Wonderful noir starring Lucille Ball as a secretary a secretary to a private eye who's framed for murder.

Deadline at Dawn (1946)

The Guilty (1947)

Two men sharing an apartment meet twin sisters (both Bonita Granville). One's sweet, the other a major piece of bad news. The nice one is murdered and her boyfriend is accused of the crime. The wrong man/wrong victim plot strikes again.

High Tide (1947)

A conflict between a gambling syndicate leader and a crusading newspaper editor leads to murder. Starring Don Castle and Lee Tracy.

R89 Grateful for the bump. These movies are a great viewing idea for these stormy summer nights.

Bury Me Dead (1947)

A woman (June Lockhart) watches her own funeral, then sets out with her lawyer (Hugh Beaumont) to learn who was in the casket.

The Lady Confesses (1945)

A man's (Hugh Beaumont) girlfriend (Mary Beth Hughes) turns sleuth after his long-lost wife turns up dead.

Grissly's Millions (1945)

An eccentric wealthy man is murdered, and the police set out to find his killer. Starring Virginia Grey and Paul Kelly.

The Missing Juror (1944)

The Woman in Question (1950)

British film starring Jean Kent, Dirk Bogarde, and Susan Shaw. Agnes “Astra” Huston, a fortune teller at a run-down fair, is found strangled in her bedroom. As the police question five suspects, their interactions with her are shown in flashbacks from their point of view.

“Haunted Honeymoon” (“Busman’s Hineymoon” in the UK) starring the incomparable Robert Montgomery as amateur detective Lord Peter Whimsey.

Absolutely delightful from start to finish.

Crime on the Hill (1933)

Murder runs amok in an English Manor house as the local vicar turns sleuth to solve the mystery.

Thirteen Women (1932)

Female alumnae of the St. Albans Seminary sorority group receive letters from Swami Yogodachi, making alarming predictions of death and murder -- which come true. Fun precode starring Irene Dunne, Myrna Loy, and Peg Entwistle.

Shortly after making this movie Entwistle became notorious by leaping to her death atop the "H" on the Hollywoodland sign.

Cover Up (1949)

An insurance investigator (Dennis O'Keefe) arrives in a small town to look into the report of a suicide, but when he fails to turn up any of the expected evidence, a dark mystery unfolds.

This is a good one to watch during the holiday season, as it takes place during Christmas.

Who Killed Santa Claus? aka L'assassinat du Père Noël (1941, France)

A village in the French Alps is rocked by a series of crimes, including the theft of a sacred ring and the murder of a man dressed as Père Noël (Father Christmas).

This wonderful film is one of my favorite Christmas movies.

Two O'Clock Courage (1945)

An amnesiac (Tom Conway) discovers he's wanted for murder, and a female cabbie (Ann Rutherford) turns detective to clear his name.

Paper Orchid (1949, UK)

Directed by Roy Ward Baker. This is a murder mystery set in the newspaper industry. I couldn't find it anywhere but it was recommended to me by someone whose taste I trust. It's available on DVD so I trust it will eventually turn up streaming somewhere.

The Night Won't Talk (1952, UK)

When a beautiful young artist’s model is strangled in her bed, Scotland Yard find themselves with three suspects – her sinister ex-husband (Elwyn Brook-Jones), a sexually disturbed artist (Ballard Berkeley) and her violent new boyfriend (John Bailey), who is prone to unexplained blackouts.To catch the killer, the police must set a dangerous trap with the aid of a famous sculptress (Hy Hazell).

Take My Life (1947, UK)

When her husband is wrongly accused of murder, an opera singer sets out to find the real culprit.

The October Man (1947, UK)

A man suffering from a traumatic head injury is the chief suspect in a murder case. Starring John Mills and Joan Greenwood with a screenplay by Eric Ambler.

Rosaura at 10 O'Clock (1958)

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery/film noir, which has been called one of the greatest Argentinian films ever made. The plot concerns a nebbishy, middle-aged painter who lives in a boarding house and who starts receiving letters from a mysterious woman named Rosaura.

Sorry, let me try that again. I forgot the link.

Rosaura at 10 O'Clock (1958)

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery/film noir, which has been called one of the greatest Argentinian films ever made. The plot concerns a nebbishy, middle-aged painter who lives in a boarding house and who starts receiving letters from a mysterious woman named Rosaura.

The Murderer Lives at Number 21 aka L 'Assassin Habite Au 21 (1942, France)

Another great foreign language boarding house mystery, this time from France. It's directed by the great Henri-Georges Clouzot, who was called "the French Hitchcock."

Quai des Orfèvres (1947, France)

A flirtatious wife runs off to meet an older man and the husband closes in with intend to murder him, but finds the deed already done. This is another wonderful film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot.

Clouzot also directed the classic film Diabolique. It involves murder but it's a thriller rather a murder mystery per se.

Girl with Hyacinths (1950, Sweden)

When a young woman dies under mysterious circumstances, her neighbors investigate her past.

This one is *so* good! It features a plot element that is well ahead of its time.

The YouTube I've linked to below has English subtitles; click on the "CC" and they will appear.

An Inspector Calls (1954, UK)

Based on the play by J.B. Priestley, this British mystery follows Inspector Poole (Alastair Sim) as he investigates the apparent suicide of Eva Smith (Jane Wenham), a young working-class woman. Paying a visit to the wealthy Birling household, Poole arrives in the middle of a dinner party and slowly reveals how each family member, including stern patriarch Arthur Birling (Arthur Young) and his uptight wife, Sybil (Olga Lindo), could have had a hand in Eva's death.

Secret of the Blue Room (1933)

The Last Warning (1929)

Five years after an actor is murdered during a performance, a producer decides to restage the production of the same play, in the same theater and with the remaining members of the original cast.

Paper Orchid is on YouTube.

"Charlie Chan at the Opera" is very entertaining.

Crossfire (1947, Edward Dmytryk)

When a Jewish man is murdered, a homicide detective suspects a hate crime. Starring Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan, Robert Young, and Gloria Grahame.

The Preview Murder Mystery (1936, Robert Florey)

After a star is killed at a movie preview, police hold everyone within the confines of a major Hollywood studio.

I found this great channel on YT with old film noir classics. I just watched The Suspect with Charles Laughton. I thought one of you may enjoy this channel as well. ( There goes my morning 😆)

[quote]Crossfire (1947, Edward Dmytryk) When a Jewish man is murdered, a homicide detective suspects a hate crime.

In the original novel, [bold]The Brick Foxhole[/bold] by Richard Brooks, the murdered man is gay. It was changed for the movie due to the Production Code.

A few days ago, on TCM I watched Karloff's 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐞 (1938). It wasn't bad.

R119, I liked The Suspect a lot

Bump

R68 - just watched that one over the weekend. Good god that Aiden Turner is sexy as hell. Mmmmmm.

Rebecca

The Seventh Victim

1960s INSPECTOR PALMU films. Unfortunately these films are practically unknown outside of Finland, where they're considered to be some of the biggest classics of local cinema and have a cult status.

Four films were made - the first two are pretty great, the third one is just OK, while the fourth one is unwatchable. They can easily be found on torrent sites with English subs.

Lots of good ones here with YouTube recommending more.

r118 Starring Gail Patrick, who went on to the the exec. producer of "Perry Mason."

Dead of Night is on Kanopy.

‘Skeleton Key’ with Kate Hudson 2005. -not an old movie but it feels like it could have been made in the old studio system 30/40’s.

Black Angel (1946, Roy William Neill)

When a man is convicted of a singer's murder, his wife tries to prove him innocent...aided by the victim's ex-husband. Based on a Cornell Woolrich story, this film noir stars Dan Duryea, June Vincent, and Peter Lorre

This Man Is News (1938, David MacDonald, UK)

A British reporter (Barry K. Barnes) and his smart wife (Valerie Hobson) outwit gangsters who think he knows too much in this Thin Man-inspired comedy mystery film. With Alistair Sim.

Quiet Please, Murder (1942, John Larkin)

A smooth forger (George Sanders) kills for library first editions, planning to sell copies to a Nazi collector. Co-starring Gail Patrick.

This one is a lot of fun.

They showed a good one on TCM today. Mystery Street. Poor Jan Sterling is discovered dead on a beach and Ricardo Montalban is on the case. Elsa Lanchester plays the landlady.

I just want thank whoever started this thread. There are lots of wonderful finds here and hours upon hours of quality light entertainment. Perfect viewing for when I need a comfort watch or for nights (like this one) when I'm having trouble falling asleep.

I second R136... I didn't know this thread existed until a few minutes ago... fund scrolling through and the Film Noir Foundation? Nifty find.

Contrary to the description below, Love from a Stranger (1937) starring Ann Harding and Basil Rathbone is not a whodunnit. But it is an entertaining psychological thriller. Based on a story by Agatha Christie.

R73, There is no murder.

"Double Indemnity"!!

"Strangers On a Train."

R130, Kanopy requires a library membership.

The 1945 version of "And Then There Were None" for the cast. The 2015 version for the story.

For op, the German film"M" which made Peter Lorre a star. Fritz Lang gives a very interesting window into the Wiemar era underworld.

I'm in the mood for a classic murder mystery tonight. Which one of the films mentioned in this thread should I choose? Or if there is something that hasn't been mentioned yet that you would recommend, that would work too.

This is not a murder mystery but simply a good, spooky film featuring Nancy Kelly before she gave birth to the bad seed. The opening scene with the old hag on the bus is tops.

An "heirs gathered for the reading of the will" type movie, featuring Wendy Hiller, Olivia Hussey, Honor Blackman, Carol Lynley, and Wilfred Hyde-White. It has an interesting premise but falls flat for me by the end.

That one sounds fun, R143! I love me some classic Hollywood B movie genre flicks. Thanks for the recommendation.

Rebecca 1940. Gothic and mysterious as well as Best Picture oscar.

I've often wondered what it would be like to have a Morning Room.

I'm in the middle of watching this. Feels kind of Hitchcockian. Van Johnson is a blind playwright in London who overhears a suspicious conversation and tries to solve the mystery with the help of Vera Miles.

Account Rendered (1957)

Sapphire (1959)

The House Across the Lake (1953)

An American writer living in England gets entangled in a scheme by a beautiful blonde to murder her rich husband.

The Ninth Guest

Green for Danger is on youtube

The Rosary Murders starring Donald Sutherland (RIP)

"My Name Is Julia Ross" 1945

A young woman in England who is hired as a live-in secretary for an ailing widow, awakens one day and is gaslit by those around her, claiming she is someone else.

I saw this tonight. Ida Lupino movies never fail to fill me with a feeling of unease and doom.

Check out the Whistler series all starring Dick Dix. Pretty well made for B movies. The narrator’s voice is so creepy. He sounds like Raymond Massey to me.

60s Hammer murder mystery, featuring the wonderfully hammy Margaret Johnston as a crippled woman who lives with a bunch of dolls she calls her children.

The Spiral Staircase (1946). Even the title is cool.