A Shriek in the Night

Rating:
Summary: An Early Horror Mystery Thriller
Review: Ginger Rogers and Lyle Talbot are rival newspaper reporters always trying to outscoop each other. They join together to solve a series of murders being committed in an apartment building. The supporting cast includes Lillian Harmer as Augusta, the shrieking maid who not only enjoys reading mystery magazines, but adds to the confusion with her bewilderment; Louise Beavers (with surname billed in the credits as Beaver) as the black maid who also shrieks after finding a body of a man named Colby in one of the apartments; and Cyril Ring, among others whose names have gone uncredited.


This basically is a low-budget povery row thriller. Rogers and Talbot would also team in the more well known and Superior Thirteenth guest. Most of the story is rather slow-moving, but towards the end things start to happen quickly, and it is worth waiting for. Rogers plays her part well, and there are a few moments of humor.

Rating:
Summary: Early Ginger Rogers in Mystery Spoof now on DVD!
Review: Ginger Rogers is really cute in this Murder Mystery Spoof.

This Standard Format Black/White 67 minute movie is a good quality DVD transfer.

Summary: Live in Undercover newspaper reporter Pat Morgan (Ginger Rogers) is acting as a millionaire mob bosses secretary. She is trying to discover his involvement in the crime syndicate. "A Shriek in the Night" awakens the entire apartment building. The crime boss has fallen mysteriosly from his Penthouse balcony to his death. Other deaths soon follow and Pat is in the middle of it all holding key clues to who the murderer is.

This is a fun light mystery drama with a very cute Ginger Rogers playing the intelligent aggressive newswoman. Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Ginger Rogers in an enjoyable B-movie.
Review: It's interesting how budget disc's vary from terrible, to good. This one is definately one of the good ones. While it is an unrestored print, and the sound is hissy, it is a decent transfer. Ok, I am referring this more to budget discs, not things like Warner Brothers DVDs. When you buy a budget release, you have to understand thats what it is. you get what you pay for, but this one is maybe above average.

The film itself though, is a B-Movie, dating back to 1933. This was Ginger Rogers, before she teamed up with Fred Astaire, in their first movie, which started the famous Fred and Ginger series, "Flying Down to Rio". Like most B-Movies, this is nothing spectacular. Its a simple, but enjoyable, crime story, with Ginger Rogers playing an undercover newspaper reporter, named Pat. The film begins with a guy, mysteriously falling from his balcony, to his immediate death. It then follows on into a number of more murders, in which clues keep coming up, now and again, as to who is killing off all these people.

The acting, is only fair. But it is a B-Movie after all, and acting is not always expected to be brilliant. The story, somewhat predictably to an extent. The script, okish. It has some amusing moments to it, and it isnt entirely suspenseful, but remains enjoyable. It is not one to watch over, and over again. But its a good look at Ginger Rogers' career, before going into big stardom, with the Fred Astaire, RKO movies.

I can recommend the movie, but maybe more if you are a fan of Ginger Rogers, and interested in her earlier work. This film wont ever be likely to come to a decent, proper restored release, and while this one isnt bad, go for this DVD.

PLEASE NOTE: This refers to the Alpha DVD release.