Small House of Everything

Small House of Everything

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

OVERLOOKED FILM: THE HOUSE OF SECRETS (1936)

There was a time when British thriller writers rules the roost.  Authors such as Edgar Wallace and E. Phillips Oppenheim accounted for a good percentage of books sold each year -- especially in England.  Close behind them in popularity was Sydney Horler, a puritanical xenophobe whose 157 books were  eagerly snatched up by a devoted public.  As a writer, he could be classed somewhat below Harry Stephen Keeler, but as a purveyor of thrills he delivered the goods.

The House of Secrets is based on his 1926 novel and play of the same name.  Directed by Roland D. Reed (perhaps best known for Rocky Jones, Space Ranger) for RKO and adapted by John W. Kraftt (whose 80-plus credits include Here's Flash Casey), the movie features Leslie Fenton, Muriel Evans, Noel Madison, and Sidney Blackmer.

Not a great flick, but an interesting time-passer.  One reviewer, however, did say, "...(T)he holes in it make the Kraft swiss cheese company seem like a hermetically sealed container."

Enjoy.

https://archive.org/details/house_of_secrets

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