Develiker terrible... so disappointed.

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Ogosmith Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Teddie Blake The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

GL84 Gathering her relatives together at her house, a woman's intent on celebrating her wealth with them is interrupted by a series of murders forcing them to find the killer before he strikes them again.This here was a rather decent enough murder/mystery rather than a true horror effort. This is mostly undone by the fact that there's the opening escape that showcases the killer from the beginning which really tends to lower that factory considerably as this one features such an illogically-staged sequence putting him in full-view for the entire scene doesn't make the fear of him all that common here which is pretty much the whole purpose here. That could've easily been done by framing the escape without showing him in order to keep the mystery going, but rather the fact that the rest of the movie takes place with him out in the open along with the rest of the family is where this one does tend to show itself off in that regard as a fine comedic horror effort as there's some really decent slapstick scenes here of the murder attempts on her life that really are quite enjoyable. The falling flower pot and the poisoning do make for quite silly scenes but are played off as genuine enough to prolong the mystery well enough for them to be considered goofy, silly fun long enough to hold this up nicely enough in carrying the first half here. The second half plays like a true old- school haunted house mystery with the secret passages, disappearing rooms and investigations into the events here that makes for quite a fun time here and really makes for quite a fun time in generating some genuine laughs and enough twists in the final moments to make it memorable though still somewhat troubled.Rated Unrated/PG: Violence.

kapelusznik18 ****SPOILERS**** With the criminally insane John Channing, Milton Parson, escaping from the state mental asylum he makes it to his sister Lorinda's,Cecil Cunningham,family mansion where she's, who in fact planned John's escape, awaiting him. It's there that John is given the job of the family butler as Lorinda's mostly greedy and unscrupulous relatives are to arrive there to be read by family lawyer Peter Thorne, Craig Stevens,her last will & testament. Unknown to everyone involved -except Lorinda-she's got a number of surprises for them that in the end will give them exactly what's coming to them and it isn't her money as well as her stock and bond certificates. She leaves a number of clues for them to find her hidden fortune to trick them instead in doing doing themselves in.By tricking her family members into thinking that she suddenly died of heart failure Lorinda gets to know their true motives in being there and has them off themselves in their greed to screw each other out of their inheritance. Even the greedy and sleazy former Japanese butler, until John took his place, Mallo played by Chinese Kam Tong who ends up getting it up the creek, as a going away present, when he tried to jump the gun in getting the clue where Lorinda's hidden cash was located. In fact the only one who Lorinda planned to leave her fortune to was her good friend Mary Winfield, Elisabeth Fraser, actually didn't want a penny of it but was targeted by the rest of the family members to be murdered so that they instead could end up getting it.***SPOILERS**** As it turned out the sleaziest of the bunch was the one Lorinda entrusted to bring her back to life after her fake fatal heart attack Dr. Lawrence Channing, Frank Wilcox. It was Dr. Channing who let her die, or so he thought, by not administrating the antidote to bring Lorinda back to life. He ended up getting it the worst of all by having to face justice instead getting a quick exit like most of the other members of the cast or Channing family. As for Lorinda her plan soon backfired in trying to keep Mary from dropping down through the trap door she set for everyone else and instead unknowingly ended up taking her place. P.S Check out the hilariously funny Willie Best as the family chauffeur Eustace who unlike most of those in the film had something to hang on to when the trap door was sprung on him!

MikeMagi There was a time when every major studio turned out "B" movies, 60 minute quickies to fill a double bill. "The Hidden Hand," for example. It features a group of credible, little-known actors (aside from Craig Stevens who had not yet played Peter Gunn) and keeps the budget slim by using only one set, a mysterious mansion where members of a greedy family gather to be knocked off. Why are there a pair of homicidal hands behind the painting in the living room? How come the carpet nearby hides a quick dip in a watery grave?? And how did the mistress of the manor get out of the crypt in which she was interred to plot the demise of her house guests? At least, the cast includes Milton Parsons who is either the funniest or scariest butler to escape an insane asylum. In short, a surprisingly entertaining throwback.

judy_macd This is no "Halloween", but I really enjoyed this movie..not for the scares, but for the laughs. It was a great way to pass a couple of hours on a lazy Sunday afternoon in the middle of winter. Willie Best was really entertaining. The other characters did just enough and although it was very campy by today's standards, I can't fault any of them. At the end when the policemen all left the house satisfied that they had solved the crime (but left all the bodies in the hidden basement well), I laughed right out loud. I found this movie on the Turner Classic movie channel, where I watch most of the black and white movies I enjoy. If you just look at it as pure entertainment, you'd be sure to enjoy it.