The Thirteenth Chair (1929)

Director:

Tod Browning

Writers:

Bayard Veiller (play)
Elliott J. Clawson (dialogue continuity)

Release Date:

19 October 1929 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

Try and Guess It! The thrilling mystery play that baffled and gripped Broadway for a solid year is here as a Talking picture with every chill and gasp intact!

Plot:

Although his murdered friend was by all accounts a scoundrel a true "bounder" Edward Wales is determined...

Plot Keywords:

Medium | Seance | Author | Murder | Runaway

Cast

Conrad Nagel	...	Richard Crosby
Leila Hyams	...	Helen 'Nellie' O'Neill
Margaret Wycherly	...	Madame Rosalie La Grange
Helene Millard	...	Mary Eastwood
Holmes Herbert	...	Sir Roscoe Crosby
Mary Forbes	...	Lady Alice Crosby
Bela Lugosi	...	Inspector Delzante
John Davidson	...	Edward 'Ned' Wales
Charles Quatermaine	...	Dr. Philip Mason (as Charles Quartermaine)
Moon Carroll	...	Helen Trent
Cyril Chadwick	...	Brandon Trent
Bertram Johns	...	Howard Standish
Gretchen Holland	...	Grace Standish
Frank Leigh	...	Professor Feringeea
Clarence Geldart	...	Commissioner Grimshaw (as Clarence Geldert)

Also Known As:

The 13th Chair (USA) (promotional title)

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric System)

Certification:

USA:Passed (certificate number not assigned at release)

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The play opened in New York City, New York on 20 November 1916 and ran for 328 performances. The cast included Margaret Wycherly, who is also in the movie, and Walter Young.

Quotes:

Inspector Delzante: [Interrogating a suspect, consulting his notes] Perhaps this will refresh your memory.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Thirteenth Chair (1937)

Odd editing

Recently saw this enjoyable little curio on TCM. Adding to the comments of others on the matter of style, I was surprised to notice several examples of short graceful tracking shots forward or back, just to break up the sense of staginess. (The mansion has very smooth floors!) So it's not that the camera is absolutely static. But Browning avoids close-ups for the most part. What was odd is the editing at certain times, which seems way off. There's one bizarre moment when the actors are clearly gathered in preparation for when the director calls "Action," and then after a few seconds, they abruptly begin speaking to each other in mid-sentence. (I'd like to see someone do a whole movie like that!) There's an equally strange edit when Margaret Wycherley walks out of the frame to confront Bela Lugosi (a few steps away), and then we cut to Lugosi sitting in his chair waiting an awfully long time beside dead space for her to walk into frame. I wonder what that was about?