Dark Hour, The

2443. THE DARK HOUR (1936-USA). With RAY WALKER, BERTON CHURCHILL, HEDDA HOPPER. Mean old Henry Carson is found dead at his desk by his butler in this exciting whodunnit which will keep you guessing until the final fade-out. Carson and his brother Charles are real estate investors who have raised their lovely niece Elsa to womanhood, She is in love with young detective Jim Landis but Uncle Henry had vehemently fought the possibility of their marriage. Now Henry lies dead, stabbed in the back. The knife struck deep, but for some mysterious reason there is no blood in the wound! Detective Landis asks his mentor, retired detective Paul Bernard, to join with him in attempting to solve the case. The two generations combine modern investigating skills with more traditional techniques to explain the circumstances of the murder and pin down the killer. Together they confront an engaging group of suspects who include various family members (with Hedda Hopper deserving kudos for a sparkling performance as Aunt Marian), a household of fretting servants and a foreign-looking man whose face was seen at a window on the night of the tragedy. Remarkably, even presumably sweet Elsa is under suspicion for keeping secrets from the detectives. Ardent mystery lovers will enjoy this entertaining film and relish its incredible climactic scene. 70 minutes. Crime Mystery Suspense