THE HIDDEN HAND-1942-A rich woman
Lorinda Channing (Cecil Cunningham) helps her crazy serial killer
brother John (Milton Parsons) break out of jail so she can use him in
a scheme to test her relatives' faith. Two uncaring nephews (and
their snooty wives) are invited to her house as is her secretary Mary
(Elizabeth Cunningham) (who's been made her sole heir), her doctor
(Frank Wilcox) and his bitchy nurse (Marian Hill). Mary is engaged to
Lorinda's lawyer Peter Thorne (Craig Stevens). Lorinda wants to fake
her death with the help of her doctor and a drug but he lets her die.
Only she doesn't die and comes back to life and she and bro John
start killing.
Despite the premise this is actually a comedy mystery
with secret panels, clutching hands, real eyes behind a painting and
too much “scared tatics” from Willie Best who refers to a razor
he carries as “my persuader”.
Director Ben Stoloff started his
career in 1920 with a short called PLAY BALL WITH BABE RUTH. I guess
it's only fitting that his last work was directing 26 episodes of
TV's HOME RUN DERBY! THE HIDDEN HAND is based on a 1934 play
“Invitation To Murder” by Rufus King.
Thanks for reading!
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