"Mystery House" is a murder mystery with a host of suspects. This story is just good enough to hold one's interest in finding the culprit. This is one of a few mystery films that Warner Brothers made from the late 1930s to mid-1940s, with the lead character named Lance O'Leary as a private detective. The studio was probably trying to get a niche in the market of sharp and snappy detective film series that were big successes for other studios. Most notable of those was MGM's Thin Man series that starred William Powell and Myrna Loy.
But, Warner couldn't settle on one actor to play the lead, and different ones played O'Leary in films over the years. Most noticeable about the three films I've seen in this group so far, is the inferior writing and screenplays. And then, the studio didn't cast many well-known actors in the parts until toward the end.
The four leads here were fairly good with the weak screenplay they had. All might have become better known, but their careers were ended with early deaths. Dick Purcell, as O'Leary, died of a heart attack at age 38 in 1944. That was after he had the distinction of playing the very first "Captain America" in the 1944 film of that same title. Anne Sheridan died at age 51 of esophageal cancer in 1952, and Anne Nagel was 50 when she died in 1966 of liver cancer and alcoholism.
The longest living of the four leads is also the most known. William Hopper became well known over a decade on television as Perry Mason's detective, Paul Drake. Hopper died in 1970 of pneumonia following a stroke. He was 55.
But, Warner couldn't settle on one actor to play the lead, and different ones played O'Leary in films over the years. Most noticeable about the three films I've seen in this group so far, is the inferior writing and screenplays. And then, the studio didn't cast many well-known actors in the parts until toward the end.
The four leads here were fairly good with the weak screenplay they had. All might have become better known, but their careers were ended with early deaths. Dick Purcell, as O'Leary, died of a heart attack at age 38 in 1944. That was after he had the distinction of playing the very first "Captain America" in the 1944 film of that same title. Anne Sheridan died at age 51 of esophageal cancer in 1952, and Anne Nagel was 50 when she died in 1966 of liver cancer and alcoholism.
The longest living of the four leads is also the most known. William Hopper became well known over a decade on television as Perry Mason's detective, Paul Drake. Hopper died in 1970 of pneumonia following a stroke. He was 55.