Mystery House(Warner Bros.) (1938)

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ee a ACTOR PURCELL BORN, RAISED IN CONNECTICUT Dick Pureell, born August 6, 1908 in Greenwich, Connecticut . American-Irish descent .. . has two brothers, William and Francis, both Irish Barons of Loughmoe . . . educated in New York, All Hallows Institute and one year at Fordham .. . nurtured thought of becoming lawyer while at school . . . more as lark than as career took job offered him in vaudeville pinch-hitting for indisposed straight man. That was when 19... experience changed ambition . . . decided to continue on stage... got chance to be understudy in ‘‘ Marathon’’ ... graduated to parts in ‘‘ Paths of Glory,’’ ‘‘Milky Way,’’ ‘‘Sailor Behave,’’? ‘‘Men in White,’’ . also played in stock at Hanna Theatre, Cleveland; Shubert Teck, Buffalo and A. H. Smith, Toronto. While in New York took screen test for Warner Bros. and signed _.. first picture ‘‘Ceiling Zero’’ _.. followed by ‘‘Brides Are Like That,’? ‘‘Case of the Velvet Claws,’’ ‘Captain Kid,’’ ‘¢Slim,’’ ‘<Aleatraz Island,’’ ‘‘Mystery House’? (now at the Strand Theatre) ‘‘Daredevil Drivers,’’ and ‘¢ Accidents Will Happen’’ to name a few. Five feet 11 inches tall weighs 165 pounds, has blue eyes and brown hair and plays violin _.. football fan ... keeps fit by spending as much time swimming as his work in pictures permits. Purcell Booms Squash Game The latest sports trend in Hollywood will be away from the currently popular bowling and badminton and toward squash, if the plans of actor Dick Purcell go through. The leading man of Warner Bros.’ ‘‘Mystery House,’’ now showing at the Strand Theatre, is the No. 1 Squash player of Hollywood, and has done much to popularize the fast game. His latest venture into the field of squash will be a large 16-court auditorium, which he will own and manage. Pureell feels that the game is more fun and more exercise than either bowling or badminton and should prove equally as popular. The actor will serve as instructor himself between picture assignments. Two leading professionals from the east will also aid with the teaching of novices. Pureell plays ‘Lance O’Leary,’’ the detective-hero, in ‘‘ Mystery House,’’ opposite Ann Sheridan. The picture, a super-thriller, was directed by Noel Smith. Lone Star Club Ann Sheridan, titian-haired Warner Bros. star, who hails from Dallas, is forming a club of Hollywood players born in Texas. There are not many of them, so it will be quite exclusive. Miss Sheridan’s latest film is ‘‘ Mystery House,’’?’ now playing at the Strand Theatre next Friday. Signed By Two Anthony Averill, recently signed by both Warner Bros. and Selznick International, is the first new actor to be brought to Hollywood on contract to two competing film concerns. Averill is now appearing at the Strand Theatre in his first Warner film, ‘‘Mystery House.’’ For Selznick he must do two parts, one of those possibly being the much-disputed role of Rhett Butler in ‘‘Gone With the Wind.’’? He is tall, dark, and plenty handsome. CURRENT PUBLICITY I I III “PERFECT” SAY THE CRITICS Ann Sheridan, recently chosen by a continental expert as the “nerfect American girl figure,” now on the Strand “Mystery House.” sereen in Mat 201—30c iVitagronh, tac. Ann Sheridan, Dick Purcell Score In “Mystery House,”’ Strand Film STORY SYNOPSIS (Not for Publication) : Gwen Kingery (Anne Nagel) always suspected that her father was killed at Hunting’s End, his country lodge, and had not died of heart failure as was said. She is in love with Lal Killian (William Hopper), who was one of the house guests at the time of her father’s murder, and decides to investigate the crime to assure herself Lal didn’t do it. Her invalid aunt, Lucy Kingery (Elspeth Dudgeon), has a nurse, Sarah Keate (Ann Sheridan) who suggests that Gwen hire her friend Lance O’Leary, (Dick Purcell) ace detective, to solve the crime. On the first night at the Lodge, Helen Paggi, a guest, is killed while out on a hunting party and Lance suspects her husband Joe (Anderson Lawler), after he learns that Joe is in love with Terice Von Elm (Sheila Bromley) and wants to leave his wife. Others suspected are Bruker (Trevor Bardette) the chauffeur, Julian Barre (Anthony Averill), hail-fellow-wellmet, and Newell Morse (Hugh O’Connell). Lance tracks down all clues and decides that Gwen's father had been murdered, but the murder had been covered up in order to avoid a run on his bank. Lance also discovers two crossed firearms on a wall, one pointing directly at a door. This has been connected with wires so that when the door is bolted, the gun will fire. This, Lance decides, is how Gwen’s father was killed. He has the gun loaded, calls the guests in and asks each to step up and bolt the door. When the guilty person’s turn comes, the film moves through a fast climax to a thrilling end. CAST OF CHARACTERS Lance O'Leary ............ Sarah Keate .................0.....0..0055 Gwen Kingery .......................04Lal Killian .............0..00.0.0.....00005. Julian Barre |.........................-.--. ANTCEEE ices ceseccics tv can tases ve raeiens tos Newell Morse ................0...0600005Gerald Frawley .......................-. Terice Von Elm ........................ Aunt Lucy Kingery ................... Foe: PAReE i cisiictieancistam aman Brak@P (2iccvee ith ovine sets canon ie kaicndnsubeaitea ease in Elspeth Dudgeon sanendien cee _... Anderson Lawlor s fevaicion Eisen pata ements Trevor Bardette Mat 102—-15e PRODUCTION STAFF: — Directed by Noel Smith; Screenplay by Sherman L. Lowe, Robertson White; From Novel by Mignon G. Eberhart; Photography by L. Wm. O'Connell, Mat 104—15e A.S.C.; Film Editor, Frank Magee; Dialogue Director, John Ann Sheridan Langan; Sound by Leslie G. Hewitt; Gowns by Howard Shoup. a a il a eT ee at SR: nha RIESE REE Dick Purcell (Review ) ETECTIVE stories made into motion pic tures seem never-ending on the screens of the world — but few of them are nearly as suspenseful and attention-gripping as those written by Mignon Eberhart, who is one of the real aces of the so-called ‘‘whodunit’’ school. Warner Bros. presented another Eberhart thriller yesterday at the Strand Theatre — ‘“Mystery House,’’ the tale of a murder in a remote hunting lodge and its eventual solution by Detective Lance O’Leary, a likeable sleuth of the novelist’s creation. The audienees seemed delighted with it. Dick Pureell plays Lance in this picture. The character appeared once previously on the sereen, in ‘‘The Patient in Room is,” but that time he was portrayed by Patric Knowles. Purcell makes him an off-hand, casual sort of person, utterly unlike any de tective you ever saw. And he does a splendid job of it. Ann Sheridan, recently selected as possessing Hollywood’s perfect figure, is the girl in the case, a nurse who first suspects that the victim’s death was not from natural causes, and who brings Lance O’Leary into the problem. They both figure importantly in a really sensational scene which provides the solution of the mystery. A minor romance is carried along nicely by Anne Nagel and William Hopper. Other important figures in the story are played by Elspeth Dudgeon, Sheila Bromley, Anthony Averill, Hugh O’Connell, Dennie Moore and Trevor Bardette. The picture was directed cleverly and at a fast pace by Noel Smith, who worked from a screenplay adapted from the Eberhart novel by Robertson White and Sherman Lowe. (Opening Day) ‘MYSTERY HOUSE’ SPOOK THRILLER NOW AT STRAND ‘¢Mystery House’’ the story of how a wealthy man was slain at his remote hunting lodge, and how clever Detective Lance O’Leary, found the killer, will have its first local showing today at the Strand Theatre. Dick Pureell plays the sleuth in this Warner Bros. melodrama. Ann Sheridan plays a lovely nurse who suspects a crime has been committed and brings a detective, Dick Pureell, to the lodge to clear up the mystery. The story is by Mignon Eberhart, whose detective novels and pictures have had immense popularity during the past few years. The photoplay is said to have an especially thrilling climax as the killer and his means of operation are revealed. Other notables in the cast are Anne Nagel and William Hopper, who earry along the romantic interest, Anthony Averill, Hugh O’Connell, Sheila Bromley, Dennie Moore and Elspeth Dudgeon. The screenplay was adapted by Robertson White and Sherman Lowe and directed by Noel Smith. Mat 105—15e LIGHTNING, JR., trained police dog and Ann Sheridan in “Mystery House,” now at the Strand. No Dog’s Life For This One Lightning, Jr. is a dog, a German shepherd — but he doesn’t lead a dog’s life, because, Lightning, Jr. is a movie star. His latest film is ‘‘ Mystery House,’’ a Warner Bros. thriller that is scheduled to open today at the Strand. Lightning, Jr. was born a year and a half ago — right into the lap of luxury, so to speak. First of all, his father was the famed movie star Lightning. And _ his owner was Earl Johnson, famous trainer of dogs who liked Lightning, Jr. and planned to star him in pictures too, when he grew up. So he lived in a specially built kennel, ate the best meats and bones and was allowed to laze his first year of life away. Then his training began. Trainer Johnson taught him to lie down and stand up and walk and run and all the things movie actors must do. Then Johnson took his new star material along as stand-in and double to father, Lightning, Sr. In that way, Jr. became used to lights and cameramen and even assistant directors. Soon Jr. was playing bit roles in films. Now that Sr. is getting old, trainer Johnson is planning to use Jr. exclusively. In ‘Mystery House’’ which costars Ann Sheridan and Dick Purcell, Lightning, Jr. plays Jellico, guardian dog of Hunting’s End. This is his best role to date — and he’s all set to howl. Page Three