The Black Raven (1943)
1h 1m | PG-13
One dark and stormy night, an escaped convict, an embezzler, a runaway daughter, her intended and her father, and a gangster take refuge in a remote inn called "The Black Raven" after the nickname of a second gangster who owns it; and murder ensues.
Director: Sam Newfield
Studio: PRC
Genre: Mystery, Crime, Horror
Video: 720p
Cast
George Zucco
as Amos Bradford
Wanda McKay
as Lee Winfield
Noel Madison
as Mike Bardoni
Robert Livingston
as Allen Bentley
Byron Foulger
as Horace Weatherby
Charles Middleton
as Sheriff
Reviews
George Zucco ("Bradford") owns a remote inn that one stormy night finds itself home to a quite a few unscheduled guests - a runaway couple and a disgruntled bank clerk making off to Canada with the day's takings. The arrival of the absconding girl's father - who happens to be a judge, brings Zucco's criminal alter ego "The Black Raven" into play and what now ensues is a gently paced cat and mouse thriller that sees each resident hope to get their hand on the loot - oh, and to manage to stay alive. The score imbues this with a certain mischievous jollity, and the constant storm raging outside gives what is essentially a pretty stage-bound enterprise just a little bit of extra menace. At just over the hour, it packs quite a lot in - there are plenty of suspects, and much of the film is spent presenting us with a whole load of red herring scenarios that tell us little, but keep it all moving along nicely. Who did what to whom? Well, that doesn't really matter - it's just a bit of fun!